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Environmental
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August 26, 2024
Gov't Contracting Policies To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2024
An overhaul to the U.S. Department of Defense's cybersecurity requirements and a pending rule requiring many contractors to report their greenhouse gas emissions headline a slate of significant policy initiatives for government contractors to watch for during the second half of this year. Here, Law360 previews four upcoming policy changes with significant potential impacts on government contractors.
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August 23, 2024
Former Snyder Aide Says No Immunity For Flint Prosecutors
A top aide to former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder who had faced criminal charges for the Flint water crisis is fighting Michigan prosecutors' attempts to dodge a lawsuit claiming that they violated his due process rights.
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August 23, 2024
The Biggest Product Liability Cases Of 2024: A Midyear Report
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling that formally ended judges' decades-long deference to federal agencies' understanding of the law, as well as multibillion-dollar settlements over so-called forever chemicals, made Law360's list of top product liability developments so far this year.
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August 23, 2024
The Biggest Energy Decisions In The First Half Of 2024
From a D.C. Circuit decision upholding California's ability to set its own greenhouse gas standards for vehicles to the U.S. Supreme Court's freeze of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's plan to reduce cross-state pollution, consequential decisions in the energy space ripped through the courts in the first half of 2024.
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August 23, 2024
La. Judge Smashes EPA Civil Rights Regulations In State
A Louisiana federal judge has granted the state's request for a permanent injunction blocking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from enforcing civil rights regulations in the state that involve disparate impact components.
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August 23, 2024
EPA Issues Guidance On Civil Rights Safeguards
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued guidance to help its financial assistance recipients comply with civil rights laws and nondiscrimination regulations.
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August 23, 2024
Public Needs Full Record In Pebble Mine Row, Alaska Argues
Alaska is fighting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's push for a protective order for hundreds of publications and reports in the state's lawsuit challenging a Clean Water Act veto that essentially blocked development of the controversial Pebble Mine.
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August 23, 2024
Canada Mining Biz Seeks US Listing Via $589M SPAC Merger
Canadian rare-earth miner Tactical Resources Corp. plans to go public in the U.S. by merging with special purpose acquisition company Plum Acquisition III Corp. at an estimated value of $589 million, both parties announced on Friday, through a deal guided by four law firms.
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August 23, 2024
The Biggest Enviro Policy Moves Of 2024: Midyear Report
As the Biden administration hurtles toward the end of its term, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been hustling important final rules out its doors, including regulations for power plant greenhouse gas emissions, chemicals and automobiles.
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August 23, 2024
Taxation With Representation: Latham, Wachtell, Paul Weiss
In this week's Taxation With Representation, Arch Resources merges with Consol Energy in a deal worth $5.2 billion, Advanced Micro Devices agrees to purchase ZT Systems for $4.9 billion, and Japanese tobacco company JT Group inks a deal to buy Vector Group for $2.4 billion.
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August 22, 2024
Construction Co. Says It's Owed Coverage For Sinkhole Claim
A Washington construction company has filed a suit seeking to force an insurer to cover potential damages in an underlying lawsuit alleging the company botched a sewer pipeline replacement project, causing a sinkhole to open up along a Seattle ship canal after the job ended.
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August 22, 2024
Texas Asks Justices To Uphold Bar On Nuclear Waste Site
The state of Texas called on the U.S. Supreme Court to reject the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's attempt to upend a Fifth Circuit decision barring the agency from licensing a temporary nuclear waste storage facility in the state.
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August 22, 2024
2 AGs Push Justices To Stay EPA Power Plant Emission Rule
Ohio and Kansas are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to pause a challenged U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, arguing the unlawful rule forces plants to risk billions of dollars on unproven control technologies or shut down.
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August 22, 2024
Farmers Seek Rehearing For Mich. Justices' Permit Ruling
Farm groups are asking the Michigan Supreme Court to reconsider a split opinion upholding general permit conditions state regulators enacted for concentrated animal feeding operations, arguing the majority's opinion is built upon "crucial factual and legal errors."
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August 22, 2024
Local Property Tax Exemptions A Must For Solar, Va. AG Says
Localities are required under state statute to provide an exemption for the taxation of property used for solar photovoltaic systems, or systems that use solar panels to create energy, the Virginia attorney general said in an opinion.
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August 22, 2024
Kenya's Justices May Ax Part Of Tax Act That Set Off Unrest
The Supreme Court of Kenya agreed to stay a lower court's ruling declaring unconstitutional the government's entire 2023 tax package, which sparked deadly nationwide protests, but it looks likely to scrap at least part of the law next month, attorneys told Law360 on Thursday.
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August 22, 2024
California Fires Back At Red State Attacks On Climate Torts
California and a contingent of blue states told the U.S. Supreme Court that their climate change torts against fossil fuel companies are on solid legal ground and that an effort by Alabama and other red states to undercut them must be rejected.
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August 22, 2024
Apache Carry Petition To High Court With A Prayer Journey
Members of an Apache nonprofit fighting to save an Indigenous worship site from destruction are making stops to visit other tribes throughout the country for prayers and support as they deliver a petition to the Supreme Court that seeks to undo a Ninth Circuit ruling and block a mining project.
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August 22, 2024
Auburn Wants Out Of 11th Circ. Arguments Over Burial Ground
Auburn University has asked the Eleventh Circuit to be excused from oral arguments next month in a dispute between two Native American groups over a burial ground where centuries-old human remains were exhumed to make way for construction of a multimillion-dollar casino.
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August 21, 2024
Signal Peak Can't Hasten DOI's Coal Mine Review, Judge Says
A D.C. federal judge ruled Wednesday that it would be premature to order federal regulators to speed up their environmental review of Signal Peak Energy LLC's planned expansion of a Montana coal mine, saying the federal government still has time to make good on its deadlines.
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August 21, 2024
Split 6th Circ. Partly Revives GM Drivers' Truck Emissions Suits
A divided Sixth Circuit panel on Wednesday revived drivers' state-law claims in consolidated litigation alleging General Motors deceptively marketed Chevrolet Silverado and Sierra vehicles as being more environmentally friendly than they actually were, rejecting a district court's finding that the claims conflicted with federal law.
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August 21, 2024
500,000 Camp Lejeune Cases Filed With The Navy
The federal government and Camp Lejeune litigants have told the North Carolina federal court overseeing claims over contaminated drinking water at the Marine base that there have been nearly 550,000 administrative claims filed with the U.S. Navy.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Expert Analysis
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Class Action Law Makes An LLC A 'Jurisdictional Platypus'
The applicability of Section 1332(d)(10) of the Class Action Fairness Act is still widely misunderstood — and given the ambiguous nature of limited liability companies, the law will likely continue to confound courts and litigants — so parties should be prepared for a range of outcomes, says Andrew Gunem at Strauss Borrelli.
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3 Leadership Practices For A More Supportive Firm Culture
Traditional leadership styles frequently amplify the inherent pressures of legal work, but a few simple, time-neutral strategies can strengthen the skills and confidence of employees and foster a more collaborative culture, while supporting individual growth and contribution to organizational goals, says Benjamin Grimes at BKG Leadership.
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Rebuttal
Cancer Research Org. Is Right To Avoid Corporate Influence
While a previous Law360 guest article criticizes the International Agency for Research on Cancer's processes, its reliance on peer-reviewed literature is proper and its refusal to allow corporate influence is sound science, say Lance Oliver and Ridge Mazingo at Motley Rice.
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Attorneys Can Benefit From Reverse-Engineering Their Cases
Trial advocacy programs often teach lawyers to loosely track the progression of a lawsuit during preparation — case analysis, then direct examination, then cross-examination, openings and closings — but reverse-engineering cases by working backward from opening and closing statements can streamline the process and also improve case strategy, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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How Courts' Differing Views On Standing Affect PFAS Claims
Two recent opinions from New York federal courts — in Lurenz v. Coca-Cola, and Winans v. Ornua Foods North America — illustrate how pivotal the differing views on standing held by different courts will be for product liability litigation involving per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, particularly consumer claims, say attorneys at Hollingsworth.
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New State Carbon Capture Laws: Key Points For Developers
Multiple states have introduced or expanded legal frameworks for carbon capture and sequestration this year, and while there are some common themes, many of these state laws include unique approaches and requirements — which developers and investors should be aware of when considering potential projects and investment risks, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents
Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course
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.
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New NHTSA Fuel Economy Rule Adds Compliance Complexity
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.
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Series
Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer
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.
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Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act
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.
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Series
After Chevron: NRC Is Shielded From Loper Bright's Effects
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.
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How Loper Bright Weakens NEPA Enviro Justice Strategy
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.
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Opinion
Expert Witness Standards Must Consider Peer Review Crisis
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.
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Navigating Antitrust Considerations In ESG Collaborations
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.