The Coosa River Basin Initiative (“Initiative”) and City of Calhoun, Georgia (“Calhoun”) entered into a Consent Decree (“CD”) addressing alleged violations of the Clean Water Act. See Civil Action No. 4:24-cv-00068-WMR. ...more
Lara Beaven of Inside PFAS Policy reports that Maine farmers have joined litigation against the Environmental Protection Agency for not yet regulating the presence of PFAS in sewage sludge. The plaintiffs in that litigation...more
Are Litigation Funders the Truest Parties in Interest? In the April 2023 issue of Re:Torts we covered a dispute that arose in In re Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation between third-party litigation funder Burford...more
The Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (“PEER”) filed a Clean Water Act citizen suit action in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia against the United States Environmental Protection...more
On May 8, 2024, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) published its final rule designating two types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) — specifically, perfluorooctanoic acid (“PFOA”) and...more
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (“MPCA”) released in early June a report titled: Evaluation of Current Alternatives and Estimated Cost Curves for PFAS Removal and Destruction from Municipal Wastewater, Biosolids,...more
Yep. You read that right. Not really sure how else to describe this little nugget. As Illinois continues to do all it can to help labor organizations, the latest assist is a real stomach turner. HB2845 amends the IL...more
Maine wastewater treatment plants are currently facing intense challenges concerning disposal of their sewage sludge, also called “biosolids.” This is a fast-moving issue getting significant coverage in the media and...more
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and City of Dixon, Missouri, entered into a January 23rd Complaint and Consent Agreement/Final Order (“CA”). See Docket No. CWA-07-2022-0117. The CA provides that...more
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) published the 9th Biennial Report titled: Biosolids Biennial Report No. 9 (“Report No. 9”) ...more
The United States Composting Council (“USCC”) recently issued a document titled: PFAS Positioning and Guidance Statement (“Statement”)...more
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently signaled a path forward on its roadmap to address PFAS contamination, something industry, water suppliers, and wastewater treatment operators, to name a few, have been...more
Inside EPA reports today on the concerns of water suppliers needing to remove PFAS from drinking water. Among other things, PFAS removal results in residuals, or what you and I might call sludge, that won't be going the...more
Bloomberg Environment reports that Maine Governor Janet Mills is about to sign legislation banning the land application of biosolids in Maine unless those biosolids are determined to be free of PFAS. Practically speaking,...more
The Arkansas Department of Energy & Environment – Division of Environmental Quality (“DEQ”) and Terra Renewal Services, Inc. – Pulaski County (“Terra”) entered into a December 13th Consent Administrative Order (“CAO”)...more
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) published a February 2021 document titled: Biosolids Biennial Report No. 8 (“Report”) - The Report addresses the reporting period 2018-2019. ...more
In early 2020, the Alabama Environmental Management Commission promulgated rules establishing procedures by which the Department of Environmental Management will regulate land application of eligible non-hazardous by-product...more
As the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), Congress, and state regulatory agencies continue to push forward with per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) regulations, the Maine Department of...more
On Friday afternoon March 22, 2019, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced in a memorandum to licensed facilities that land apply, compost, or process biosolids (i.e., wastewater treatment sludge)...more
In a victory for municipalities that recycle biosolids to farmland, Los Angeles’ sanitation district prevailed in its suit against a Kern County initiative banning land application of biosolids. See County Sanitation Dist....more
On December 21, 2015, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decided the case Gilbert, et al. v. Synagro Central, LLC, et al., Pa Supreme Court No. 121 MAP 2014 (December 21, 2015), which interpreted a provision of the Pennsylvania...more
Litigators in the Firm’s Washington, DC office secured a unanimous ruling from the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in favor of Beveridge & Diamond client Synagro and persuaded the Court to hold that land application of...more
The final rule strives to take advantage of information technology, allowing resources to be used more efficiently and effectively, and giving the EPA, states and the public better access to key data. Implementation will...more
While the best solution to our garbage problem may be to make less stuff, what’s the most appropriate way to manage what’s left? Reverse distribution of food, electronic and plastic waste consumes local governments and...more
Appellate litigators in Beveridge & Diamond’s District of Columbia office, working with the Washington Department of Ecology, secured a unanimous decision from the Washington Court of Appeals striking down a county ban on...more