Environmental Agencies, Superfund Cleanups, and Managing Enforcement Actions
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals used in a wide range of consumer products since 1947, known for their strong carbon-fluorine bonds. These bonds make PFAS resistant to breakdown, earning them...more
The Arkansas of Energy and Environment – Division of Environmental Quality (“DEQ”) and Arkansas Refrigerated Services, Inc. (“ARS”) entered into an October 2nd Elective Site Cleanup Agreement (“ESCA”). See LIS No. 24-146....more
The Arkansas Department of Energy & Environment – Division of Environmental Quality (“DEQ”) and Terraforma Opportunity Zone Fund, LLC (“Terraforma”) entered into an April 30th Elective Site Cleanup Agreement (“ESCA”). See LIS...more
On April 19, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced its final rule designating perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) as hazardous substances under Section 102(a) of...more
On April 19, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its long-awaited final rule designating perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), including their salts and structural isomers,...more
The designation of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) as hazardous substances will likely result in litigation over the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Comprehensive...more
Join Kelley Drye for a seminar on the latest regulatory developments that are likely to usher in expansive new liability for the release and remediation of some of the most widely utilized per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances...more
When considering the establishment of an estate or trust to hold title to real property, it is important to segregate potentially contaminated property from other assets Unfortunately, once title vests in an estate or...more
We have been closely monitoring the progress of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) proposed rule to designate perfluorooctanic acid (“PFOA”) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (“PFOS”), two per- and...more
As EPA continues to review potential regulations for PFAS contamination in drinking water, some state regulatory bodies have decided not to wait for the federal government to act. North Carolina is the latest state to...more
The Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued a long-anticipated proposal to designate two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) as hazardous substances under the federal Superfund law known as the Comprehensive...more
On November 1, 2021, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Committee on Environmental Assessment, Risk Management and Corrective Action approved a new standard for conducting real estate due diligence Phase I...more
In recent years, there has been no shortage of interest and commentary dedicated to a group of chemicals known collectively as PFAS. As one example, the potential designation of certain PFAS — PFOA and PFOS (perfluorooctanoic...more
On April 20, 2020 the United States Supreme Court handed down an important decision on the reaches of settlements involving the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, or “Superfund”)....more
On April 20, 2020, in Atlantic Richfield Company v. Christian (ARCO v. Christian or ARCO), the U.S. Supreme Court held that federal Superfund law does not preclude individuals from filing state claims for further cleanup of...more
In late 2019, the King County Superior Court issued a decision in Norlander v. Caldwell, Case No. 18-2-05702-7 SEA, which serves as a cautionary tale for plaintiffs seeking to recover remedial action costs under Washington’s...more
On December 3, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a CERCLA case that could have ramifications for industry around the country. The case, Atlantic Richfield Co. v. Christian (the Christian case), involves...more
Given the billions of dollars that have been spent at federal Superfund sites, and the billions still to come, it is fascinating how relatively little attention has been devoted to the case of Atlantic Richfield Company...more
The Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) has been cleaning up contaminated sites in Washington State for 30 years. On December 10, 2019, Beveridge & Diamond and the Environmental Law Institute will be hosting a seminar (MTCA 30)...more
Late last month, New Hampshire filed two law suits seeking to recover a variety of costs and damages it alleges have resulted from contamination caused by releases of PFAS. It’s a wide ranging suit; New Hampshire asserted...more
In the waning hours of the 2019 session, the Washington Legislature narrowly passed SB 5993, which increases the tax on petroleum that primarily funds the state’s contaminated site cleanup program, protects the funds from...more
In the final week of March 2019, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) took two unusually broad actions regarding contamination caused by poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). On March 25, 2019,...more
The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (“Court”) addressed in an October 5th opinion a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) liability issue. See Pa. Dep’t of Envtl,...more
In a decision issued last month, the Washington Supreme Court narrowed “owner or operator” liability under the Model Toxics Control Act, RCW 70.105D (MTCA). In Pope Resources, LP v. Wash. Dept. of Natural Resources, the court...more
TDY Holdings v. United States, et al., 872 F.3d 1004 (9th Cir. 2017) - TDY brought suit for contribution under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) against the U.S. government...more