On March 31, 2020, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) issued a Memorandum of Compliance and Enforcement Implementation During COVID-19. This memo of compliance is consistent with the March 26, 2020 United...more
As Arizona's tourism and hospitality industries continue to adapt to the pandemic fallout of COVID-19, Governor Doug Ducey extended additional relief yesterday, delaying renewal fees otherwise due today, April 1, 2020, for an...more
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on a host of industries worldwide and the renewable energy market is not exempt. In the U.S., the renewable market is likely to be impacted by supply chain and construction...more
As the Coronavirus pandemic continues its spread across the globe, the case for drone delivery is rapidly gaining international attention and consequently may have regulatory approval fast-tracked.
In China, drone delivery...more
As the world faces an unprecedented pandemic with the rapid spread of the coronavirus, drones are being increasingly deployed to assist in the response. From delivery, to disinfectant, to photography, the use of drones in...more
here is no shortage of dramatic, if not predictable, commentary in the wake of the Trump Administration’s release of its “Navigable Waters Protection Rule” (“Rule”) ranging from the indignant to the hyperbolic, and the...more
The first few weeks of 2020 have seen regulatory and litigation attention heaped upon what have come to be known as “forever chemicals” or Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), which encompass more than 5,000 chemical...more
1/24/2020
/ Contamination ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
EPCRA ,
Groundwater ,
Hazardous Waste ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Legislative Vetoes ,
NDAA ,
Pending Legislation ,
PFAS ,
Presidential Veto ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Utilities Sector ,
Water
On January 9, 2020, in one of the more significant environmental proposals of the current administration, President Trump’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) proposed updates to its regulations for implementing the...more
On January 17, 2020, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1, thirty-two page decision, authored by Arizona’s former Vice-Chief Justice Andrew Hurwitz, dismissed a climate change lawsuit brought by...more
As previously reported in this blog, on December 4, 2019 EPA published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) seeking information on whether to include certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on the list...more
Although EPA announced an “action plan” on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) back in February, subsequent actions have been limited, that is, until recently.
First created in the 1940s, PFAS are most commonly...more
As municipalities around the country evaluate changes to their respective codes in an effort to exert greater control over bad actors in the vacation rental market, Airbnb announced on November 2nd that it is banning party...more
Opportunity for business in Arizona is booming. In a May 2019 ranking in Chief Executive Magazine, Arizona jumped to seventh best state to do business. Arizona is well known for its mineral deposits, but timber was once one...more
On October 1, 2019, UPS and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that a UPS subsidiary, UPS Flight Forward Inc., received FAA approval under 14 CFR Part 135 to operate a drone airline. This approval will...more
On October 16, 2019 Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah introduced the Drone Integration and Zoning Act, a bill designed to establish a regulatory framework for drones based on the principles of local governance and cooperative...more
10/18/2019
/ Airspace ,
Aviation Industry ,
Commercial Use ,
Drones ,
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ,
Private Property ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Safety ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Right to Privacy ,
State and Local Government ,
Technology Sector ,
Unmanned Aircraft Systems
The costs of Flagstaff’s July 2019 Museum Fire, fully contained as of August 15th and for which no cause has yet been determined, are now anticipated to exceed $13,000,000. To date, the Coconino National Forest Service has...more
On August 29, the Federal Aviation Administration announced that it was working with other federal agencies to reduce the impact of flight restrictions imposed on drone operators flying in close proximity to certain federal...more
The advent of the shared economy in the real estate context has provided homeowners and investors alike with expanded opportunities to generate revenue from the use of their real estate. Airbnb and VRBO are two of the most...more
9/4/2019
/ Homeowners ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
Municipalities ,
Nuisance ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Property Owners ,
Rental Property ,
Sharing Economy ,
Short-Term Lease ,
State and Local Government ,
Travelers ,
Vacation Rentals
Wildfire season is in full swing with at least 19 active fires burning across Arizona according to the Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM). There are multiple other prescribed or controlled fires also presently...more
Following the close of one of the longest legislative sessions in recent Arizona history, Governor Doug Ducey had 10 days to act on a bevy of bills – whether to veto, to sign or to let them become law without his signature....more
The U.S. Forest Service deployed a drone for its maiden mission to manage a forest fire in Flagstaff, Arizona earlier this week. The lightning-caused Maroon Fire has been burning for several weeks in the Coconino National...more
In a landmark unanimous decision impacting Arizona’s medical marijuana industry, the Arizona Supreme Court on May 28, 2019, vacated two lower court decisions and the attendant criminal convictions and sentences associated...more
On May 17, 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published a notice implementing the statutory exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft or drones necessitated by the 2018 FAA...more
Evolving anti-drone technology designed to detect, control, and as necessary, divert unauthorized drones to a safe landing will soon be commercialized pursuant to a licensing agreement between Embry Riddle University and...more
On May 2, 2019, the Arizona Court of Appeals in a memorandum decision, upheld a superior court judgment affirming a variance granted by the City of Phoenix Board of Adjustment (Board) to allow the operation of a medical...more