California officials have been working on a plan to preserve the state’s leading edge environmental and climate policies, in the event that former President Donald J. Trump returns to the White House and follows through on...more
The regulation aims to restore 20% of the EU’s land and sea by 2030 and provide a launchpad for achieving long-term nature-related goals through 2050....more
On January 25, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries released a final North Atlantic Right Whale and Offshore Wind Strategy (the “Strategy”). The...more
Truck engine maker Cummins Inc. has agreed in principle to pay a $1.675 billion civil penalty for installing devices on hundreds of thousands of engines to allow them to emit excess pollution. According to the U.S. Department...more
COP28 President Sultan Al-Jaber convened a small group discussion on Sunday to discuss outstanding issues on adaptation and equitable transitions ahead of updated draft texts. A new round of draft texts is expected on Monday...more
As set out in our previous alert Pivotal Year for Deep-Sea Mining, the deep seabed is rich in mineral concretions containing cobalt, nickel, copper and manganese called polymetallic nodules. A vast number of these nodules are...more
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) anticipates releasing the Draft Designation Documents for the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. A draft proposed rule and management plan for...more
On May 11, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the launch of its Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) Environmental Crimes Task Force. This new task force will focus specifically on combating...more
In June 2022, the World Trade Organization (WTO) concluded negotiations on the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement (FSA), an important multilateral pact addressing state-sponsored subsidies that are a key factor in the widespread...more
En el marco de la COP15, 15ª reunión de la Conferencia de las Partes del Convenio sobre la Diversidad Biológica de las Naciones Unidas, 196 países, entre ellos Colombia, adoptaron el Marco Global de Biodiversidad...more
The action marks the clearance of another significant hurdle toward BOEM’s offshore wind lease sales in federal waters offshore California, anticipated to occur this fall. In the first half of 2022, the Bureau of Ocean...more
Known as “forever” chemicals, many PFAS compounds are found in the blood of people and animals all over the world. They also present at low levels in various food products and in the water, air, fish and soil in many areas. ...more
The Maine Superior Court has dismissed all claims against five intertidal landowners represented by Verrill in Masucci v. Judy’s Moody, LLC. The landowners had been sued because they contacted Maine Marine Patrol to report...more
Utilizing his authority under the Antiquities Act, President Biden recently issued a proclamation restoring protections for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, an outstanding ocean area approximately...more
On May 14, 2021, the Connecticut State Senate unanimously approved the Long Island Sound Blue Plan (Blue Plan). The Connecticut House of Representatives approved the plan in late April; the effect of the Senate’s action makes...more
Unlike light, noise is a long distance traveler and can go astonishing distances through the water. In 1943, the sound fixing and ranging (SOFAR) channel, a horizontal layer of water in the ocean at which depth the speed of...more
On June 4, 2020, President Trump signed an executive order to provide federal agencies the foundation to speed up environmental permitting in the wake of COVID-19. ...more
Telecommunications - AB 1699 Telecommunications: mobile Internet service providers: first response agencies: emergencies - Fire officials experienced a significant data transmission slowdown of their mobile emergency...more
On November 1, 2019, Chad Ponce of Jacksonville, Florida pleaded guilty to killing a smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata), an endangered species protected under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Florida...more
EPA also approves revisions to Maine’s water quality standards - On November 6, 2019 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued public notice of a proposed action to withdraw its February 2, 2015 decision that...more
In a recent opinion, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed in part the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California’s grant of summary judgment to the National Marine...more
While overall corporate strategies haven’t changed all that much since 2018, we continue to see a fair amount of headwinds and tailwinds for the downstream energy sector. Below are three key trends we’re closely watching in...more
As global water shortages worsen, desalination projects are likely to proliferate. Sponsors that can manage project risk will capture significant value while helping the world meet its water needs. Increasing pressure to...more
In April of next year, the world will be celebrating Earth Day’s 50th anniversary. According to the ultimate source—Wikipedia—Earth Day is now celebrated in more than 193 countries. Among those celebrations is one held...more
As the offshore wind industry begins to take off, environmental impacts remain key concerns - The development of offshore wind projects in the US has been hindered by environmental opposition to their visual effects,...more