[Webinar] Growing Greener: Navigating Environmental Laws in the Cannabis Industry
Facing bellwether trials in the Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) multi-district litigation (MDL) later this year for claims brought by public water systems due to the alleged per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)...more
On April 19, 2024, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) announced that it is designating perfluorooctanoic acid (“PFOA”) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (“PFOS”) as Hazardous Substances under the...more
On April 19, 2024, EPA issued its long-awaited Final Rule officially listing two key per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or so-called “forever chemicals,” as “hazardous substances” under the Comprehensive...more
Working as part of a transactional team here at Burns & Levinson, the attorneys in the Environmental Group assist with due diligence activities and provide guidance on contractual language to document accurate representations...more
In the absence of binding federal standards for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) in soil, several states have started the process of regulating PFAS in soil themselves. These regulations have implications for site...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
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) kicked off the week with publishing the long-anticipated, immediately effective Interim Soil Remediation Standards for four kinds of PFAS chemicals....more
On August 26, 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) announced that it is proposing to designate perfluorooctanoic acid (“PFOA”) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (“PFOS”) as Hazardous Substances under the...more
Consent decrees play a major role in environmental litigation. This week, Maine People’s Alliance v. Holtrachem Manufacturing Company, one of the nation’s longest-running cases under the Resource Conservation and Recovery...more
Regulators across the country are increasingly focused on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soil and water. These “forever chemicals” are persistent and widespread, and pose complex cleanup challenges. As federal...more
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), signed by President Joe Biden on Nov. 15, 2021, revives an excise tax last effective in 1995 on the sale or use of 42 identified chemicals as well as certain substances...more
On October 22, 2021, EPA published a proposed rule that would, if adopted, provide a significantly enhanced additional pathway for remediation of sites impacted by polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs....more
Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known also as Superfund, in 1980 to address the horror of sites like Love Canal where discarded toxic chemicals began...more
Court allows Exide to abandon a toxic site in Vernon. Taxpayers will fund the cleanup - Bullet Los Angeles Times – October 16 - Chief Judge Christopher Sontchi of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court District of Delaware ruled...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 November 20, 2019, the “PFAS Action Act of 2019” (H.R. 535) (the “PFAS Bill”) passed the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The PFAS Bill, eighteen subchapters long, says a great deal: most importantly, one year after...more
In the latest development in the federal government's efforts to develop a framework for addressing groundwater contaminated with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and/or perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), the United States...more
EPA has released its Draft Interim Recommendations for Addressing Groundwater Contaminated with Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) for public review and comment as part of the Agency’s PFAS...more
On April 25, 2019, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced issuance of Draft Interim Recommendations to Address Groundwater Contaminated with Perfluorooctanoic Acid and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate. According to...more
On March 29, 2019, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the formation of a science advisory workgroup and her order for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), formally the Michigan Department of...more
By way of background, in 2016 the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) listed two long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—PFOA and PFOS—as hazardous substances. However, NYSDEC did...more
On Friday, MassDEP proposed a number of revisions to the Massachusetts Contingency Plan, including reporting and cleanup standards for PFAS. The proposed GW-1 standard, applicable to current and potential drinking water...more
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection plans to begin contacting some owners of properties with closed trichloroethylene (TCE) remediation sites and requiring them to conduct testing, following a review of...more