A judge has temporarily blocked a plan by a California state water board to take over monitoring groundwater use in a portion of the crop-rich San Joaquin Valley, according to a copy of the decision obtained on July 16. Kings...more
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
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today designated two types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that have been used in cookware, carpets, and firefighting foams as hazardous substances, an action...more
Like much of the western and southwestern U.S., California has experienced drought conditions on and off for decades. Fortunately, the regulatory landscape is starting to catch up with water treatment technology, paving the...more
On March 12, 2024, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) announced updates to the “Make Conservation a California Way of Life” framework that is based on SB 606 and AB 1668 from 2018. The changes seek to...more
State and federal officials move forward plans and policies for water conservation, conveyance, and climate resilience. The winter of 2022-23 brought historic levels of precipitation to California after years of deep...more
If there is one truism in California water, it is that there is not enough of it. In part to try to help address that issue, on December 19, 2023, the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) adopted...more
California legislators have passed a bill articulating the scope of the State Water Resources Control Board’s authority to investigate water rights. Senate Bill 389, which will go to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk for a final...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced last week that it would investigate the California State Water Resources Control Board (Board) after some Native American tribes and environmental groups complained the...more
Publication of the Water Resources Infrastructure NPS marks a milestone for water infrastructure projects as it is the first NPS for water resources pursuant to the 2008 Act, coming 15 years after the regime’s creation. First...more
As previously reported in ELM, microplastics – plastic fragments smaller than 5 millimeters in length – have been found everywhere from Antarctica...more
On September 7, 2022, California became the first government in the world to require microplastics testing for drinking water, an emerging contaminant that is found throughout the environment. The State Water Resources...more
EPA unveils strategy to regulate PFAS - Associated Press – October 18 - Michael Regan, the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), announced on Monday that the agency is launching a broad strategy to...more
Bayer to pay more than $10B to resolve lawsuits over Roundup, PCBs, and Dicamba - Bullet NPR – June 24 - Bayer will pay more than $10 billion to end tens of thousands of lawsuits filed over its Roundup weedkiller, the...more
Last week, on June 16, the California State Water Resources Control Board (“State Water Board”) unanimously adopted a definition for microplastics, making it the first state to adopt a definition specifically applied to...more
Governor Newsom proposes new plan for San Joaquin River Delta - Governor Gavin Newsom revealed a novel approach Tuesday to managing the San Joaquin River Delta that would keep more water in the fragile delta while restoring...more
New Thresholds Impact Wider Swath of Public Water Suppliers - Yesterday the California State Water Resources Control Board lowered its Response Levels for PFAS in drinking water to 10 parts per trillion for PFOA and 40...more
Despite extensive negotiation, insufficient bipartisan support was garnered to obtain inclusion of robust PFAS provisions in Congressional year-end spending legislation. Initially, there was some expectation that U.S. EPA...more
Results from the first phase of sampling drinking water supply wells for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were recently published by the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) and show...more
On July 31, 2019, California enacted Assembly Bill No. 756 (AB 756). The law adds Section 116378 to the California Health and Safety Code (the Health and Safety Code) and becomes effective on January 1, 2020. Before AB 756,...more
On August 23, 2019, the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) announced updated, and significantly lowered state notification levels for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The same day,...more
Join Nossaman attorneys for a timely discussion of new and developing water laws aimed at meeting the needs of California’s vulnerable populations. This webinar for CLE credit* will update you on present efforts by the State...more
The Arkansas Water Resources Center (“AWRC”) announced that its annual water conference will be held on July 23rd and 24th in Fayetteville, Arkansas. AWRC states that the theme for the conference is “The Value of Water.”...more
In January, the State Water Resources Control Board adopted an amendment to domestic water supply permits, requiring water suppliers to test public and private school drinking water at the request of school officials. The...more
Under a new state law, California water providers will need to test for lead in local schools’ drinking water on or before July 1, 2019. The new law, AB 746, imposes certain requirements on both water providers and school...more