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
For the last 40 years, the Connecticut Transfer Act has primarily driven the remediation of contaminated property in Connecticut—this will change early next year. Currently, the Connecticut Transfer Act (Conn. Gen. Stat....more
In a move much anticipated by the real estate, environmental, financial, and business communities, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) released this week its Release-Based Cleanup...more
In August, Governor Healey signed the FY 2024 budget legislation extending for five years until January 1, 2029, the Brownfields Tax Credit that was set to expire at the end of 2023. Consequently, the redevelopment community...more
Today Governor Maura Healy signed legislation extending the eligibility deadlines for the Massachusetts Brownfields tax credits program by five years. The legislation had been included in the budget bill, which had recently...more
PFAS Chemicals: The Bad News, The Worse News, Then Perhaps Some Hope. The story of PFAS chemicals and their effects is disturbing, on many levels. Like so many “helpful” things that turn out to be evil, PFAS chemicals...more
This week a bill was introduced in the Alabama Legislature which would expand the state’s Brownfield Redevelopment and Voluntary Cleanup Program through the implementation of new features aimed to increase participation in...more
The exact number of brownfield sites in the United States is not known. Some sources estimate the number at more than 450,000, amounting to more than five million total acres of land. One report estimated that U.S. cities...more
When New York Governor Kathy Hochul executed the 2022-2023 State Budget, it included a 10-year extension to the State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program (“BCP” or “Program). The State’s voluntary, incentive-laced, BCP was set to...more
Revitalizing Brownfields has long been considered a centerpiece for community efforts to encourage growth and development of properties impacted by contamination. In 2021, Oregon’s Legislature passed HB 2518, which seeks to...more
The Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) issued final regulations effective July 9, 2021 (the Regulations) that are intended to aid in the implementation of the Massachusetts Brownfields Tax Credits program, which was...more
The Connecticut Brownfields Initiative of the University of Connecticut recently announced the release of a Request for Proposals for its Municipal Assistance Program starting in the fall of 2021. The Municipal Assistance...more
Governor Cuomo’s FY 2022 Budget provides relief to participants in the New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) that risk losing their Tangible Property Tax Credit due to pandemic-related and other delays....more
The General Assembly gave Connecticut an early Halloween present during the first week of October when both houses of the legislature passed H.B. 7001, An Act Revising Provisions of the Transfer Act and Authorizing the...more
Purchasing contaminated property in Ohio became a little less risky this week. Purchasers can now obtain protection under both federal and state law from costly remediation orders imposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection...more
On April 24, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) adopted a temporary rule modification that grants extensions to certain site remediation timeframes under the Administrative Requirements for the...more
Environmental compliance and site remediation workers are included on the federal and California lists of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers. Federal and state decision-makers recognize that workers supporting Critical...more
Pennsylvania’s Environmental Quality Board (EQB) proposed an amendment to Act 2, Pennsylvania's Brownfield and voluntary cleanup program. ...more
Maine is taking several major steps in addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The Maine PFAS Task Force just issued its final report, which included a significant number of recommendations that are likely to...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
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
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