Natural Resource Damages & Environmental Justice
Environmental Agencies, Superfund Cleanups, and Managing Enforcement Actions
What are PFAS and Why Should We Care?
Volatile Times in Vapor Intrusion Regulation: A Legal and Technical Update
A broad range of reactions – from celebratory to alarmist – describe the workforce reductions and regulatory rollbacks proposed or currently underway at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Notable concerns...more
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) has announced the release of the 2025 Guidelines and Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Brownfields Remediation and Economic Development Fund Grants....more
A second Trump presidency may bring a renewed focus on deregulation and a reduction in federal oversight, which could have profound implications for brownfield redevelopment. Brownfields are previously developed sites, often...more
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), through its Contaminated Site Remediation and Redevelopment (CSRR) program, recently published new administrative guidance to “formally encourage” the use of green...more
After a multi-year rulemaking process, the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) issued the first substantive updates to the contaminated site cleanup regulations, Chapter 173-340 WAC, under the Model Toxics Control Act...more
In honor of Earth Day, here are three top environmental law issues to watch in 2023. 1. Emerging Contaminants- What are emerging contaminants? The term “emerging contaminants” generally refers to unregulated substances...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the state of Missouri are escalating initiatives to reduce lead exposure across the nation, focusing on schools and environmental justice communities. The agencies'...more
In natural resource damage assessments (NRDAs), both injury to resources and the beneficial effects of restoration actions unfold over time, sometimes over periods spanning multiple generations. To make losses and gains...more
Abstract - Determining the amount of restoration needed to compensate the public for injury to natural resources is central to estimating natural resource damages (NRDs). Formal restoration scaling methods have not...more
The exact number of brownfield sites in the United States is not known. Some sources estimate the number at more than 450,000, amounting to more than five million total acres of land. One report estimated that U.S. cities...more
Less than two weeks ago, EPA released an updated version of their “RE-Powering Mapper” tool – How to Identify Sites | US EPA – EPA’s Re-Powering Mapper Tool provides information on over 190,000 contaminated lands, landfills,...more
Following the enactment of the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) and its signing into law by President Joseph R. Biden this month, significantly expanded federal funding and emphasis is expected in...more
The Comprehensive Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA or “Superfund”) imposes strict, joint and several liability on responsible parties for remediation of contaminated properties. As compared to other federal...more