The transition to carbon-free energy requires significant investments in new energy facilities and extensive new transmission lines. Senator Joe Nguyễn spearheaded this effort during the 2024 legislative session by leveraging...more
On May 15, the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) released the draft Industrial Stormwater General Permit (Draft ISGP), fact sheet, and application for public comment. The public comment period is open from May...more
On March 20, 2024, the Washington Department of Ecology issued a draft Water Treatment Plant General Permit for public comment. Water treatment plants that engage in filter backwash activities and pollutant discharge must...more
On July 19, 2023, Energy Northwest and X-Energy announced a Joint Development Agreement that calls for the deployment of up to 12 Xe-100 small modular reactors in Central Washington. The agreement was announced nearly five...more
Earthrise Serves EPA with Notice of Intent to Sue, Challenging Washington’s Forest Practices Rules Nearly 20 years ago, the Washington Forest Practices Board adopted forest practices rules intended to address water quality...more
There is increasing interest in integrating renewable energy sources into the power grid in the United States. In particular, interest in offshore wind development is growing rapidly. Shortly after taking office, President...more
On Friday, June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in West Virginia v. EPA resolving the seven-year debate over the Environmental Protection Agency’s statutory authority to promulgate the President Obama-era Clean...more
A recap from the PNW Predictions: Renewable Energy Reimagined event -
Ryen Godwin, Environmental and Natural Resources Lawyer for Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, kicked things off and provided closing commentary on the...more
On February 14, 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) released an action plan (“Action Plan”) for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”). PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic...more
2/21/2019
/ Contamination ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Groundwater ,
Hazardous Substances ,
National Action Plan ,
Pollution Control ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Water Supplies
On December 21, 2017, the Washington Supreme Court issued a decision interpreting the private right of action under Washington’s Model Toxics Control Act (“MTCA”), Douglass v. Shamrock Paving, Inc. The decision analyzes three...more
12/26/2017
/ Attorney's Fees ,
Clean-Up Costs ,
Construction Contracts ,
Construction Industry ,
Hazardous Substances ,
MTCA ,
Oil & Gas ,
Private Right of Action ,
Property Owners ,
Remedial Actions ,
Site Remediation ,
WA Supreme Court
Seattle is geographically constrained by a narrow peninsula between Lake Washington and Elliott Bay. Growth can be painful when you have to fight your geography, as Seattle has done for over 100 years. However, new and...more
On June 27, 2017, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) released a proposed rule (Proposed Rule) that will rescind the 2015 Clean Water Rule, often referred to as the Waters of the...more
6/30/2017
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Clean Water Act ,
Clean Water Rule ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Executive Orders ,
Inland Waterways ,
Navigable Waters ,
Notice and Comment ,
Obama Administration ,
Public Comment ,
Rapanos v US ,
Rescission ,
Trump Administration ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Waters of the United States