[WEBINAR] Fairly (or Unfairly?) Traceable: Are Discharges Through Groundwater Subject to the Clean Water Act?
California’s regulatory authority over “waters of the state” continues to grow even as the federal definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) narrows under shifting legal and regulatory frameworks. In Sackett v. EPA...more
Producers of packaging and other covered products are facing near-term deadlines to pay fees or register for programs intended to subsidize recycling in many states. With an initial fee payment due on July 1, 2025, for more...more
On May 21, 2025, the European Commission filed a proposal to postpone the implementation of the due diligence obligations in Regulation 2023/1542, concerning batteries and waste batteries (the “EUBR”). The proposal would push...more
On December 17, 2024, the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) adopted new comprehensive regulations governing the handling, storage, treatment, and disposal of oil and gas waste. The rules were published January 3, 2025, in...more
In a watershed ruling, the El Paso Court of Appeals extends "waste" liability under the Nat. Res. Code to commercial disposal well operator—potentially increasing exposure for this critical wastewater industry—while...more
Affected landowners may be able to avail themselves of certain protections under state and federal environmental laws. In the aftermath of the wildfires in the Los Angeles area in January 2025, a cleanup effort is...more
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Wednesday that it won’t order soil testing at properties damaged by the Eaton and Palisades fires after they have been cleaned by private federal contractors, breaking with a...more
Four years after the nation’s first extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws set out approaches to making producers financially responsible for managing the disposal of plastics and packaging, 2025 will see...more
The Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment - Division of Environmental Quality (“DEQ”) issued a January 8th news release announcing that it will hold stakeholder meetings across Arkansas: …for better understanding...more
Welcome to the latest edition of our quarterly global supply chain horizons providing you with an update on the key developments from around the world - Asia - China: Export ban of critical minerals to the US - On December...more
A California Court of Appeal upheld the California Department of Conservation Geologic Energy Management Division’s determination that a project to convert a plugged oil well into a wastewater disposal well fit within the...more
Los Angeles County Counsel Dawyn Harrison sued PepsiCo and Coca-Cola on October 30, 2024, alleging responsibility for the impacts of plastic packaging littered in Los Angeles County. The next day, a New York State judge...more
The Brazilian Supreme Court (Supremo Tribunal Federal - STF) has decided by majority vote that landfills being installed or already operating or expanding in Permanent Preservation Areas (Áreas de Preservação Permanente -...more
In the last four years, California has adopted some of the nation’s most innovative air regulations, including a ban on new gasoline-powered car sales by 2035 and a prohibition against diesel-fueled trucks visiting state...more
On July 23, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit denied a petition for rehearing in 68th Street Site Work Group v. Alban Tractor Co., Inc., et al., 4th Cir., No. 23-01155, declining the opportunity to potentially...more
Brazil has recently seen significant updates to solid waste management regulations at the national level. These include new regulations which address: the qualification criteria of managing entities; the qualification...more
The Washington Supreme Court recently denied review of a key decision from the Washington Court of Appeals, Division II, upholding the authority of local governments to regulate solid waste generated and collected within...more
EPA recently published a 2024 update to its Interim Guidance on the Destruction and Disposal of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Materials Containing PFAS (Interim Guidance), as required by the...more
As oil and natural gas are produced, brine and other wastewater are brought to the surface. This waste is then disposed of by Class II injection wells, categorized into three subclasses: saltwater disposal wells, enhanced...more
The Mississippi Commission on Environmental Quality (“MCEQ”) and Mr. Graham C. Coats entered into a May 15th Agreed Consent Order (“ACO”) addressing the alleged abandonment of waste tires. The ACO states that an...more
The New Hampshire Legislature has passed legislation that would prohibit the disposal of lithium-ion batteries and electronic devices in any solid waste landfill or incinerator in New Hampshire. See House Bill 1386-FN. ...more
A new lawsuit filed in April by public drinking water systems in California against manufacturers of “forever chemicals” is among the first to cite new Biden administration EPA regulations that set strict limits for the...more
On March 31, Circular Action Alliance (“CAA”), the Producer Responsibility Organization (“PRO”) for California, Colorado, and the only contender for PRO in Oregon, submitted the first draft of its Program Plan (“the Plan”)...more
The 81st meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (“MEPC”) of the International Maritime Organization (“IMO”) was held from March 18 to 22. Among the issues discussed were some legal inconsistencies between the...more
The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) in late February 2024 announced an update to its Guidance for Evaluating Soil Vapor Intrusion in the State of New York. For the first time, the Soil Vapor/Indoor Air Decision...more