[WEBINAR] Fairly (or Unfairly?) Traceable: Are Discharges Through Groundwater Subject to the Clean Water Act?
Brazil has recently seen significant updates to solid waste management regulations at the national level. These include new regulations which address: the qualification criteria of managing entities; the qualification...more
Over the course of the last two decades, non-industrial businesses in California have faced increased scrutiny of their compliance with the complex rules related to their management of regulated wastes, such as hazardous...more
EPA recently published a 2024 update to its Interim Guidance on the Destruction and Disposal of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Materials Containing PFAS (Interim Guidance), as required by the...more
On March 31, Circular Action Alliance (“CAA”), the Producer Responsibility Organization (“PRO”) for California, Colorado, and the only contender for PRO in Oregon, submitted the first draft of its Program Plan (“the Plan”)...more
On January 12, 2024, the EPA announced a proposed new rule entitled Waste Emissions Charge for Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems (the "Proposed Rule"). As required by Congress pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act ("IRA"),...more
The Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 2 (“Court of Appeals”) addressed in a February 13th Opinion a challenge to a King County Code (“KCC”) involving flow control. See SkyCorp Ltd. v. King County, 2024 WL 562169. ...more
On February 14, Massachusetts Attorney General (AG) Andrea Joy Campbell filed a civil lawsuit against Holtec Decommissioning International LLC and its affiliate Holtec Pilgrim LLC (Holtec), alleging the improper handling of...more
Yet another new horizon looms for PFAS litigation. Numerous PFAS claims, like those involving deceptive trade practices due to PFAS in food packaging, seldom withstand a motion to dismiss, but the emergence of a novel...more
Massachusetts residents and businesses dispose of enough trash yearly to fill up about 31 Fenway Parks. Despite decades of government policies to reduce waste, we continue throwing away about six million tons of waste each...more
As lithium-based batteries become more prevalent in everything from electric vehicles (EVs) to industrial-scale batteries, as well as e-scooters and personal electronics, more questions arise regarding how to properly manage...more
A bill amending the Alabama Solid Wastes and Recyclable Materials Management Act by specifying when local approval of solid waste disposal permit modifications is necessary has passed both houses of the Alabama Legislature...more
Aprueba Congreso de la Unión Reforma Minera, con impactos sustanciales en materia de concesiones mineras, uso de aguas nacionales y manejo de residuos....more
The Mexican Congress approved the Mining Reform, with substantial impacts on mining concessions, use of national waters and waste management....more
Maine wastewater treatment plants are currently facing intense challenges concerning disposal of their sewage sludge, also called “biosolids.” This is a fast-moving issue getting significant coverage in the media and...more
Late last year, California enacted significant new restrictions on products and packaging bearing recyclability claims, including the chasing-arrows symbol commonly used to connote that packaging is recyclable. In order to...more
On March 18, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) released its Photovoltaics End-of-Life Action Plan. SETO’s Plan recognizes the current reality for solar PV panels that have...more
The Louisiana Supreme Court (“Court”) addressed in a January 28th Opinion an issue arising out of the Louisiana Waste Tire Program (“Program”). See Winmill Tire, LLC, et al. v. Colt, Inc., et al., 2022 WL 263004....more
Perhaps not as glamorous as the Times Square crystal ball, but something else drops at the start of the New Year: The threshold for mandated food waste separation and recycling by certain industrial and commercial facilities...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
The United States District Court for the District of Texas (“Court”) addressed in an August 4th Opinion issues arising out of a solid waste storage and recycling facility/shingle pile in Dallas, Texas. See Marsha Jackson v....more
Texas AG Ken Paxton and the U.S. Department of Justice reached a settlement with chemical companies E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. and Performance Materials NA, Inc. (collectively “DuPont”) to resolve numerous allegations of...more
It is worthwhile for plant managers and environmental managers to pay attention to the types of cases involving environmental violations which are selected by regulators and prosecutors for criminal enforcement. That is...more
Parties to the Basel Convention are considering legally binding amendments to the Convention that would dramatically expand controls and trade bans governing international shipments of used products managed for reuse and...more
Recently, Dana Palmer, a partner at Allen Matkins, presented a webinar entitled Hazardous Waste Management & Regulatory Interpretations: Perils & Pitfalls for Companies Regarding Salvageable/Usable Goods vs. Waste. The...more
The U.S. EPA announced a new major initiative called The U.S. Federal Strategy for Addressing the Global Issue of Marine Litter (October 2020). The Marine Litter initiative contains various components. It first identifies the...more