Environmental

  • December 12, 2024

    Wash. Judge Weighs Stay Of Gas Reg Suit Amid New Cases

    A Seattle federal judge hinted on Thursday she might pause a building industry coalition's lawsuit challenging Washington regulations discouraging the use of natural gas appliances in new construction, pointing to fresh litigation in state court that could force regulators to revise the rules in the wake of an initiative voters passed in November.

  • December 12, 2024

    DOI Plan Would Protect NM Land From New Mining Claims

    U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland on Thursday initiated a two-year segregation period to temporarily withdraw 165,000 acres of public lands in New Mexico from new mining claims and the issuance of new federal mineral leases.

  • December 12, 2024

    US Expands Tariffs On Chinese Tungsten, Polysilicon Imports

    The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has announced additional tariff increases for imports on certain tungsten products, wafers and polysilicon from the People's Republic of China as part of a review process in an investigation of the country's acts, policies and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property and innovation.

  • December 12, 2024

    NC Republicans Override Veto Of Bill Curbing Dems' Power

    Republican lawmakers have used the final days of their supermajority in the North Carolina General Assembly to override Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of a Hurricane Helene disaster relief bill that strips his and other Democrat-controlled offices of certain powers.

  • December 11, 2024

    Texas Sues 3M And DuPont Over Forever Chemicals

    Texas launched a suit against 3M and DuPont for "misrepresentations and key omissions" the companies made about so-called forever chemicals, telling a state court on Wednesday that the companies lied to the public about the harmful chemicals for over 50 years.

  • December 11, 2024

    Justices Won't Block EPA Coal Ash Rule During Court Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a Kentucky electric utility's effort to halt implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rule strengthening federal regulations for the safe management of coal ash.

  • December 11, 2024

    Wash. Port Asks Justices To Review 9th Circ. CWA Ruling

    The Port of Tacoma urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to answer what it calls a "longstanding circuit split" over whether private suits seeking to enforce state permit conditions that go beyond the Clean Water Act can proceed in federal court.

  • December 11, 2024

    Mixed 5th Circ. Backs $14M Exxon Texas Air Pollution Fine

    A mixed Fifth Circuit on Wednesday backed a $14 million fine against ExxonMobil Corp. over air pollution in southeast Texas, with a per curiam opinion stating the court wouldn't have reheard the case if it had known it would take more than 18 months to issue an opinion.

  • December 11, 2024

    Metal Recycler Accused Of Polluting Connecticut Streams

    Global industrial recycling firm Sims Metal was hit with a Clean Water Act lawsuit by an environmental watchdog group claiming the company lets stormwater and snow runoff drag metal particles and other pollutants into streams that enter Long Island Sound in greater New Haven, Connecticut.

  • December 11, 2024

    EPA Gives States, Tribes Clearer Path To Water Permit Power

    States and Native American tribes have a clearer path to gaining the authority to set water pollution standards that may be even stronger than federal ones under a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule finalized Wednesday.

  • December 11, 2024

    Feds, Illinois Sue East St. Louis For Sewage Pollution

    The federal government and state of Illinois sued the city of East St. Louis on Wednesday alleging its failure to operate the city's sewer system in compliance with the law has led to the pollution of local waterways with untreated sewage for years.

  • December 11, 2024

    Nippon Offers $5K Bonuses To Ease US Steel Deal Concerns

    Nippon Steel Corp. has committed to providing $5,000 closing bonuses to employees of U.S. Steel in hopes of easing concerns about the controversial $14.9 billion merger between the two companies, which both the sitting and incoming president have said they oppose.

  • December 11, 2024

    Dutch Duo Beats Insurer's Claims Of Poor Greenhouse Design

    Neither a Dutch greenhouse builder nor designer were responsible for the failure of a Michigan produce farm's $14.1 million greenhouse, a federal judge ruled, granting an early win to the pair in an insurer's subrogation suit seeking coverage for a storm loss.

  • December 11, 2024

    DC Circ. Lets Pipeline Safety Rule Remain Amid Agency Fix

    The D.C. Circuit has agreed to leave in place one of four new safety standards for gas transmission pipelines while the U.S. Department of Transportation works to amend them, after an industry group said not doing so could cause unnecessary repair costs.

  • December 11, 2024

    3M Gets Georgia Man's $850M PFAS Remediation Bid Denied

    A Georgia federal judge has shut down a proposed injunction requiring 3M Co. and other companies to pay $850 million for remediation of water sources in Dalton contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, saying the named plaintiff doesn't have standing to call for the remediation.

  • December 11, 2024

    Developer, Feds Ask Justices To Pass On Offshore Wind Case

    The federal government and Vineyard Wind 1 LLC are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a Massachusetts group's latest bid to block the large offshore wind farm taking shape in waters off Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

  • December 11, 2024

    Liberty Mutual Accused Of Stalling On $21M Loss Claims

    The owners of a Massachusetts metal recycling plant that was severely damaged in an explosion last year say Liberty Mutual is attempting to avoid a $20.8 million payout in part by claiming that the facility, ordered razed by the city of Springfield, could have been repaired instead.

  • December 10, 2024

    Feds Tell Justices To Stay Out Of Climate Change Tort Fights

    U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar on Tuesday urged the U.S. Supreme Court not to weigh in on climate change torts filed against fossil fuel companies, arguing in a pair of briefs that the state court cases aren't the correct vehicles for resolving the issues, at least not yet.

  • December 10, 2024

    9th Circ. Upholds $850K Penalty In EPA Fine Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday upheld a $850,000 penalty against Multistar Industries Inc. for Clean Water Act violations related to chemical storage, saying it agrees with the Environmental Protection Agency's view that the company was not exempt from the rules for storing hazardous materials.

  • December 10, 2024

    Feds Propose Enviro Protections For Monarch Butterfly

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a proposed rule on Tuesday that would list the monarch butterfly as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act and designate 4,395 acres of critical habitat in coastal California.

  • December 10, 2024

    Kid Climate Activists Ask Justices To Save Twice-Nixed Case

    Youth plaintiffs have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revive their climate change lawsuit against the federal government but said the court should decide a key death penalty case first that involves a similar constitutional question.

  • December 10, 2024

    Utah Counties' Narrow NEPA Test Meets High Court Critics

    Utah counties looking to narrow courts' ability to review federal agencies' environmental analyses of proposed projects hit roadblocks Tuesday from skeptical U.S. Supreme Court justices and the U.S. Department of Justice, who said the proposed limits go too far.

  • December 10, 2024

    6th Circ. Wary Of Axing Fishing Pact Over Tribe's Objections

    A Sixth Circuit panel gave an icy reception Tuesday to a tribe's request that it unwind a Great Lakes fishing decree because the tribe was excluded from late-stage negotiations and denied a trial on its objections.

  • December 10, 2024

    Split 9th Circ. Won't Revive Tesla Worker's Whistleblower Suit

    A split Ninth Circuit refused to revive a terminated Tesla worker's Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower claim alleging he was retaliated against for reporting unlawful activity, ruling on Tuesday the worker is precluded from re-litigating in district court whether he engaged in protected activity, since an arbitrator already decided that he did not.

  • December 10, 2024

    Wash. HOA Can't Get Early Win Bid In Water Damage Row

    A homeowners association for a Seattle-area condominium complex can't yet prevail on its bad faith claims against its insurer over coverage for extensive water damage, a Washington federal court ruled, finding a material factual dispute over whether the association filed its coverage action within its policy's two-year suit-filing deadline.

Expert Analysis

  • Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Series

    Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.

  • Half-Truths Vs. Omissions: Slicing Justices' Macquarie Cake

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Macquarie v. Moab provides a road map for determining whether corporate reports that omit information should be considered misleading — and the court baked it into a dessert analogy that is key to understanding the guidelines, say Daniel Levy and Pavithra Kumar at Advanced Analytical Consulting Group.

  • Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity

    Author Photo

    The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

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!