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In a December 2012 Guidance Memo, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new enforcement principles intended to enhance protections for tenants on contaminated or previously contaminated “brownfield” properties....more
In New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection v. Dimant, 212 N.J. 153 (2012), the New Jersey Supreme Court held that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) must establish, by a preponderance of the...more
Newly issued guidance by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) suggests that prudent long-term tenants of commercial and industrial properties should conduct environmental due diligence before entering into a...more
On December 7, 2012, California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) issued a draft technical support document in support of its public health goal for perchlorate, in further support of its proposal to...more
Remedy decisions are almost always won or lost at the agency level. Once the ROD issues, a PRP’s chance of having the selected remedy overturned in court is slim to none – a point that was driven home in a recent decision in...more
As real estate development and leasing begin to emerge slowly from the dark days of the Great Recession, it’s important to remember that environmental considerations should not take a back seat to getting a deal done. In...more
Daily Environment Report today noted that the National Research Council has produced a study, Alternatives for Managing the Nation’s Complex Contaminated Groundwater Sites, which assesses the scope of the groundwater...more
The National Research Council, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), today released a report, “Alternatives for Managing the Nation’s Complex Contaminated Groundwater Sites” (available from the National Academies...more
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EPA recently released two guidance documents relevant to Superfund practitioners. One establishes revised procedures regarding how EPA will manage negotiations with PRPs. The second updates EPA's guidance on how it will...more
As we all prepare for -- or cope with -- the impacts of this storm, we hope you and your loved ones stay safe. Unfortunately, environmental impacts are inevitable. We are mindful that EPA was criticized after Katrina for...more
One headline in today’s Daily Environment Report stated that “EPA Considers PCB Regulatory Reform Amid State Regulator Criticism of Program.” Even my advanced sarcasm skills failed me on reading this. I’ll therefore settle...more
In This Presenation: - Brownfields Voluntary Cleanup Incentives - GENERAL The General Assembly has provided two tax incentives to promote cleanup of brownfield sites: an income tax credit as well as a property...more
Important changes to Michigan’s Part 201 cleanup criteria became effective September 28, 2012. Among other revisions, inhalation pathway criteria for both soil and groundwater were made more stringent for several constituents...more
In an environmental dispute between innocents involving a Church and a downgradient property owner, a federal court recently found the Church, although without original sin, was less innocent and should bear all the costs of...more
Any company handling hazardous substances in New Jersey must be aware that while the state was recently unsuccessful in expanding liability for damages under the Spill Act, the Supreme Court clarified what constitutes a...more
While we tend to think of a CERCLA “facility” as the real property where environmental contaminants have come to be located, it is important to remember that CERCLA’s definition of “facility” is actually much broader than...more
http://illinoisenvironmentallaw.com/uncategorized/governor-quinn-signs-bill-that-will-result-in-illinois-following-federal-air-regulations/ Illinois Governor Pat Quinn recently signed a bill passed in the General Assembly,...more
Recently, Solutia Inc. and Pharmacia Corporation filed a petition for writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to overturn the Eleventh Circuit’s ruling that a Potentially Responsible Party (“PRP”) conducting a...more
This past spring, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) modified its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to conform to the United Nations' Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of...more
On July 6, 2012, the New Jersey Appellate Division, in the case of Des Champs Laboratories, Inc. v. NJDEP, invalidated the NJDEP’s regulation requiring an owner or operator of an industrial establishment to certify that their...more
Originally published in Law360, New York (July 03, 2012, 12:16 PM ET) For properties where chlorinated solvents have been released, new regulatory challenges and related liability concerns are increasing as a result of...more
A recent decision of the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal has held that a landowner who purchased commercial property with known existing underground petroleum contamination failed to qualify for both the so-called...more
Attention has once again been focused on the industrial pollution of the lakes, rivers, and streams in Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi through the publication of a recent report by a federation of environmental advocacy...more
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