The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (“Court”) addressed in a December 17th Decision the issuance of an air permit by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”) to Algonquin Gas...more
As discussed previously in Pierce Atwood’s Energy Infrastructure Blog, on June 3, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit vacated an air permit issued by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit recently vacated an air permit issued by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for the construction of a new compressor station proposed by Algonquin...more
On June 3, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit vacated an air permit issued by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and remanded the matter to the agency for further analysis. The...more
In a move that will have a significant impact on Pennsylvania's power producers, Governor Tom Wolf signed an executive order on October 3rd directing the state's Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) to create...more
On July 22, 2019, Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court invalidated a natural gas well site restoration requirement set by the Department of Environmental Protection in 2016, ruling it is unenforceable. ...more
The US Supreme Court has denied a petition for certiorari filed by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, which challenged a decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit concerning Pennsylvania’s water quality...more
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (“Court”) addressed in a February 5th Summary Order (“Order”) the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (“NYDEC”) denial of a Section 401 Clean...more
Pipeline issues continue to dominate the natural gas news. Last week, the pipeline industry got some good news, some bad news, and some news potentially so devastating it could threaten the entire industry....more
State Files Motion to Dismiss Federal Lawsuit by EQT - "Lawyers representing the Secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection have filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit by the natural gas company EQT over a...more
In an Internal Memo, the White House Considered Whether to Simply 'Ignore' Federal Climate Research - "The document, drafted September 18 by Michael Catanzaro, President Trump's special assistant for domestic energy and...more
Oil World Turns Upside Down as U.S. Sells Oil in Middle East - "Yet, in a trade that illustrates how the rise of the American shale industry is upending energy markets across the globe, the U.A.E. bought oil directly from...more
WV DEP Waives Clean Water Act Authority Over Atlantic Coast Pipeline - "The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection waived the state's authority under the federal Clean Water Act to determine if another major...more
On November 30, 2017, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued in final form a new and a revised general permit meant to address methane emissions from the natural gas industry. The permits which were...more
The United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit (“Court”) addressed a challenge to a permit issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”) related to the proposed construction of an...more
On August 11, 2017, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) adopted a landmark bundle of regulations for reducing greenhouse gases (GHG). The regulations primarily target carbon dioxide (CO2)...more
Last week, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) promulgated final regulations to ensure that the Commonwealth will meet the 2020 statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions limits mandated by the...more
On January 11, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania decided the case of EQT Production Company v. Department of Environmental Protection of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and granted EQT Production Company’s (EQT)...more
While many key provisions of Act 13 have now been struck down by the Supreme Court’s two Robinson decisions, much of the Act remains. Act 13 of 2012 represented a major overhaul of Pennsylvania’s oil and gas law and...more
We are pleased to share our 2016 Summary of New Maine Laws enacted during the Second Regular Session of Maine's 127th Legislature, which adjourned sine die April 29, 2016. We provide you this summary to help you stay...more
In This Issue: - Northeast Natural Energy, LLC Making History for the Future of Energy: Entrepreneurs are a special breed. The good ones have that special blend of vision, timing and risk tolerance most others lack....more
Johns Hopkins researchers recently published a paper titled, "Predictors of Indoor Radon Concentrations in Pennsylvania, 1989-2013," in Environmental Health Perspectives. The study reported the results of a mathematical...more
Despite claims to the contrary, the recently released AP “investigation” proves that drilling for natural gas or oil has an excellent safety record. Moreover, it’s getting better, especially in Pennsylvania. Let’s first...more
In This Issue: - Finally -- Rules Governing W.Va. Horizontal Well Development - N.Y. Appellate Court: Municipalities Can Ban O&G Activity - Fracking Nearly Doubles Ohio Oil & Natural Gas Output - Excerpt...more