Two recent executive orders (“EOs”) issued by President Trump require additional efforts by federal agencies to facilitate regulatory reform and to expedite infrastructure projects, relying greatly on emergency and special...more
7/16/2020
/ CARES Act ,
CERCLA ,
Clean Water Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Economic Downturn ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Federal Funding ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Infrastructure ,
Investment ,
NESHAP ,
Public Projects ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Relief Measures ,
Trump Administration
It’s well-known that the Trump administration has sought policies of deregulation over the past several years. The administration places emphasis on proper enforcement of existing rules and regulations as a means of achieving...more
1/13/2020
/ Administrative Procedure ,
Carbon Emissions ,
CERCLA ,
Clean Air Act ,
Climate Change ,
Department of Environmental Quality ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Executive Orders ,
Gas Prices ,
Obama Administration ,
PFAS ,
Renewable Energy ,
Risk Management ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Transportation Industry ,
Trump Administration ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Waste Treatment Facilities ,
Wastewater ,
Waters of the United States
Some companies subjected to environmental enforcement or cleanup actions may believe others should take the blame or share in the costs. When environmental consultants have been involved, the finger can point in their...more
10/31/2019
/ CERCLA ,
Coal ,
Coal Ash ,
Coal Industry ,
Consultants ,
Enforcement ,
Environmental Liability ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Federalism ,
Hazardous Waste ,
Proposed Rules ,
Section 401 ,
Stormwater Discharge Permits
If your company is planning to buy commercial or industrial real estate, it’s probably your standard practice to have a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (“Phase I”) performed. When you do so, it’s important to ensure the...more
6/7/2019
/ Air Pollution ,
BFPP ,
Cap-and-Trade ,
Carbon Emissions ,
CERCLA ,
Chesapeake Bay ,
Clean Water Act ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Groundwater Management Plan ,
Hazardous Waste Pharmaceuticals Rule ,
NGOs ,
Pollution Control Board ,
Real Estate Development ,
State Funding ,
TMDL
EPA recently released a final regional office realignment plan in response to President Trump’s March 2017 Executive Order 13781. That order required EPA and other federal agencies to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and...more
12/20/2018
/ Agricultural Sector ,
Bureau of Land Management ,
CERCLA ,
Clean Air Act ,
Clean Water Act ,
Deregulation ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
EPCRA ,
Farm Animals ,
Government Reorganization ,
Groundwater Management Plan ,
Oil & Gas ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) ,
Utilities Sector
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (“DEQ”) has clarified its approach to issuing “no further action” letters (“NFAs”) for sites with both petroleum and non-petroleum contamination. This clarified approach will...more
12/15/2016
/ CERCLA ,
Common Stock ,
Contaminated Properties ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
EPCRA ,
General Permit ,
NESHAP ,
New Guidance ,
Pesticides ,
Remediation ,
Solar Energy ,
Superfund ,
Underground Storage Tanks
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
3/29/2016
/ Architects ,
CERCLA ,
Contaminated Properties ,
Contractors ,
Designer Professionals' Liability ,
Due Diligence ,
Enforceability ,
Environmental Assessments ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Implied Warranties ,
Mechanics Lien ,
New Legislation ,
OSHA ,
Self-Reporting ,
Subcontractors ,
Toxic Exposure ,
Vapor Intrusion ,
Vapor Intrusion Guidance ,
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) ,
Waivers
U.S. Supreme Court to Decide Whether Jurisdictional Determinations May be Appealed -
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determines the presence or absence of wetlands and other “waters of the United States” on a...more
3/17/2016
/ Administrative Appeals ,
Administrative Procedure Act ,
CERCLA ,
Certiorari ,
Chesapeake Bay ,
Clean Water Act ,
Comment Period ,
Damages ,
Environmental Liability ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Farm Bureau ,
Groundwater ,
Hawkes Co v United States Army Corps of Engineers ,
Indemnification ,
Judicial Review ,
Jurisdictional Determination (JD) ,
Permits ,
Property Owners ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Real Estate Transfers ,
SCOTUS ,
Superfund ,
Takings Clause ,
TMDL ,
TX Supreme Court ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Vapor Intrusion ,
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) ,
Waters of the United States ,
Watershed ,
Wetlands
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
3/17/2016
/ CERCLA ,
Comment Period ,
Contaminated Properties ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Groundwater ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Property Owners ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Superfund ,
Vapor Intrusion ,
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked implementation of President Obama’s signature plan to address climate change pending a decision by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on the plan’s legality. The Clean Power Plan is being...more
2/18/2016
/ CERCLA ,
Clean Power Plan ,
Clean Water Act ,
Duke Energy ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hazardous Waste ,
Justice Scalia ,
Order to Stay ,
Permits ,
SCOTUS ,
Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan ,
US Fish and Wildlife Service ,
Waste Management
Dominion Virginia Power (Dominion) operates a coalfired power plant in Chesapeake, Virginia. It maintains permits for its operations, including a Virginia solid waste management permit and a Virginia Pollutant Discharge...more
In a significant setback for the Obama Administration, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has temporarily blocked implementation of the Clean Water Rule issued jointly by EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...more
10/28/2015
/ Barack Obama ,
CERCLA ,
Clean Air Act ,
Clean Water Rule ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
EPCRA ,
Hazardous Waste ,
Importers ,
Imports ,
Proposed Amendments ,
RCRA ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) ,
U.S. Customs ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Waste Management ,
Waters of the United States