Matthew Manahan – Pierce Atwood LLP

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided again to evaluate whether to list the American eel and is seeking public comment until November 28, 2011 as part of a new status review. It is not yet known when the National…more

Maine DEP has begun the process of amending Chapter 691 of its rules to implement the statutory change and is seeking comments…more

On October 6, 2010 NMFS announced that it had determined that listing as threatened is warranted for the GOM DPS. Stakeholders will have until January 4, 2011 to submit comments on the listing. Four public hearings will be…more

On October 20, 2010, the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston issued a decision upholding the refusal of Judge Woodcock of the U.S. District Court for Maine to require the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife…more

Appellants contend that the Superior Court erred in holding that the Board of Environmental Protection has nonreviewable discretion to decline to act on appellants’ petitions to modify water quality certifications issued…more

Obtaining a state water quality certification, required under the Clean Water Act, can be a significant challenge in hydroelectric licensing proceedings. Project owners are employing -- with varying degrees of success --…more

Hydroelectric power is clean, renewable energy, yes the costs of obtaining new licenses from FERC have become prohibitive, particularly for small projects. Project owners are increasingly considering decommissioning their…more