Siting and permitting renewable energy projects in Virginia have become increasingly challenging as federal and state environmental laws, regulations and guidance have evolved in recent years. In particular, HB 206...more
4/28/2023
/ Department of Environmental Quality ,
Easements ,
Endangered Species ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Policies ,
Permits ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Energy ,
Storm Water ,
Virginia ,
Webinars ,
Wetlands
On January 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court granted an appeal to reconsider the extent of federal Clean Water Act (CWA) jurisdiction involving wetlands on a couple’s property in Idaho. The appellants (the Sacketts)...more
3/28/2022
/ Air Pollution ,
Clean Air Act ,
Clean Water Act ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Mercury ,
PFAS ,
Public Utility ,
Sackett ,
SCOTUS ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Waters of the United States ,
Wetlands
On January 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court granted an appeal to reconsider the extent of federal Clean Water Act (CWA) jurisdiction involving wetlands on a couple’s property in Idaho. The appellants (the Sacketts)...more
A combination of federal wetland regulatory actions presents substantial uncertainty for regulated parties as they navigate wetland delineation and permitting processes for their projects. These concerns are compounded in...more
Can you still build a bulkhead along the shoreline in coastal Virginia to protect your property? Well, it depends, but now the answer is more likely to be “no.”...more
7/26/2021
/ Chesapeake Bay ,
Climate Change ,
Coastal Real Estate ,
Economic Development ,
Flooding ,
Navigable Waters ,
NOAA ,
Rising Sea Levels ,
Sea Levels ,
State and Local Government ,
Wetlands
Can you still build a bulkhead along the shoreline in coastal Virginia to protect your property? Well, it depends, but now the answer is more likely to be “no.” Major changes to how Virginia tidal waterfront property owners...more
7/23/2021
/ Air Pollution ,
Air Quality Standards ,
Biden Administration ,
Boiler MACT Rule ,
Climate Change ,
Coastal Real Estate ,
Comment Period ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Federal Funding ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Permits ,
Property Owners ,
Rising Sea Levels ,
Sea Levels ,
Trump Administration ,
Wetlands
Recent legislation and just proposed regulatory amendments present a new opportunity, but also potential concerns, for implementing climate change resiliency measures on properties subject to Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay...more
3/16/2021
/ Chesapeake Bay ,
Climate Change ,
Coastal Real Estate ,
Department of Environmental Quality ,
Land Preservation ,
NOAA ,
Pending Legislation ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Public Comment ,
Resource Management ,
Water Control Board ,
Wetlands
In a recent special alert addressing Northern Plains Resource Council v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, we reported that the federal district court for Montana vacated the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Nationwide Permit...more
An April 15, 2020 decision by the United States District Court for the District of Montana has held that Nationwide Permit 12 (NWP 12) issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps’) is unlawful. Nationwide permits...more
4/30/2020
/ Clean Water Act ,
Deregulation ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Inland Waterways ,
National Marine Fisheries Service ,
Navigable Waters ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
US Fish and Wildlife Service ,
Waters of the United States ,
Wetlands
The saga of the federal Clean Water Act’s definition of “waters of the United States” (“WOTUS”) has taken more turns recently, including a significant setback for the Trump Administration’s efforts to transition away from the...more
10/2/2018
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Barack Obama ,
Clean Water Act ,
Clean Water Rule ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Property Owners ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Trump Administration ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Waters of the United States ,
Wetlands
A major skirmish in the long-running legal battle over the scope of protected waters under the federal Clean Water Act (“Act”) has just ended with the U.S. Supreme Court decision in National Association of Manufacturers v....more
2/14/2018
/ Clean Water Act ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Navigable Waters ,
NPDES ,
Oil Spills ,
Rapanos v US ,
SCOTUS ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Waters of the United States ,
Wetlands
In early June, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) proposed to reissue its nationwide permits (“NWPs”) for certain wetland impacts. The proposed changes present some interesting issues and new opportunities for...more
CONGRESS FINDS THE FORMULA TO REFORM CHEMICAL REGULATION -
The Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) is the primary federal law by which the manufacture, import and use of chemical substances are regulated in the United...more
7/20/2016
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Air Pollution ,
Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act ,
Clean Air Act ,
Clean Water Act ,
Comment Period ,
Construction Industry ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
EPCRA ,
Final Action ,
Final Rules ,
Hawkes Co v United States Army Corps of Engineers ,
Jurisdictional Determination (JD) ,
Land-Use Permits ,
Manufacturers ,
MATS ,
Mining ,
Occupational Exposure ,
OSHA ,
Power Plants ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Sackett ,
SCOTUS ,
Shipbuilding ,
Silica ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Exposure ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Waters of the United States ,
Wetlands
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 State Water Control Board (“Board”) has proposed amendments to Virginia’s Water Protection Permit (“VWP”) regulations for the permitting and control of wetland impacts and surface water withdrawals. Many of the changes...more