Environmental

  • December 17, 2024

    Oil Cos. Seek Coverage For Water Byproduct Pollution

    Two oil and gas companies accused their commercial general liability insurer and certain Lloyd's of London underwriters of denying coverage for a release of waste byproduct in bad faith, telling a New Mexico federal court the release further triggered state-supervised remediation efforts that imposed additional costs.

  • December 17, 2024

    Seattle, Solar Group Sue To Block Natural Gas Ballot Initiative

    The city of Seattle and solar industry and environmental groups have sued the state of Washington to preserve municipalities' ability to curb natural gas use in new buildings, arguing a voter-approved measure blocking that power had unrelated provisions that made it unconstitutional.

  • December 17, 2024

    Senate Dem's Bill Would Mandate New FCC Outage Reports

    Networks that receive funding to help them rebound from climate-related disasters would need to file new reports of outages to the Federal Communications Commission under a Democratic bill filed in the U.S. Senate.

  • December 17, 2024

    PG&E Secures $15B Energy Dept. Loan To Upgrade Grid

    The U.S. Department of Energy said on Tuesday that it has conditionally committed to lending Pacific Gas & Electric Co. up to $15 billion for projects aimed at expanding hydropower generation and clean energy infrastructure in California.

  • December 17, 2024

    IRS Corrects Proposed Admin Requirements For Direct Pay

    The Internal Revenue Service issued a correction Tuesday to proposed regulations laying out administrative requirements for tax-exempt entities to elect out of their partnership status in order to take advantage of new rules enabling direct cash payment of clean energy tax credits.

  • December 17, 2024

    Possible 6th Circ. Picks Now That Biden's Nominee Is Done

    A district judge, state Supreme Court justice and a former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission member are among the contenders for a seat on the Sixth Circuit when the outgoing judge retires, a pending vacancy that had been a matter of contention between Tennessee's senators and the Biden administration.

  • December 16, 2024

    Circuit-By-Circuit Guide To 2024's Most Memorable Moments

    One judge said a litigant's position would cause "an effing nightmare," and another decried the legal community's silence amid "illegitimate aspersions." Public officials literally trashed one court's opinion, and fateful rulings dealt with controversial politicians, social media and decades of environmental policy. Those were just a few appellate highlights in 2024, a year teeming with memorable moments both substantive and sensational.

  • December 16, 2024

    11th Circ. Says Citrus Grower's Coverage Row Was Ripe

    A citrus grower's bid for damages from its insurer in connection with environmental remediation costs was ripe, the Eleventh Circuit said, reviving the case after finding that a Florida district court wrongly dismissed it by conflating the issue of ripeness with the merits of the grower's claims.

  • December 16, 2024

    Feds, Ute Tribe Wrestle Over 19th Century Laws In Land Fight

    The federal government and the legal team representing the Ute Indian Tribe clashed over the interpretation of two 19th-century laws during a hearing in Washington, D.C., federal court Monday, as the tribe seeks to restore lands within its Utah reservation to trust status.

  • December 16, 2024

    Minn. Panel Revives $1.5M Fire Loss Row Against State Farm

    A Minnesota state appeals court revived a property owner's $1.5 million bid for additional coverage over a building fire, finding Monday that while state law and the owner's State Farm policy required it to sue within two years of the loss, that requirement didn't extend to the owner's appraisal demand.

  • December 16, 2024

    Vegetable Co. Seeks $5M Policy Limit For Facility Fire

    A Pacific Northwest vegetable processor said its insurer owed the full $5 million limit of its policy after a fire broke out at a Washington state facility and caused over $73 million in property damage and business income losses combined, according to a complaint removed to federal court.

  • December 16, 2024

    High Court Faces Dueling Views Over EPA Rule Fights

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday was presented with dueling arguments over whether the bulk of judicial challenges to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air pollution rules should remain in the D.C. Circuit or can be heard in other, regional circuit courts.

  • December 16, 2024

    DC Circ. Skeptical That EPA Moved Too Early On Particulates

    Judges on the D.C. Circuit seemed unlikely to buy arguments from industry groups and a coalition of Republican-led states challenging a February U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule on particulate matter, grilling an attorney for the challengers on the agency's Clean Air Act authority during oral arguments Monday.

  • December 16, 2024

    Conn. Utility Says PFAS Class Claims Belong With Regulators

    Most of the claims in a proposed class action against a Connecticut water company that allegedly failed to protect customers against "forever chemicals" cannot proceed because they needed to be heard first by state regulators, the utility argued in seeking to trim the complaint.

  • December 16, 2024

    Sempra Policies Too Old For $1.8B Leak Coverage, Court Told

    An insurer told a California federal judge to end Sempra Energy's bid to obtain coverage in connection with a nearly $1.8 billion settlement over the largest natural gas leak in U.S. history, claiming its policies expired before any alleged injuries occurred.

  • December 16, 2024

    US Lends $9.6B To Build EV Battery Plants In The South

    The U.S. Department of Energy has agreed to loan Ford Motor Co. and South Korean battery manufacturer SK On up to $9.63 billion for a joint venture that includes building electric vehicle battery plants in Tennessee and Kentucky, according to a Monday statement.

  • December 16, 2024

    Honeywell Pollution Suit Belongs In Ga. Court, 11th Circ. Told

    A Georgia city suing Honeywell International Inc. over the company's alleged pollution of coastal waterways told the Eleventh Circuit Monday that the Environmental Protection Agency's supervision of remediation efforts can't transform Honeywell into a federal officer, thus denying the company the jurisdiction it needs to move the case into federal court.

  • December 16, 2024

    High Court Bar's Future: Latham's Roman Martinez

    Roman Martinez of Latham & Watkins LLP approaches oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court as if they were just another dinner with family or friends — people he's argued with since he was a kid.

  • December 16, 2024

    Pipeline Co. To Pay $450,000 To Settle ND Pollution Claims

    A Texas-based pipeline operator will pay $450,000 to settle Clean Air Act violations on North Dakota's Fort Berthold Indian Reservation after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found multiple offenses during a routine inspection last year.

  • December 16, 2024

    IRS Corrects Regs On Direct Pay Of Partnership Tax Credit

    Internal Revenue Service issued a correction Monday to final regulations that make it easier for tax-exempt entities that co-own development projects to qualify for a direct cash payment of clean energy tax credits by electing out of their partnership tax status.

  • December 16, 2024

    Anglo American-Backed Engine Tech Co. Files Ch. 11

    A developer of hybrid electric hauling equipment has filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware bankruptcy court with nearly $98 million in debt and an agreement with its secured lender and parent, mining company Anglo American, to pursue a sale.

  • December 16, 2024

    Justices Preserve Calif. Vehicle Emissions Autonomy

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to allow California to set its own greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles, a power red states had challenged as unconstitutional.

  • December 13, 2024

    Feds Suggest Protections For Salamander, Mussels Habitat

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed protections for the eastern hellbender salamander as well as for the habitats of several species of endangered freshwater mussels, according to a pair of recent announcements.

  • December 13, 2024

    Texas Panel Prods Harrison County About Tank Leakage

    A Texas appeals court judge on Friday questioned whether Harrison County is seizing on a legal ambiguity to avoid required testing of underground storage tanks, saying its loose interpretation of the word "year" in a state law "doesn't sound like a very good idea."

  • December 13, 2024

    NHTSA Publishes Whistleblower Program Final Rule

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finalized its whistleblower program, which could award as much as 30% of monetary sanctions to a worker of an auto manufacturer who calls out bad behavior.

Expert Analysis

  • What To Expect From State AGs As Federal Control Changes

    Author Photo

    Under the next Trump administration, Democratic attorneys general are poised to strengthen enforcement in certain areas as Republican attorneys general continue their efforts with stronger federal support — resulting in a confusing patchwork of policies that create unintended liabilities for businesses operating in multiple jurisdictions, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?

    Author Photo

    Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • In SF Water Case, Justices Signal How Loper May Be Applied

    Author Photo

    Skeptical questions from U.S. Supreme Court justices during oral argument in San Francisco v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offer hints of how the court intends to apply limits on agency regulatory autonomy established last term in Loper Bright, says Karen Cullinane at Goldberg Segalla.

  • Trump Rollback Of Biden Enviro Policies: What To Expect

    Author Photo

    Donald Trump's upcoming second presidential term will usher significant shifts in U.S. environmental and natural resource law and policy — and while the Biden administration is racing to secure its legacy, the incoming Trump administration is making plans to dramatically roll back most, if not all, of Biden's environmental initiatives, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Why K-Cup Claims Landed Keurig In Hot Water With SEC

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent settlement with Keurig Dr. Pepper for making incomplete statements regarding the recyclability of K-cup pods highlights the importance of comprehensive corporate disclosures, particularly with respect to ESG matters, say attorneys at BCLP.

  • Legislation Most Likely To Pass In Lame Duck Session

    Author Photo

    As Congress begins its five-week post-election lame duck session, attorneys at Greenberg Traurig break down the legislative priorities and which proposals can be expected to pass.

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
    Author Photo

    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

    Author Photo

    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

  • Dissecting New Circuit Split Over SEC's Proxy Adviser Rule

    Author Photo

    The Sixth Circuit recently upheld the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's partial rescission of enhanced conflict-of-interest disclosure requirements for proxy voting advice businesses, creating a circuit split over broader questions concerning the standard for assessing the legality of agency actions in general, say attorneys at Cahill Gordon.

  • The Unfolding Potential of Green Hydrogen In Brazil

    Author Photo

    A new federal law in Brazil establishing a legal framework for hydrogen development is the country's latest step toward creating a favorable environment for green hydrogen production, but significant challenges — including high production costs, technological hurdles and a lack of infrastructure — remain, says David Andrew Taylor at Almeida Advogados.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

    Author Photo

    Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • A Shift In Control Of Congress May Doom These Enviro Regs

    Author Photo

    If the election leads to a change in control of Congress, lawmakers will likely use the lookback provision of the Congressional Review Act to challenge the Biden administration's late-term regulatory efforts — including recent initiatives on air pollutant source classification, lead pipe removal and hydrofluorocarbon emissions, say attorneys at Jones Walker.

  • Election Could Bring Change In Weather For Offshore Wind

    Author Photo

    Under another Trump administration, the offshore wind sector would encounter substantial headwinds, as Trump's policy track record emphasizes fossil fuel dominance and environmental rollbacks, while a Harris victory would likely further entrench the pro-renewable energy stance taken by the Biden administration, say attorneys at Jones Walker.

  • Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being

    Author Photo

    As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.

  • Empathy In Mediation Offers A Soft Landing For Disputes

    Author Photo

    Experiencing a crash-landing on a recent flight underscored to me how much difference empathy makes in times of crisis or stress, including during mediation, says Eydith Kaufman at Alternative Resolution Centers.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Environmental archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!