On 19 July 2024, the European Union (EU) and the Republic of Serbia (“Serbia”) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) creating a strategic partnership on sustainable raw materials, battery value chains and electric...more
In the latest article from our Striking the Balance: Permitting Reforms for Mining and the Energy Transition series, we explore the EU’s recent efforts to streamline the mine permitting process via the Critical Raw Materials...more
Mined materials are in the products we use every day—our cars, jewelry, phones, laptops, and buildings—and technology for the energy transition means that more of these materials are needed for wind, solar, and electric...more
On December 7, the Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) voted to post to public comment amendments to two Department of Environmental (DEP) sets of rules. The first proposes changes to Chapter 200, Metallic Mineral...more
La Corte Constitucional (la Corte) de Colombia, mediante Sentencia T-329 del 28 de agosto de 2023, decidió sobre una acción de tutela interpuesta por una comunidad que alega la vulneración del derecho fundamental a consulta...more
A group of institutional investors led by the Australian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR) and the NGO ShareAction has filed a shareholder resolution seeking details of the “specific plan” for Glencore PLC, a...more
Mediante Resolución 40279 de 2 de agosto de 2022 (la Resolución), el Ministerio de Minas y Energía de Colombia expidió los lineamientos para los programas de sustitución de actividades mineras y reconversión o reubicación...more
In March, ELM posted on the burgeoning environmental conflict over plans to construct an open-pit lithium mine in Thacker Pass, Nevada — plans triggered by what has become a momentous shift away from an emissions-intensive,...more
White House directs agencies to relax enforcement - Los Angeles Times – September 9 - A memorandum produced by the White House Office of Management and Budget and sent to federal agency heads last week instructs them to...more
Australia's National Resources Statement ("Statement") sets out the Government's policy and long-term reform agenda for the Australian resources sector. The Statement was released on 14 February 2019 by the Hon Matthew...more
Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria - Queensland - Adani receives green light for controversial Australian coal mine After a battle lasting almost a decade, Adani Mining's controversial AU$2 billion thermal coal...more
Although most basic questions under the federal “Superfund” law have long since been addressed in detail by the federal EPA and the federal courts, Section 108 - Superfund’s “financial assurance provision” - is only now...more
In this White Paper, we examine three recently decided Australian cases that separately provide guidance on topics of interest to the mining sector. In the first, the court refused planning approval for a new open cut coal...more
To nobody’s surprise, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf began his second term by calling for a mineral extraction tax to be layered upon the State’s local impact fee. Of course, the Governor never mentioned the impact fee in...more
Welcome to our Environmental Legislative Updates. Throughout Connecticut’s legislative session, these updates highlight developments concerning environmental law and policy. The author prepares updates as Legislative...more
Voters in several western states on November 6th defeated citizen-initiated ballot initiatives that would have heavily regulated mineral and energy development. The highest profile failed initiative was Colorado’s Proposition...more
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) published a February 21st Federal Register Notice announcing its decision to not issue final regulations for Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and...more
On Friday, December 1, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided NOT to finalize rules to require hard rock mines and mineral processing operations to provide financial assurance to fund future cleanups of...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will not issue a final rule for the Obama-era’s proposed regulations for financial responsibility requirements for certain hardrock mining...more
Last week the EPA officially published its proposal to impose over $7 billion of financial assurance requirements on the owners and operators of currently active or idle hardrock mines and mineral processing facilities. 82...more
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy on Dec. 1, 2016, signed a pre-publication version of a proposed rule that seeks to establish financial responsibility requirements for approximately 221...more