Articles Posted in Environmental

Posted
by

Here are a few interesting new rulings from the federal appellate courts.

COURT ORDERS

Like a Good Neighbor …? — State of Maryland v. EPA
On May 19, 2020, the D.C. Circuit decided a Clean Air Act case involving the use of the “Good Neighbor Provision” of the Act, which is triggered when one state has a complaint about emissions generated in a neighboring upwind state that settle in the downwind state. Here, Maryland and Delaware filed petitions with EPA seeking relief from the impact of emissions from coal-fired power plants that allegedly affect their states’ air quality. EPA largely denied relief, and the court largely upheld the agency’s use and interpretation of the Good Neighbor Provision. The opinion is valuable because of its clear exposition of this complicated policy.

Continue Reading ›

Posted
by

Environmental_Protection_Agency_logo-275x300This is a brief account of some of the significant environment law developments that have occurred since the President’s March 13 national emergency declaration that the spread of COVID-19 poses a threat to national security.

The Courts – SCOTUS
The U.S. Supreme Court has issued three important decisions affecting environmental law during this period.

Continue Reading ›

Posted
by

The coronavirus pandemic has been credited with improved air and water quality as America shelters in place, reducing its emission and discharge footprint. This unanticipated benefit, however, overlooks the numerous environmental problems that Californians were addressing prior to the advent of the pandemic. In “California’s Stay-at-Home Orders: Implications for Environmental Contractors,” colleagues Eric Moorman and Mark E. Elliott discuss that the exceptions outlined in state and local directives likely encompass the investigatory and remedial activities performed by environmental contractors.

Posted
by

In January, the EU launched itself into the new decade with the unveiling of its Green Deal: an extensive plan of ambitious climate targets and reforms culminating in a carbon neutral Europe by 2050. There have been debates about the details of the plan particularly among the developers of carbon neutral technologies excluded from the plan. However, the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic is threatening to derail the EU’s aspiring climate change project before it’s even begun.

Continue Reading ›

Posted
by

Temporary environmental enforcement discretion and forbearance policies can provide relief for companies and individuals unable to comply with conditions of their permits due to the impacts of COVID-19 on their workforce and operations. In “Texas Environmental Compliance During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” colleagues Anthony B. Cavender, Sheila McCafferty Harvey, Reza Zarghamee and Amanda G. Halter discuss how environmental agencies are responding with updated compliance and enforcement policies.

Posted
by

Due diligence and compliance challenges require flexible approaches and creative solutions. In “Practical Tips for Managing Environmental Issues During the Coronavirus Pandemic,” colleagues Sheila McCafferty Harvey and Reza Zarghamee discuss how proactive and creative compliance strategies, and effective strategies to document parties’ efforts to comply with existing obligations, can help hedge against transactional and compliance risks.

Posted
by and

On March 13, 2020, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon signed House Bill 74 (HB 74) into law. After the Governor signed HB 74, it became House Enrolled Act 60. HEA 60 allows utilities and other power plant owners to replace retiring coal and natural gas electric generation plants with small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs).

Continue Reading ›

Posted
by

In a letter ruling published March 16, 2020, the Tennessee Department of Revenue concluded that a contractor’s purchase of materials and equipment for use in the construction and installation of a new steam production facility at a federally owned manufacturing plant was exempt from Tennessee sales and use tax.  Tenn. Letter Rul. No. 20-02 (issued Feb. 10, 2020).

Continue Reading ›

Posted
by

California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency and, pursuant to his broad authority under the California Emergency Services Act and other statutory provisions, has issued Executive Orders suspending or modifying the effect of certain state statutes and regulation in response to COVID-19, and authorizing the commandeering of property needed for the response. In “California Executive Power and Industrial Facilities in the Wake of COVID-19,” colleagues Michael S. McDonough and Christopher W. Smith provide an overview of the recent updates and rulings on California’s facilities and operations.

Posted
by

On March 6, 2019, the South Carolina Administrative Law Court entered an order in Colonial Pipeline Co. v. South Carolina Department of Revenue, No. 18-ALJ-17-0443-CC, in which it held that a pipeline company’s assets may qualify for a property tax exemption for pollution control equipment of industrial plants under S.C. Code Ann. § 12-37-220(8). In his latest post on SeeSALT,  Zachary T. Atkins examines this decision more closely.