Natural Resource Damages & Environmental Justice
Environmental Agencies, Superfund Cleanups, and Managing Enforcement Actions
What are PFAS and Why Should We Care?
Volatile Times in Vapor Intrusion Regulation: A Legal and Technical Update
The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), State Water Resources Control Board, and San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (collectively, CalEPA VI Workgroup) published their final draft...more
On February 23, 2023, California EPA (Cal EPA) finally released a “final draft” version of the much-awaited vapor intrusion guidance, Final Draft Supplemental Guidance: Screening and Evaluating Vapor Intrusion (VI Guidance)...more
Last month, I had the pleasure of participating in a roundtable discussion regarding “Transactional Real Estate and Environmental Due Diligence” co-hosted by Primerus and Association of Corporate Counsel. I don’t know about...more
Deferring to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit rejected a challenge to the first-ever listing of a site on the Superfund National Priorities List under recent regulatory...more
By Catherine W. Johnson In February 2020, California EPA (Cal-EPA) released its Draft Supplemental Vapor Intrusion Guidance (“Draft Guidance”) – designed to promote consistency in the investigation of vapor intrusion among...more
In February, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, or DTSC, the State Water Resources Control Board, or SWRCB, and the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board released a much-anticipated draft...more
After years in the making behind closed doors, on February 14, 2020, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board and the California State Water...more
The Petroleum Marketers Association (“PMAA”) publication Weekly Review published a March 26th article addressing a new ASTM Standard for spill bucket and sump testing. Spill bucket and sump testing is required by 40 C.F.R. §...more
Two recent cases illustrate the potential scope of, and the potential limitations on, injunctive relief in RCRA citizen suits. First up, Schmucker v. Johnson Controls. Contamination was detected at the Johnson Controls...more
Introduction - Vapor intrusion has emerged as an important legal, scientific, and policy issue over the last decade. With this issue’s growing importance, it is prudent for persons acquiring, leasing, or developing...more
This Corner Briefing highlights new Environmental Screening Levels (ESLs) established by the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board on Jan. 24, 2019. The new ESLs have the potential for making sites that cleared...more
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) added five sites to the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (“Superfund”) National Priority List (“NPL”). See 83 Fed. Reg. 46408. ...more
Last week, EPA added two sites to the National Priorities List (NPL), a list of sites of national priority for known or threatened releases of hazardous substances, solely for the risks posed by vapor intrusion. ...more
EPA has proposed to add the Rockwell International Wheel & Trim Site in Grenada, Mississippi to the National Priorities List, the first site added based solely on the risk to human health from vapor intrusion from subsurface...more
The National Priorities List is designed to identify the contaminated sites that pose the highest risk to human health or the environment so that U.S. EPA can focus its efforts on these sites. For the first time, on January...more
For the first time, EPA has proposed to add a property to the National Priorities List (“NPL”), otherwise known as the Superfund list, based solely on the risk of vapor intrusion. The NPL contains the worst contaminated,...more
With increasing concern and attention being raised by regulatory agencies and the public on protecting building occupants from exposure to vapor intrusion (VI)-related contaminants, parties acquiring and developing property...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: With the EPA adding the consideration of vapor intrusion in its Superfund site investigations, hundreds of sites that previously would not rank high enough to qualify for listing on the National Priorities...more
2016 begins with the issuance of this Construction Industry Newsletter, our fifth. In this issue, we have articles on vapor intrusion, liability for project design, enforcement of mechanic’s lien and bond waiver clauses, and...more
We can expect the trend seen in Massachusetts and some other states of reevaluating and reopening previously closed sites to address the vapor intrusion pathway to grow. Massachusetts is the latest state to reevaluate...more
The National Priorities List (“NPL”) is EPA’s list of the most contaminated sites in the country that warrant cleanup under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, (“CERCLA” a/k/a...more
Last week, we wrote about an audit that MassDEP is conducting of previously closed sites to look for high concentrations of TCE in soils and groundwater. The intent of the audit is to address potential vapor intrusion. The...more
This summer, EPA issued two, long-awaited final technical guides for assessing and mitigating the intrusion of hazardous vapors from subsurface contamination into overlying buildings. EPA’s issuance of these technical guides...more
Purchasers of commercial real estate must meet a new standard to qualify for liability protection under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and analogous state laws. Since...more
On June 11, 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency released long-delayed final guidance for evaluating and mitigating risks at sites where vapor intrusion is an actual or potential concern. The final guidance...more