Two days after EPA announced Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for six PFAS in drinking water, 15 California cities and water districts filed a lawsuit seeking injunctive relief and damages, based in part on the requirements...more
Two more facilities previously owned by Exide Technologies appear on the National Priorities List (NPL), and are now among the highest priority facilities being targeted by EPA for cleanup under the Comprehensive...more
On April 10, 2024, EPA announced the final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) establishing legally enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) and health-based, non-enforceable Maximum Contaminant Level...more
The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has adopted public health goals (PHGs) for drinking water of 0.007 parts per trillion (ppt) for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and 1 ppt for...more
On February 21, 2024, State Sen. Nancy Skinner introduced SB 903 – the “Ending Forever Chemicals Act.” SB 903 follows in the footsteps of similar laws already passed in Maine and Minnesota, and, if passed, will prevent the...more
On February 28, 2024, the FDA announced the complete cessation of sales of PFAS-containing grease-proofing materials for use in food packaging in the U.S. market. According to the FDA, the announcement was the culmination of...more
The California Attorney General’s Office has turned its focus to PFAS, filing litigation that is likely to be one of the larger of the hundreds of PFAS-related lawsuits currently pending throughout the country. On November...more
11/22/2022
/ California ,
Contamination ,
Equitable Relief ,
Failure To Warn ,
Fraudulent Transfers ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Manufacturer Liability ,
Negligence Per Se ,
PFAS ,
Public Nuisance ,
State Attorneys General ,
Strict Product Liability ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Unlawful Practices
A few considerations practitioners should keep in mind when dealing with contamination involving per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination.
The PFAS Action Act of 2021 passed in the House and was received in...more
4/21/2022
/ Air Pollution ,
CERCLA ,
Clean Air Act ,
Clean Water Act ,
Contamination ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Groundwater ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Hazardous Waste ,
PFAS ,
RCRA ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Safe Drinking Water Act ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) ,
Utilities Sector
Earlier this week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized the “Clean Water Act Section 401 Certification Rule” (Rule). The Rule comes with significant procedural and substantive changes to the certification...more
In April, the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling clarifying the reach of the federal Clean Water Act. The Court decided that a discharge of pollutants from a point source to groundwater is subject to...more
5/27/2020
/ Appeals ,
Clean Water Act ,
Direct Discharge ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Functional Equivalent ,
Groundwater ,
Hawaii Wildlife Fund v County of Maui ,
Navigable Waters ,
Permits ,
Point Sources ,
Remand ,
SCOTUS ,
Vacated ,
Waters of the United States
In a landmark ruling, the United States Supreme Court has held that, under section 301 of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), a discharge of pollutants from a point source to groundwater is subject to regulation under the CWA,...more
4/27/2020
/ Appeals ,
Clean Water Act ,
Direct Discharge ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Violations ,
Functional Equivalent ,
Groundwater ,
Hawaii Wildlife Fund v County of Maui ,
Navigable Waters ,
NPDES ,
Permits ,
Point Sources ,
Remand ,
SCOTUS ,
Vacated ,
Waters of the United States
Lawsuits present major liability risks to PFAS manufacturers and industries that historically used PFAS in their operations.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS) are synthetic, human-made compounds that were...more
A recent ruling by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals signals a marked expansion of jurisdiction and potential liability under the Clean Water Act (CWA). Reversing the trial court’s dismissal for failure to state a claim,...more
6/26/2018
/ Appeals ,
Citizen Suits ,
Clean Water Act ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Environmental Violations ,
Groundwater ,
Jurisdiction ,
Navigable Waters ,
NPDES ,
Pipelines ,
Reversal ,
Standard of Review
Unpermitted point source discharges that reach navigable waters indirectly, via groundwater, may lead to Clean Water Act (CWA) liability according to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (encompassing Maryland, Virginia, North...more
4/17/2018
/ Appeals ,
Clean Water Act ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Dismissals ,
Environmental Liability ,
Groundwater ,
NPDES ,
Oil Spills ,
Permits ,
Pipelines ,
Remand ,
Reversal
A recent ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers California, Oregon and several other western states, potentially extends Clean Water Act (CWA) jurisdiction to require permits for point source discharges...more
2/17/2018
/ Appeals ,
Clean Water Act ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Environmental Liability ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Groundwater ,
NPDES ,
Permits ,
Repeal ,
Wastewater ,
Waters of the United States
Some estimates indicate that up to 70% of marijuana used in the United States comes from California. With the recent passage of Proposition 64, California cannabis production is likely to increase, and the state’s...more
Yesterday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued in the long-running Pakootas v. Teck Cominco Metals, Ltd. litigation another important decision further defining the scope of liability under the federal Comprehensive...more
7/29/2016
/ Air Pollution ,
Appeals ,
CERCLA ,
Clean-Up Costs ,
Contamination ,
Cross-Border ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Environmental Liability ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Natural Resources ,
RCRA ,
Reversal ,
Soil ,
Tribal Lands ,
Water Pollution
On May 31, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an eagerly anticipated decision that will benefit landowners and developers by authorizing immediate judicial review of Approved Jurisdictional Determinations (JDs) issued by the...more
6/2/2016
/ Administrative Appeals ,
Administrative Procedure Act ,
Clean Water Act ,
Due Process ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hawkes Co v United States Army Corps of Engineers ,
Judicial Review ,
Jurisdictional Determination (JD) ,
Land Developers ,
Permits ,
Property Owners ,
SCOTUS ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Waters of the United States ,
Wetlands
A critical part of the permitting process for many development projects is obtaining federal and state wetland permits. The key wetland authorization is usually a Section 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...more
12/18/2015
/ Administrative Appeals ,
Administrative Procedure Act ,
Certiorari ,
Clean Water Act ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hawkes Co v United States Army Corps of Engineers ,
Judicial Review ,
Jurisdictional Determination (JD) ,
Land-Use Permits ,
SCOTUS ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Wetlands
In a much anticipated decision, a California Court of Appeal has upheld a trial court ruling for the defense, finding that trace levels of lead in packaged fruits, vegetables and fruit juice products require no Proposition 65...more
Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation, which has a long history as a Proposition 65 plaintiff, filed a writ petition earlier this week seeking to challenge and rescind the “safe harbor” level for lead under Proposition 65. ...more