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Clean Water Act › Environmental Liability

The Clean Water Act is a United States federal statute enacted in 1972 to reduce levels of toxic substances in the nation's water supply and to prevent high levels of new contamination.  The CWA seeks to... more +
The Clean Water Act is a United States federal statute enacted in 1972 to reduce levels of toxic substances in the nation's water supply and to prevent high levels of new contamination.  The CWA seeks to accomplish its stated goals by preventing point and nonpoint pollution sources, assisting wastewater treatment facilities and maintaining wetlands. less -
Verrill

Better Communication Among Regulators and the Regulated Can Improve Outcomes for Wastewater Permittees

Verrill on

As our understanding of the environment and anthropogenic impact grows, protection efforts increasingly spawn regulation. Media coverage of perceived harms to health and the environment and well-funded advocacy by...more

Nossaman LLP

Ninth Circuit Issues Decision Upholding its Interpretation of “Discharged” for Clean Water Act NPDES Violations

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On November 20, 2023, a panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its opinion in Idaho Conservation League v. Poe, No. 22-35978. Therein, the Court upheld its previous interpretation of “discharged” in the context of...more

Nossaman LLP

Ninth Circuit Issues Clean Water Act Opinion Addressing Indirect vs. Direct Discharge and Notice Requirements

Nossaman LLP on

On November 21, 2023, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its decision in Cottonwood Environmental Law Center vs. Edwards addressing various Clean Water Act issues. Its two key holdings were that (1) the district court...more

Miles & Stockbridge P.C.

Lead Contamination Remains a Significant Issue at Outdoor Shooting Ranges, Prompting Environmental Law Citizen Suits

Miles & Stockbridge P.C. on

Spent lead ammunition at outdoor shooting ranges remains a significant environmental topic, as accumulated lead can pose a threat to human health and the environment if best management practices are not implemented in a...more

Farrell Fritz, P.C.

US Supreme Court Rules that CERCLA-Specific Settlement is a Pre-Requisite to a CERCLA Contribution Claim

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In May 2021, the Supreme Court ruled in Territory of Guam v. United States, 593 U.S. __ (2021), on the issue of whether a settlement resolving environmental liabilities was sufficient to establish a right of contribution for...more

Woods Rogers

Resolved, yet Unclear: Supreme Court Tightens CERCLA Contribution Claim Requirements

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In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court ruled that a party’s right to contribution claims under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) after entering into a settlement arises...more

Robinson & Cole LLP

U.S. Supreme Court Clarifies Predicates to CERCLA Contribution Actions - Guam v. United States, No. 20-382 (May 24, 2021)

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In siding with the Territory of Guam in its dispute with the United States over costs to clean up the Ordot Landfill, the Supreme Court has resolved a circuit court split over which types of administrative settlements trigger...more

Stoel Rives LLP

U.S. Supreme Court Decision Revives Guam Suit, Clarifies CERCLA, and Provides Cautionary Tale

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Does a consent decree under the Clean Water Act (“CWA”) trigger a three-year limitation period to bring a contribution claim under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) when the...more

Holland & Hart LLP

SCOTUS Seeks to Clarify Contribution Claims under CERCLA

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Last week, in its unanimous decision Guam v. United States, No. 20-382, the United States Supreme Court attempted to clarify a statutory question regarding the right to seek contribution that has been a source of uncertainty...more

Jackson Walker

Justices Hold CWA Settlement Does Not Start the Clock on CERCLA Limitations

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In Territory of Guam v. United States, the Supreme Court unanimously held that claims for contribution under Section 113(f)(3)(B) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) require...more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

SCOTUS Clarifies Scope of CERCLA Contribution Claims

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This week, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the case of Guam v. United States, clarifying when contribution actions under CERCLA may be brought. In a unanimous decision overturning the D.C. Circuit, the Court held that a...more

Morgan Lewis

US Supreme Court: Settlement of CERCLA-Specific Liability Needed to Give Rise to CERCLA Contribution Claim

Morgan Lewis on

Reversing the US Court of Appeals for DC Circuit, a unanimous US Supreme Court held that Guam’s settlement of Clean Water Act liabilities did not give rise to and trigger the statute of limitations to bring a Comprehensive...more

Cole Schotz

Supreme Court To DOJ: “No”

Cole Schotz on

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held that a settlement of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”)-specific liability is required to give rise to a contribution action...more

Bricker Graydon LLP

CERCLA contribution reach and the Guam do-over

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On May 24, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court released its opinion in the Territory of Guam v. United States case. At issue was whether Guam could maintain a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Supreme Court Decides Guam v. United States

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP on

On May 24, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Guam v. United States, holding that contribution under CERCLA does not arise until there is a CERCLA-specific liability, even if there is a settlement that resolves liability...more

Sullivan & Worcester

Supreme Court Overturns U.S. Government's Effort to Insulate Navy from Liability to Territory of Guam for Landfill Cleanup

Sullivan & Worcester on

On May 24, 2021, in an opinion written by Justice Thomas, a unanimous Supreme Court ruled that Guam’s lawsuit against the US Navy was not barred by CERCLA, thus restoring the Territory’s claim for recovery of costs to...more

Beveridge & Diamond PC

Supreme Court Clarifies That Only CERCLA Settlements Trigger Contribution Claims

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On May 24, the Supreme Court weighed in on an issue that for decades has bedeviled litigants under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA): When can potentially responsible parties...more

Williams Mullen

Liability for Invalid State Agency Permit Decisions: Is the Regulated Party Left Holding the Bag?

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Regulated parties who comply with their permit sometimes get an unwelcome surprise. They meet with their state agency, make full disclosure about their discharges or emissions, and then the state agency makes decisions about...more

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,...

Wastewater Enforcement: Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment - Division of Environmental Quality and City of Keo Enter...

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The Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment – Division of Environmental Quality (“DEQ”) and the City of Keo, Arkansas, (“Keo”) entered into a February 10th Consent Administrative Order (“CAO”) addressing an alleged...more

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,...

Waters of the United States/Clean Water Act: Environmental Organizations Notice of Intent to Sue U.S. Environmental Protection...

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,... on

The Waterkeeper Alliance and a number of other environmental organizations (collectively “Waterkeeper”) sent a February 13th Notice of Intent to Sue (“NOI”) to the United States Environmental Protection Agency and United...more

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,...

White Oak Bayou Watershed/Service Areas: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Little Rock District) Public Notices Exclusion Decision

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,... on

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) Little Rock District issued a March 25th public notice addressing the White Oak Bayou Watershed. The White Oak Bayou Watershed is located in Pulaski County, Arkansas....more

Robinson+Cole Manufacturing Law Blog

2019 Environmental, Health, and Safety Outlook For Manufacturers

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This is the last of our three-part series of predictions for 2019. First Matt provided our thoughts and predictions in the labor/employment arena. Last week, Jeff gave our outlook for corporate compliance and litigation. ...more

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,...

Low Flow Statistics Tools: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Issues October 2018 Input for NPDES Permit Writers

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,... on

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued an October 2018 publication titled: Low Flow Statistics Tools – A How-To Handbook for NPDES Permit Writers (“Handbook”) - See EPA-833-B-18-001. EPA...more

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,...

Does a Discharge to Groundwater Require an NPDES Permit?: Jordan Wimpy (Mitchell Williams) Arkansas Environmental Federation...

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My law firm colleague Jordan Wimpy undertook a presentation at the October 4th Arkansas Environmental Federation Annual Conference titled: Does a Discharge to Groundwater Require an NPDES Permit? (“Presentation”)...more

Clark Hill PLC

Clean Water Act Groundwater Pollution Liability in Limbo

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The Clean Water Act (CWA) is facing an identity crisis. In the past year, conflicting federal court decisions have created a circuit split as to whether the CWA regulates pollutant releases into groundwater that is...more

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