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
On August 28, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) issued a “Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Sampling Fact Sheet” (Fact Sheet), setting forth several considerations for persons responsible...more
The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) in late February 2024 announced an update to its Guidance for Evaluating Soil Vapor Intrusion in the State of New York. For the first time, the Soil Vapor/Indoor Air Decision...more
Yesterday, I spoke with Sarah Mattalian, an Inside EPA reporter writing a story about the suggestion by an EPA official that EPA might require additional PFAS investigations and clean up at properties that had already been...more
Idaho has joined a Texas lawsuit over a new interpretation of the Clean Water Act’s “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule, alleging that it is too vague, oversteps the bounds of federal authority, and puts the liberties...more
What You Need to Know- •NJDEP has established interim soil remediation standards for four per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) soil contaminants, effective immediately. •The new standards require the investigation of the...more
Changes to British Columbia’s Environmental Management Act (EMA) and Contaminated Sites Regulation (CSR) will introduce a new regime governing soil relocation in B.C. The changes will increase testing requirements prior to...more
On September 10, 2021, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a Compliance Advisory announcing updated deadlines and filing requirements for “business concerns” that are engaged in soil and fill...more
On February 1, 2021, amendments to British Columbia’s Environmental Management Act and Contaminated Sites Regulation will come into force, changing the process for identifying contaminated sites in B.C. The changes will...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
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
On July 8, 2019 the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”) proposed an overhaul to its Remediation Standard Regulations (“RSRs”). These proposed amendments, often referred to as “Wave 2, ” will...more
Welcome to the second 2019 issue of Product Lines – our quarterly e-newsletter that focuses on toxic torts and products liability issues. For this edition, we are reporting on several important and timely legal issues. As...more
Pierce Atwood LLP offers this summary of Maine Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) standards as a convenience in evaluating PFAS and tracking Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulatory and Maine...more
The blog Commonground addressed a question regarding sampling at a leaking petroleum underground storage tank site....more
Operators shutting down coal-fired plants would be wise to plan ahead for potential future remediation obligations – aka the “reopener.” Predicting these obligations may be quite difficult, but operators can implement...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: With the EPA adding the consideration of vapor intrusion in its Superfund site investigations, hundreds of sites that previously would not rank high enough to qualify for listing on the National Priorities...more
Decision finds operator of a lead and zinc smelter not liable as an “arranger” under CERCLA for aerial deposition of heavy metals. On July 27, a panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit unanimously held...more
On April 17, 2016, China Central Television (CCTV), the country’s state-run broadcast network, aired a report claiming that nearly 500 students apparently developed illnesses (including leukemia) at a school built on...more