House Bill 566-FN (“566”) has been introduced into the 2025 New Hampshire legislative Session addressing landfill leachate. 566 would require permit applications for new landfills in the state to contain a detailed plan...more
Climate change threatens to dramatically shrink the amount of water California can deliver over the next 20 years and could significantly reduce supplies available from the State Water Project according to new projections...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday set tougher standards for emissions of fine particulate matter or “PM 2.5,” saying the new standards would save thousands of lives nationwide....more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued the Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 15 to address the widespread “forever chemicals,” known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), found in water, air,...more
The New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division (“Court”), addressed in a January 6th decision whether two insurance companies had a duty to defend an insured for damages related to the release of certain chemicals. See...more
After years of use in manufactured products, “PFAS”, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are common in the environment. Comparatively little is known about most of them, but evidence of the harm that they can do is...more
United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) Administrator Michael Regan announced on October 18th what is described as a “Comprehensive National Strategy to Confront PFAS Pollution” (“Strategy”). The Strategy...more
I undertook an Arkansas Environmental Federation webinar held by the organization’s Land and Sustainability Committee on May 20th titled: Solid and Hazardous Waste/Recycling Administrative/Judicial Developments: 2020-2021...more
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (“MPCA”) addressed in a March 18th news release per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) groundwater sampling results at a number of closed landfills. Groundwater is stated to...more
The California State Water Resources Control Board (“Board”) issued a March 20 document entitled: Order for the Determination of the Presence of PER- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances. See Order WQ 2019-0006-DWQ....more
Despite its focus on packaging manufacturers, a law to reduce package toxicity may impact retailers as well. The Toxics in Packaging Act Can Impact Retailers Prevention Act (TPPA), passed by the California Legislature in...more
A United States District Court (Northern District Oklahoma) addressed in a March 21st opinion procedural issues associated with a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) citizen suit action. See Krause v. General...more
A trilogy of recent federal and state enforcement actions show just how far agencies will go to enforce environmental regulations. Now may be a good time for a compliance audit....more
Time to Pay More: EPA Increases Maximum Civil Penalties - Remember the days when the maximum civil penalty EPA could assess for a violation of environmental law was $25,000 per day? Those days disappeared 26 years ago...more
The Pierce Atwood Environmental and Land Use Practice Group is pleased to provide the 2015 Summary of Key Maine Environmental Legislation enacted or carried over in the First Regular Session of Maine's 127th Legislature...more