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Environmental
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October 17, 2024
5th Circ. Tosses Policyholder's Hurricane Coverage Suit
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a National Flood Insurance Program policyholder's suit seeking coverage for at least $100,000 in hurricane damage to a Mississippi beachfront property, saying it was time-barred and failed to allege any extracontractual duties.
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October 17, 2024
States, Industry Urge DC Circ. To Scrap Truck GHG Rule
Dozens of states and industry groups are imploring the D.C. Circuit to pull the plug on a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule setting greenhouse gas emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles, arguing it mandates a transition to electric vehicles that the agency has no authority to push.
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October 16, 2024
SD Power Co. Agrees To Stormwater Protections At Facilities
A California federal judge has signed off on a consent decree between two conservation groups and the San Diego Gas & Electric Co. to close out a lawsuit over the utility's management of chemically treated wood waste.
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October 16, 2024
Feds, Md. Tell 4th Circ. Beltway Lane Expansion Is Fully Vetted
Federal and Maryland state transportation officials have told the Fourth Circuit that they thoroughly vetted air pollution, traffic congestion and other environmental concerns before approving an estimated $4 billion highway expansion project outside Washington, D.C., arguing that environmental groups have no grounds to sue to block the project.
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October 16, 2024
Rule Will Boost Alaskan Native Reps On Subsistence Board
The federal government on Wednesday announced a final rule that will strengthen Alaskan Indigenous representation on the Federal Subsistence Board by, for the first time, adding members nominated by the tribes that will be impacted by the board's decisions on the state's land and waters.
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October 16, 2024
11th Circ. Says No Claim For Taking Until Permit Is Denied
The Eleventh Circuit ruled Wednesday that Fane Lozman — houseboat owner, activist and thorn in the side of the Riviera Beach, Florida, city government — cannot yet bring his claims for a regulatory taking of his property against the city because he has not applied for a permit or zoning variance.
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October 16, 2024
Feds Say EPA Not Responsible For Flint Water Crisis
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday sought to shake claims from Flint, Michigan, residents alleging the agency did not properly respond to the water crisis, telling a Michigan federal judge it had no part in switching the town's water source or corrosion control efforts.
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October 16, 2024
SpaceX Says Calif. Board Taking Disdain Of Musk Out On It
SpaceX hit the California Coastal Commission with a federal lawsuit claiming its board members are opposing the company's bid to launch more rockets from a military base in Santa Barbara County due to "naked political discrimination" against it and its outspoken billionaire CEO Elon Musk.
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October 16, 2024
Monsanto's Appellate Bid To Stop Seattle PCB Trial Flops
A Washington appellate commissioner won't overrule a lower court's decision to forge ahead with a pending Monsanto PCB poisoning trial, rejecting the company's request to pause until the state Supreme Court decides a similar case, concluding that she would be improperly "substituting" her judgment for the trial court's by pausing the case.
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October 16, 2024
Justices Question EPA's Authority For 'Vague' SF Water Permit
The U.S. Supreme Court during oral arguments on Wednesday appeared genuinely torn about what to make of San Francisco's challenge to a Clean Water Act permit issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which the city argues is impermissibly vague and difficult to comply with.
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October 16, 2024
Mich. Landfill Says Manhattan Project Waste A National Issue
A Michigan dump site on Tuesday said a dispute over whether it can accept radioactive material from the first atomic bomb project is a matter of national concern, arguing attempts by a group of surrounding communities in state court to block it from accepting the waste interferes with a federal waste program.
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October 16, 2024
Calif. Community Flood Insurance Project Secures New Funds
California's water regulation authority will support a novel flood insurance program aimed at providing a tiny Central Valley town with coverage in the event of a major flood event, the state's insurance commissioner said Wednesday.
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October 16, 2024
EPA Defends Rejection Of Smog Rule Reconsideration Pleas
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told the D.C. Circuit it reasonably rejected petitions by U.S. Steel Corp. and Hybar LLC to reconsider its so-called Good Neighbor Plan to curb cross-state ozone pollution after courts stayed the rule for some affected states.
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October 16, 2024
DC Circ. Urged To Let Feds Fix Pipeline Safety Rules
A pipeline industry group urged a D.C. Circuit panel to reconsider its August decision throwing out a handful of new safety standards for gas transmission pipelines, warning that federal regulators' implementation of the court's mandate could lead to millions of dollars of unnecessary repair costs for pipeline operators.
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October 16, 2024
Latham-Led Silicon Carbide Biz Lands $2.5B Of New Funding
Silicon carbide technology company Wolfspeed, advised by Latham & Watkins LLP and Smith Anderson, announced that it expects to receive up to $2.5 billion in new funding, through the CHIPS and Science Act and from a consortium that includes private equity giant Apollo, to support the expansion of silicon carbon manufacturing in the U.S.
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October 16, 2024
Georgia EV Battery Manufacturer Settles Fire Suit
A Georgia electric vehicle battery manufacturer has reached a settlement ending a recycling facility's suit alleging it caught fire and burned to the ground last year after the manufacturer allegedly sent hundreds of charged lithium-ion battery scraps to the facility.
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October 16, 2024
M&A Pros Cautious About Expected Private Equity Surge
It's an oft-repeated line that private equity activity is set to surge amid pressure to exit older investments and deploy record stores of dry powder, but mergers and acquisitions professionals recently surveyed by Dykema were cautious when asked if they expect private equity to boost deal flow in the next 12 months, with a majority saying they only "somewhat agree."
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October 16, 2024
Justices Won't Block EPA Power Plant Rule
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday rebuffed pleas to block implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's latest effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions from power plants while it's being challenged in court, but three justices indicated they had concerns with the rule's legality.
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October 16, 2024
Enforcers Won't Challenge $3B Energy Deal, $5B Coal Tie-Up
Deadlines have passed for antitrust enforcers to challenge Oneok Inc.'s deal for a $3.3 billion stake in EnLink Midstream LLC and Arch Resources Inc.'s all-stock merger with Consol Energy Inc., a deal that's expected to create a natural resources company worth $5.2 billion.
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October 15, 2024
Tribes, Backers Urge Justices To Take On Oak Flat Dispute
Tribes, religious groups and scholars are backing a bid in the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a Ninth Circuit ruling allowing part of the Tonto National Forest that is sacred to the Western Apache to be destroyed for a copper mine proposed by a Rio Tinto and BHP venture.
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October 15, 2024
DC Circ. Is Asked To Revive Nuke Waste Suit
An anti-nuclear advocacy group is urging the D.C. Circuit to reconsider its support for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's approval of a temporary nuclear waste storage site in New Mexico, arguing that the court's ruling contained "material legal errors."
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October 15, 2024
Fla. High Court Declines To Hear Case Of Land-Buying Funds
The Florida Supreme Court refused to hear a lawsuit brought by environmental groups against the state over alleged misspent money from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund that went toward expenses not authorized under a 2014 constitutional amendment, rather than being used to purchase property meant for conservation and recreation purposes.
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October 15, 2024
'Gold Standard' PFAS Test Rejected In Tampax Class Suit
A California federal judge on Tuesday rejected the reliability of a testing method described by a putative consumer class as the "gold standard" for detecting so-called forever chemicals, tossing for now claims that The Procter & Gamble Co. falsely advertised its "pure cotton" Tampax tampons.
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October 15, 2024
Standing Rock Sioux Ask Court To Shut Down Dakota Pipeline
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is asking a federal court to block a Texas-based energy company from continuing to operate the Dakota Access Pipeline, arguing its latest emergency response plan fails to include a realistic calculation of a worst-case scenario liquid discharge.
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October 15, 2024
Feds Seek Court's OK On $350M Norfolk Southern Spill Deal
The federal government has asked an Ohio federal judge to approve a nearly $350 million settlement to close out the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's legal claims against Norfolk Southern over the fiery February 2023 train derailment and toxic chemical spill in East Palestine.
Expert Analysis
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Series
Boxing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Boxing has influenced my legal work by enabling me to confidently hone the skills I've learned from the sport, like the ability to remain calm under pressure, evaluate an opponent's weaknesses and recognize when to seize an important opportunity, says Kirsten Soto at Clyde & Co.
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What NYC's Green Fast Track Means For Affordable Housing
New York City's Green Fast Track for Housing initiative, which went into effect last month, aims to speed up the environmental review process for modest residential developments and could potentially pave the way for similar initiatives in other cities, say Vivien Krieger and Rachel Scall at Cozen O'Connor.
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Opinion
Industry Self-Regulation Will Shine Post-Chevron
The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper decision will shape the contours of industry self-regulation in the years to come, providing opportunities for this often-misunderstood practice, says Eric Reicin at BBB National Programs.
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3 Ways Agencies Will Keep Making Law After Chevron
The U.S. Supreme Court clearly thinks it has done something big in overturning the Chevron precedent that had given deference to agencies' statutory interpretations, but regulated parties have to consider how agencies retain significant power to shape the law and its meaning, say attorneys at K&L Gates.
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Roundup
After Chevron
Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron deference standard in June, this Expert Analysis series has featured attorneys discussing the potential impact across 36 different rulemaking and litigation areas.
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Series
After Chevron: Expect Few Changes In ITC Rulemaking
The U.S. Supreme Court's opinion overruling the Chevron doctrine will have less impact on the U.S. International Trade Commission than other agencies administering trade statutes, given that the commission exercises its congressionally granted authority in a manner that allows for consistent decision making at both agency and judicial levels, say attorneys at Polsinelli.
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Opinion
Reform NEPA To Speed Mining Permits, Clean Energy Shift
It is essential to balance responsible regulatory oversight with permit approvals for mining projects that are needed for the transition to renewable energy — and with the National Environmental Policy Act being one of the leading causes of permit delays, reform is urgently needed, say Ana Maria Gutierrez and Michael Miller at Womble Bond.
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Opinion
Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem
The legal industry is engaged in a critical conversation about lawyers' mental health, but current attorney well-being programs primarily focus on helping lawyers cope with the stress of excessive workloads, instead of examining whether this work culture is even fundamentally compatible with lawyer well-being, says Jonathan Baum at Avenir Guild.
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Calif. Long-Tail Ruling Continues Policyholder-Friendly Trend
The California Supreme Court's recent ruling in Truck Insurance Exchange v. Kaiser Cement & Gypsum, rejecting horizontal policy exhaustion, was the latest in a string of its decisions involving insurance coverage for continuous or progressive injury claims that favor policyholders, say Billie Mandelbaum and David Goodwin at Covington.
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A Case Study For Calif. Cities In Water Utility Takeovers
With growing water scarcity and drier weather looming, some local governments in California have sought to acquire investor-owned water utilities by eminent domain — but the 2016 case of Claremont v. Golden State Water is a reminder that such municipalization attempts must meet certain statutory requirements, say attorneys at Nossaman.
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Series
NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2
The second quarter of 2024 saw less enforcement activity in the realm of New York financial services, but brought substantial regulatory and legislative developments, including state regulators' guidance on cybersecurity compliance and customer service processes for virtual currency entities, say James Vivenzio and Andrew Lucas at Perkins Coie.
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Series
Skiing And Surfing Make Me A Better Lawyer
The skills I’ve learned while riding waves in the ocean and slopes in the mountains have translated to my legal career — developing strong mentor relationships, remaining calm in difficult situations, and being prepared and able to move to a backup plan when needed, says Brian Claassen at Knobbe Martens.
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Tracking Implementation Of IRA Programs As Election Nears
As the Biden administration races to cement key regulations implementing the Inflation Reduction Act, a number of the law's programs and incentives are at risk of delay or repeal if Republicans retake control of Congress, the White House or both — so stakeholders should closely watch ongoing IRA implementation and guidance, say attorneys at Squire Patton.
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Unpacking The Circuit Split Over A Federal Atty Fee Rule
Federal circuit courts that have addressed Rule 41(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are split as to whether attorney fees are included as part of the costs of a previously dismissed action, so practitioners aiming to recover or avoid fees should tailor arguments to the appropriate court, says Joseph Myles and Lionel Lavenue at Finnegan.
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4 Steps To Repair Defense Credibility In Opening Statements
Given the continued rise of record-breaking verdicts, defense counsel need to consider fresh approaches to counteract the factors coloring juror attitudes — starting with a formula for rebuilding credibility at the very beginning of opening statements, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.