Environmental

  • August 21, 2024

    NY Metal Shredder Will Pay $555K Over Feds' Air Claims

    A Long Island, New York, metal shredder will pay $555,000 to settle the federal government's claims that it failed to install required pollution controls at its facility, which caused the release of excessive volatile organic chemicals.

  • August 21, 2024

    NC Biz Court Bulletin: Wrinkle In Textile Family's $17M Fight

    The fate of a $17 million trust battled over by its trustees and Atrium Health, as well as attorney fees in a $1.1 million data breach settlement were cemented by the North Carolina Business Court in the first half of August. In case you missed those and others, here are the highlights.

  • August 21, 2024

    EPA Urges 8th Circ. Not To Delay Power Plant Effluent Rule

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and green groups on Tuesday asked the Eighth Circuit not to block the implementation of a rule that set new wastewater standards for coal-fired power plants, as utility companies, trade groups and nearly two dozen states that oppose the rule have urged.

  • August 21, 2024

    Arch Resources, Consol Energy To Form $5.2B Energy Giant

    Latham & Watkins LLP attorneys guided Arch Resources Inc. in its all-stock merger with Consol Energy Inc. on Wednesday to create a new natural resources company dubbed Core Natural Resources with a market capitalization of approximately $5.2 billion.

  • August 21, 2024

    3 Firms Guide $950M Delaware Basin Gas Treatment Deal

    Houston-based energy providerEnterprise  Partners LP has agreed to purchase Pinon Midstream, a natural gas treatment company focused on the Delaware Basin, for $950 million in cash, the companies said Wednesday.

  • August 21, 2024

    Oregon Judge Grants EPA Partial Win In Water Pollution Suit

    An Oregon federal judge rejected a conservation group's contention that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency must step in and act because Oregon has effectively submitted no total maximum daily load plans to set appropriate pollution limits for hundreds of impaired waterways, some of which have been considered impaired for decades.

  • August 21, 2024

    Alaska Seeks Pause In Mining Row Suit With EPA

    The state of Alaska is calling on a district court judge to pause litigation accusing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of unlawfully prohibiting development of the Pebble mineral deposit in the southwestern region of the state, while the agency attempts to withhold documents from the public.

  • August 21, 2024

    La. Plaintiffs Ask 5th Circ. To Revive BP Spill Malpractice Deal

    Louisiana residents who sued their attorneys, alleging they botched damage claims tied to the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, have asked the Fifth Circuit to reconsider a panel's ruling that overturned enforcement of a global settlement.

  • August 20, 2024

    Billionaire To Seek High Court Review In Peru Pollution Case

    U.S. billionaire Ira Rennert wants the U.S. Supreme Court to review a published Eighth Circuit decision greenlighting a long-running case over environmental damage at a Peruvian metallurgical complex in order to resolve a circuit split on the international comity doctrine, according to documents filed Monday.

  • August 20, 2024

    Gulf Spill Review 'Underestimated' Enviro Risks, Court Says

    A National Marine Fisheries Service review of the effects of oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico violates federal law, a Maryland federal judge ruled, agreeing with the Sierra Club and other environmental groups that the agency underestimated the risks to endangered and threatened marine species.

  • August 20, 2024

    Feds Say Chevron Doesn't Change Auto Standards Litigation

    The federal government told the D.C. Circuit that the U.S. Supreme Court's opinion axing federal agency deference doesn't aid Republican-led states' and industry's attempt to undermine tighter greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles.

  • August 20, 2024

    Ariz. Tribe Wins Pause Of Lithium Project Construction

    An Arizona federal judge has granted the Hualapai Indian Tribe's bid for a temporary restraining order in its lawsuit seeking to halt U.S. government approval of a lithium exploration project that it says threatens the life of a sacred medical spring used for cultural and religious purposes.

  • August 20, 2024

    New Fed Rule Will Help Tribes Sponsor Watershed Projects

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service said it has decided to amend its regulations for watershed projects, so Native American tribes and tribal groups can better carry out improvements for flood prevention and conservation.

  • August 20, 2024

    SF Police Can't Sue Navy Over Toxic Shipyard, 9th Circ. Says

    A group of San Francisco police officers cannot pursue their suit alleging the U.S. Navy misled the city into leasing a former naval shipyard that was not properly decontaminated following its use during the Cold War, which led to the officers suffering health problems, the Ninth Circuit ruled Tuesday.

  • August 20, 2024

    Utah Tells Justices Feds Must Relinquish Land In State

    The federal government is unconstitutionally hoarding and profiting from public lands in Utah, and the state is missing out on economic and development opportunities that are rightfully its own, it told the U.S. Supreme Court in a proposed lawsuit filed Tuesday.

  • August 20, 2024

    EPA Urges DC Circ. To Uphold Particulate Matter Rule

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is defending its decision to ratchet down a fine particulate matter air pollution standard, telling the D.C. Circuit that states and industry groups challenging it aren't seriously questioning the scientific support for the change and misread the Clean Air Act to argue that the agency overstepped.

  • August 20, 2024

    DOI Issues 1st Floating Offshore Wind Energy Lease

    The U.S. Department of the Interior on Monday announced its first-ever floating offshore wind energy research lease, which will allow for up to 12 floating wind turbines off the coast of Maine.

  • August 20, 2024

    US Forest Service Sued Over Ariz. Canyon Road Approval

    Environmental groups have slapped the U.S. Forest Service with a complaint in Arizona federal court, accusing the agency of violating the National Environmental Policy Act by allowing the construction of three roads into remote canyons in the Coronado National Forest that could destroy one of the last natural jaguar habitats in the United States.

  • August 20, 2024

    Mondelez Customer Calls Cocoa Sourcing Label Deceptive

    Oreo cookies maker Mondelez International Inc. has been hit with proposed class claims in Illinois federal court that its snack packaging misleads customers into thinking the company sources its cocoa ethically when its supply chain really contributes to "grievous and unsustainable labor abuses."

  • August 20, 2024

    Power Plant Rule Stay Is Unwarranted, EPA Tells Justices

    U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar called on the U.S. Supreme Court to reject industry groups' and Republican-led states' attempts to block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rule curbing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, saying the agency did not exceed its statutory authority.

  • August 20, 2024

    Feds Fight Ex-Pa. Town Official's Appeal Of CWA Conviction

    The federal government on Tuesday urged the Third Circuit to reject a former Pennsylvania township official's bid to undo his conviction for environmental and financial crimes committed during his time as director of the municipality's sewage authority.

  • August 20, 2024

    EPA Finalizes Herbicide Strategy To Protect Listed Species

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday released a final strategy to protect nearly 1,000 threatened and endangered species and crucial habitat from herbicides, outlining measures to reduce their exposures to the chemicals.

  • August 20, 2024

    States, Coal Cos. Seek High Court Block Of EPA Mercury Rule

    A group of red states and coal companies have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the D.C. Circuit's decision allowing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement a mercury air pollution rule while their legal challenges play out.

  • August 20, 2024

    A Deep Dive Into Law360 Pulse's 2024 Women In Law Report

    The legal industry continues to see incremental gains for female lawyers in private practice in the U.S., according to a Law360 Pulse analysis, with women now representing 40.6% of all attorneys and 51% of all associates.

  • August 20, 2024

    These Firms Have The Most Women In Equity Partnerships

    The legal industry still has a long way to go before it can achieve gender parity at its upper levels. But these law firms are performing better than others in breaking the proverbial glass ceiling that prevents women from attaining leadership roles.

Expert Analysis

  • Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.

  • New NHTSA Fuel Economy Rule Adds Compliance Complexity

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    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's recently announced final rule on new corporate average fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks will create challenges for manufacturers, which must also comply with the EPA's multipollutant rule and California's zero-emission vehicle programs, say Joanne Rotondi and Hannah Graae at Hogan Lovells.

  • Series

    Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.

  • Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act

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    As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.

  • Series

    After Chevron: NRC Is Shielded From Loper Bright's Effects

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    While the U.S. Supreme Court's recent Loper Bright v. Relentless decision brought an end to Chevron deference, Congress' unique delegation of discretionary authority to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will likely insulate it from the additional judicial scrutiny that other federal agencies will face, say Ryan Lighty and Scott Clausen at Morgan Lewis.

  • How Loper Bright Weakens NEPA Enviro Justice Strategy

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    The National Environmental Policy Act is central to the Biden administration's environmental justice agenda — but the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo casts doubt on the government's ability to rely on NEPA for this purpose, and a pending federal case will test the strategy's limits, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • Opinion

    Expert Witness Standards Must Consider Peer Review Crisis

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    For nearly two decades, the so-called replication crisis has upended how the scientific community views the reliability of peer-reviewed studies, and it’s time for courts to reevaluate whether peer review is a trustworthy proxy for expert witness reliability, say Jeffrey Gross and Robert LaCroix at Reid Collins.

  • Navigating Antitrust Considerations In ESG Collaborations

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    The intersection of ESG goals and antitrust laws presents a complex challenge for businesses and their counsel — but by creating clear frameworks for collaboration, adhering to established guidelines and carefully considering the competitive implications of their actions, companies can work toward sustainability while mitigating legal risks, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

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    Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • Series

    Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.

  • What Chevron's End Means For How Congress Does Business

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision, overturning the Chevron doctrine, will have a far-reaching impact across the entire public policy life cycle, beginning with how Congress writes its laws and extending through agency implantation and judicial review, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step

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    From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • What Cos. Should Know About New Global Plastics Regs

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    As the global regulatory landscape for plastics and recycling changes rapidly — with new policies coming into effect in California, at the federal level, in the European Union and at the United Nations — businesses that operate across jurisdictions must stay informed to remain compliant, mitigate legal risk and achieve stewardship goals, say attorneys at O'Melveny.

  • The Rise Of State And Local Environmental Leadership

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    While Congress is deadlocked, and a U.S. Supreme Court with a hostility toward the administrative state aggressively dismantles federal environmental oversight, state and local governments are stepping up with policies to shape a more sustainable future for all species, says Jonathan Rosenbloom at Albany Law School.

  • 5 Tips For Solar Cos. Navigating Big Shifts In US Trade Policy

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    Renewable energy developers can best mitigate new compliance risks from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s increased tariffs on imported solar cells, and simultaneously capitalize on Treasury Department incentives for domestic solar manufacturers, by following five best practices in the changing solar trade landscape, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

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