The Agency Is Looking to Sackett v. EPA for a More ‘Durable’ Definition -
From Obama to Trump to Biden, each of the last three administrations has directed the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) to...more
When the Supreme Court issued its decision in City & County of San Francisco v. EPA on March 4, 2025, it may have saved San Francisco $10 billion dollars in penalties sought by the United States Environmental Protection...more
Under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) announced on Oct. 8, 2024, EPA has shifted its focus from addressing lead exceedances in drinking water to preventing lead in...more
New discharge limits may be coming for certain Clean Water Act (“CWA”) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (“NPDES”) permits. In late September, EPA finalized national recommended water quality criteria for two of...more
With Gov. Jared Polis’ signature on SB 81, Colorado has broadened its restrictions on products containing intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) to include a wide range of consumer products. Colorado...more
It has been a busy month for federal developments concerning per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”). On April 19, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) made headlines again, announcing the prepublication...more
On Feb. 8, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) released two proposed rules addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”). One proposed...more
The Tenth Circuit became the second federal appellate court—after the Ninth Circuit—to analyze how federal district courts should evaluate whether a discharge of pollutants to groundwater is the “functional equivalent” of a...more
On Nov. 13, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (“EPA”) final rule went into effect requiring companies to report the manufacture or import of per- and poly- fluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”), also known as...more
12/19/2023
/ CERCLA ,
Contamination ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
PFAS ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
On Aug. 29, 2023, the Biden administration issued a prepublication version of yet another final Clean Water Act rule (“Conforming Rule”) revising the definition of “waters of the United States” (“WOTUS”) in response to the...more
9/1/2023
/ Biden Administration ,
Clean Water Act ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Federal Jurisdiction ,
Inland Waterways ,
Navigable Waters ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Sackett ,
Sackett v EPA ,
SCOTUS ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Waters of the United States ,
Wetlands
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Spring 2023 Unified Agenda, released on June 13, 2023, extends EPA’s estimated publication of a final rule designating certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—namely...more
6/16/2023
/ CERCLA ,
Contamination ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Liability ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Exposure
Biden Administration Publishes Final WOTUS Rule In Advance of Supreme Court’s WOTUS Decision In Sackett v. EPA Yesterday, the Biden Administration published a final rule (Final Rule) revising the definition of “waters of the...more
Maui has finally made its way to Colorado. In what appears to be the first application of County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund, 140 S. Ct. 1462 (2020) in the state, the District of Colorado recently held that certain...more
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed AB 2247, which would have required registration of all goods containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), but signed AB 2771 and AB 1817, which will restrict...more
In a continuing effort to address concerns surrounding consumer goods containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a broad class of chemicals commonly referred to as “forever chemicals,” the California...more
In 2022, Colorado joined a growing list of states seeking to regulate the use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) in consumer products. The Colorado General Assembly enacted House Bill 22-1345, the PFAS...more
The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) recently released a draft updated Colorado Water Plan to be finalized in early 2023 (Draft Plan). The Draft Plan continues to project a water supply gap resulting from hotter and...more
U.S. SUPREME COURT RULING DEALS BLOW TO TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY -
In stunning disregard of over 200 years of precedent (dating back to the 1823 landmark case Worcester v. Georgia), on June 29, 2022, via Oklahoma v....more
Entities seeking federal authorization for infrastructure projects that may impact waters of the United States must obtain a Section 401 certification under the Trump administration’s narrowed Section 401 certification...more
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) that has important implications for powerplants and other industrial nitrogen oxide (NOx) sources in the Western United States,...more