The 2024 legislative session ended on August 31, meaning the legislature passed all bills for this year. All of the bills are currently with Governor Newsom. He has until September 30 to sign or veto any bills. Any bills not...more
On September 6, 2024, EPA announced $7.5 billion in available loan funding through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA). From that total, $6.5 billion is available through WIFIA loans and $1 billion is...more
On August 6, 2024, the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved the direct potable reuse (DPR) regulations that were previously adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) on December 19, 2023....more
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are at the top of every environmental regulator’s list in 2024 and already this year the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken key steps toward regulating...more
6/13/2024
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Contamination ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
RCRA ,
Superfund ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Exposure ,
Water
Water Agencies Beware Before Proceeding with Forced Municipalization -
California’s state water system serves roughly 40 million people and irrigates nearly 10 million acres of farmland. The 2023 water year was ranked as...more
5/24/2024
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Condemnation ,
Construction Contracts ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Infrastructure ,
Municipalities ,
New Regulations ,
PFAS ,
Public Contracts ,
Public Entities ,
State Water Boards ,
Storm Water ,
Utilities Sector ,
Water ,
Water Quality ,
Water Supplies
PART II -
As detailed in Part 1 of this eAlert, on April 19, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its final rule designating perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS),...more
4/24/2024
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Contamination ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Superfund ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Exposure ,
Wastewater
On April 19, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its final rule designating perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), two of the most common and well-known per- and...more
4/22/2024
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Contamination ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Final Rules ,
Groundwater ,
Hazardous Substances ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Superfund ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Exposure
On April 10, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This regulation represents a key...more
4/10/2024
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Contamination ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Final Rules ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Infrastructure ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Exposure
On April 4, 2024, Governor Newsom and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau) announced that the Bureau awarded California $15 million for the Delta-Mendota Canal floating solar project. The project, which is funded through...more
4/9/2024
/ Biden Administration ,
Bureau of Reclamation ,
California ,
Climate Change ,
Electricity ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Federal Funding ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
Infrastructure ,
Inland Waterways ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Energy ,
Water Supplies
On April 2, 2024, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) released the California Water Plan Update 2023 (CWP 2023 Update). DWR’s press release dubs the plan “A Roadmap to Water Management and Infrastructure for a...more
On March 12, 2024, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) announced updates to the “Make Conservation a California Way of Life” framework that is based on SB 606 and AB 1668 from 2018. The changes seek to...more
On January 31, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is proposing to list nine per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as hazardous constituents under the Resource Conservation and Recovery...more
2/5/2024
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Environmental Liability ,
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PFAS ,
Public Health ,
RCRA ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Exposure
On January 4, 2024, the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) issued its statutorily-mandated report – “Assessing Early Implementation of Urban Water Use Efficiency Requirements” – analyzing the implementation of the “Make...more
After releasing the final environmental report (EIR) for the Delta Conveyance Project on December 8, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) certified it on December 21, 2023. The certification of the final EIR is a...more
If there is one truism in California water, it is that there is not enough of it. In part to try to help address that issue, on December 19, 2023, the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) adopted...more
1/2/2024
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Environmental Policies ,
Infrastructure ,
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Regulatory Reform ,
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Urban Planning & Development ,
Wastewater ,
Water ,
Water Resources Control Board ,
Water Supplies
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
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
Deadlines are upcoming related to the multi-district per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) litigation. The relevant settlements are with DuPont, Chemours, and Corteva (collectively, DuPont) and 3M, parties who allegedly...more
11/6/2023
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Contamination ,
Deadlines ,
Drinking Water ,
DuPont ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Manufacturers ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
Toxic Chemicals
On October 8, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 389 (“SB 389”), which amended § 1051 of the Water Code to expand the investigatory authority of the State Water Resources Control Board (“Water Board”)....more
10/20/2023
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Environmental Policies ,
Infrastructure ,
Investigations ,
New Legislation ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
State and Local Government ,
Water ,
Water Resources Control Board ,
Water Rights ,
Water Supplies
On September 28, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized its rule requiring reporting of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). According to EPA’s press release, the rule is intended to “provide...more
10/12/2023
/ Contamination ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Manufacturers ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Exposure ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
On March 14, 2023, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six per- and poly fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including...more
On January 6, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its Final Rule, listed at 88 FR 986, updating the maximum civil monetary penalties that may be assessed for violations of environmental statutes....more
2/10/2023
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Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Clean Water Act ,
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Violations ,
Final Rules ,
Inflation Adjustments ,
New Guidance ,
RCRA ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Safe Drinking Water Act ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
On January 10, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom announced his 2023-2024 budget proposal, totaling $297 billion and leading to a $22.5 billion budget deficit. This deficit represents a significant change from last year’s nearly...more
On January 10, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom announced his $297 billion budget proposal for 2023-2024, which includes a $22.5 billion budget deficit. Despite environmental/climate change programs facing $6 billion in cuts,...more
1/12/2023
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Climate Change ,
Drought ,
Environmental Policies ,
Flood Management ,
Infrastructure ,
PFAS ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Water ,
Water Rights ,
Water Supplies ,
Watershed
On December 19, 2022, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps), Sacramento District released its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Delta Conveyance Project. The Army Corps is the federal agency tasked...more