Natural Resource Damages & Environmental Justice
Environmental Agencies, Superfund Cleanups, and Managing Enforcement Actions
What are PFAS and Why Should We Care?
Volatile Times in Vapor Intrusion Regulation: A Legal and Technical Update
NJDEP is tasked with a multitude of responsibilities including overseeing statewide environmental governance through the divisions of Water Resource Management, Air Quality Energy and Materials Sustainability, Contaminated...more
On April 12, 2024, two days after EPA issued a final rule setting standards for certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in public drinking water, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) concluded its...more
On April 8, 2024, the EPA Administrator signed the final rule establishing drinking water standards, also known as MCLs, for six PFAS (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, GenX (HFPO-DA), PFHxS, and PFBS). The final MCLs for PFOA and PFOS are...more
Background - An MDL was formed in South Carolina in 2018 to litigate allegations of PFAS contamination from the use of specific PFAS-containing Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF MDL). In the past year, two defendants —...more
The U.S. Navy and the Department of Justice have set a deadline of August 2024 for Camp Lejeune veterans who were diagnosed with cancer or other illnesses after serving at the marine base to file a claim and receive...more
As expected, 2023 was an expansive year for the regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) at the federal level. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) took (or at least proposed)...more
In the latest edition of the PFAS Primer Quarterly Update, our roundup of regulatory, litigation, and scientific actions involving PFAS. This quarter, the OMB reviews RCRA and CERCLA PFAS rules, Washington State wants more...more
On March 14, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) announced a proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”). PFAS are a category of...more
Aqueous film-forming foam (“AFFF”) is a hot topic in per- and polyfluorinated Substances (“PFAS”) litigation. AFFF is used to fight gasoline, oil, and jet fuel fires by producing an aqueous film that spreads across a fire’s...more
As anticipated, 2022 was another eventful year for the regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) at the federal level. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) took significant actions under...more
Pennsylvania’s new “Safe Drinking Water PFAS MCL Rule” became effective on January 14, 2023, upon the publication of the new regulations in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. As discussed in a previous post, this rulemaking...more
On November 17, 2022, the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (“IRRC”) approved the Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board’s (“EQB”) new safe drinking water maximum contaminant levels (“MCLs”) for perfluorooctanoic...more
In the first designation of its kind, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a pre-publication proposed rule on August 26, 2022, designating perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid...more
Just when we environmental old-timers were just getting used to talk about PFAS concentrations in the low parts per trillion range, EPA has moved us squarely into uncharted territory. EPA has released new, interim, lifetime...more
Supreme Court reinstates Trump-era water rule, for now Bullet Associated Press - April 6 The Supreme Court this Wednesday reinstated a Trump-era rule curtailing the power of states and Native American tribes to block...more
In October 2021, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced its PFAS Strategic Roadmap, laying out the agency’s approach to PFAS regulation in the coming years. One of the most highly anticipated...more
On October 18, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued its highly anticipated PFAS Strategic Roadmap: EPA’s Commitments to Action 2021-2024, setting forth a three-year multi-agency strategy to address...more
The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (“Infrastructure Act”) signed by President Biden on November 15, 2021 provides for $10 billion in funding to address PFAS contamination, nationwide. In a letter to...more
On November 16, the Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board (“EQB”) voted to approve the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (“PADEP”) proposed rule to set binding regulatory standards, known as maximum...more
If your organization has not already started thinking about PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), there's no time like the present. PFAS refers to a family of man-made, environmentally persistent chemicals (often...more
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are a broad category of man-made chemicals that have been manufactured since the 1940s and have been used in a variety of products for their heat- and stain-resistance, including...more
On January 19, 2021, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) introduced several new action items to further complement its progress under the 2019 Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances ("PFAS") Action Plan....more
By this time next year, a wide range of businesses, governments and citizens will know a lot more about per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFOS and PFOA) in their communities. PFOS and PFOA compounds are a family of...more
Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation Centralizes Some COVID‐19 Related Insurance Cases As reported in our September update, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation at its July 2020 hearing session requested...more
There have been several recent developments involving PFAS regulation, most notably the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) for certain long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS)....more