[Webinar] Growing Greener: Navigating Environmental Laws in the Cannabis Industry
Addressing PFAS continues to challenge local government, water providers, and wastewater providers, particularly in a rapidly changing regulatory environment. Regulatory initiatives will have costly and widespread impacts on...more
The regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or “forever chemicals,” was a focal point for the Biden administration. In April 2024, the administration, through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),...more
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) have published their 2025 increases to civil penalties....more
At a high level, President-elect Trump is expected to issue executive orders to pause pending rules, use the Congressional Review Act to withdraw recently finalized rules, and halt agency activity while the administration...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expects companies to self-police their environmental compliance efforts. While the EPA regularly conducts inspections focused on assessing environmental compliance, it also...more
The Biden-Harris Administration recently issued a suite of new rules aimed at addressing water and air quality, reducing methane emissions, protecting environmental justice communities, and accelerating the nation’s...more
Companies in a wide range of industries are subject to the oversight of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA enforces numerous environmental laws, environmental regulations, and executive orders to...more
As we wrap up our week-long celebration of Earth Day with insightful articles focusing on various aspects of plastic pollution, this final article focuses on how the courts are being asked to step into ring and referee the...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The U.S. DOL and U.S. EPA have published their 2024 increases to civil penalties....more
It is clear that these have been busy months for federal environmental regulators, especially those working at EPA, the federal departments and the Council on Environmental Quality. Even the Department of Agriculture has...more
President Biden is pushing in 2023 to strengthen Environmental Justice (EJ) initiatives and policies from the top down. This includes ordering more action and results from relevant federal agencies and pushing for the use of...more
On January 6, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its Final Rule, listed at 88 FR 986, updating the maximum civil monetary penalties that may be assessed for violations of environmental statutes....more
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
As we near Earth Day 2022, the United States may be headed toward a profound change in the way EPA and similar administrative agencies regulate the complex areas of environmental law. EPA began operating more than 50 years...more
On March 22, 2022, U.S. EPA released a new web tool designed to ensure that information regarding environmental violations and enforcement actions is more readily available to the public. The new tool, called ECHO Notify,...more
On January 5, 2022, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its Draft Environmental Justice Action Plan (Draft EJ Action Plan), which identifies Environmental Justice (EJ) measures that have been or...more
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (“Ninth Circuit”) addressed in a September 29th Opinion the potential liability of a public water system pursuant to the imminent and substantial endangerment...more
Emphasis on Environmental Justice and Climate Change - The EPA's draft Strategic Plan provides the key to understanding the agency's priority goals and initiatives, including Climate Change and Environmental Justice...more
Cannabis and hemp operators work hard to remain compliant with industry-specific laws and regulations, but compliance with long-standing environmental laws hasn’t been an issue of concern for most. Recently, environmental...more
Congress sends landmark conservation bill to White House - Bullet The New York Times – July 22 - The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a measure that, for the first time, guarantees maximum annual funding...more
Among the barrage of news reports related to state and federal responses to COVID-19, less discussed is the suspension of some environmental compliance obligations for regulated entities affected by the crisis....more
In the late 1980s, when I was an associate at the environmental boutique law firm of Berle, Kass, and Case in New York City, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and John Cronin came to visit the firm to discuss a new project they had...more
Regardless of what side of the political fence you reside on and regardless of whether under this current administration you believe environmental enforcement has taken a holiday, the fact remains that most manufacturers...more
EPA has announced a new compliance policy that some will view as providing welcome relief to industry and others may view as providing unwarranted concessions. The subject line of the EPA memo announcing the new policy is...more
The Association of Clean Water Agencies (“ACWA”) announced in its weekly publication that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) released the Biosolids Facility Report (“Report”) on the agency’s Enforcement...more