Environmental

  • January 09, 2025

    Colo. Oil Co. Says Unfair Order Threatens Its Demise

    Oil and gas operator K.P. Kauffman Co. Inc. is asking a Colorado state judge to scrap a $5.8 million penalty against it, claiming regulators unlawfully imposed an unfair order that threatens to drive it into insolvency and bankruptcy.

  • January 09, 2025

    Airlines Say 9th Circ. Should Mull Seattle Airport Pollution Suit

    Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines have told a Washington federal court that the Ninth Circuit should immediately consider the jurisdictional and preemption issues raised in a proposed class action from property owners and residents over alleged flight-path pollution near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

  • January 09, 2025

    Colo. Urges 10th Circ. Not To Vacate Air Emissions Plan

    Colorado told the Tenth Circuit that a green group challenging an air emissions permitting program in the state misled a panel of judges during oral arguments by asserting that eliminating the program would resolve its concerns.

  • January 09, 2025

    AI Startup Anthropic Seeks $60B Valuation, Plus More Rumors

    Artificial-intelligence startup Anthropic is seeking $2 billion in a new funding round that would value the company at $60 billion, while fashion giant Shein is now eyeing a mid-2025 initial public offering in London and Constellation Energy is lining up a $30 billion bid to acquire electricity provider Calpine. Here, Law360 breaks down the notable deal rumors from the past week.

  • January 09, 2025

    Feds Award Millions To Tribes For Safe Water, Homes, Climate

    With a week left in its term, the Biden administration has doled out millions to states and tribal communities throughout the country to boost efforts toward more reliable water sources, to take on housing health and safety hazards and to continue the ongoing battle against climate change.

  • January 09, 2025

    US Steel And Nippon's Lawsuit Seen As 'Hail Mary' Attempt

    President Joe Biden may not have put forth an airtight national security argument for blocking Nippon Steel's planned acquisition of U.S. Steel, but the companies' subsequent lawsuit is still highly unlikely to earn them another chance at making the deal happen, according to legal experts. 

  • January 09, 2025

    Calif. Insurance Chief Blocks Policy Cancellation In Fire Zones

    Insurance companies can't cancel or refuse to renew homeowners coverage for policyholders in the immediate vicinity of the Los Angeles wildfires for one year, the California Department of Insurance announced as fires continue to ravage Southern California.

  • January 09, 2025

    IRS Gets First Dibs On $1M BP Oil Spill Payout, 11th Circ. Says

    The IRS gets first priority to a $1 million settlement BP paid to a staffing company that racked up $23 million in federal tax debt and went bankrupt following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed, denying an insurer's claim to the money.

  • January 09, 2025

    Wind Power Substation Is Quiet Enough, Mass. Justices Say

    Massachusetts' top court on Thursday gave the green light for an electric substation connected to an 800-megawatt wind turbine generation facility in federal waters south of Martha's Vineyard, rejecting a resident's argument that the new facility would be too noisy.

  • January 08, 2025

    Consumers Get Class Cert. In Suit Over Law Firm's Robocalls

    A West Virginia federal judge has granted class status to consumers who are accusing a plaintiffs' firm of violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by blasting them with unsolicited calls seeking their participation in litigation against the federal government over contaminated water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.

  • January 08, 2025

    Mich. Utility Tells DC Circ. It Can Challenge FERC Decision

    A Michigan transmission owner has told the D.C. Circuit that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's challenge of its ability to protest the agency's refusal to grant it sole ownership of grid updates needed to serve a Michigan solar farm is "meritless."

  • January 08, 2025

    DOI's Arctic Refuge Oil Lease Sale Yields No Bidders

    The U.S. Department of the Interior reported Wednesday that it has received no bids from companies to drill for oil and gas in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

  • January 08, 2025

    Insurer Can't Duck Covering Wash. Developer In Flooding Suit

    An insurer can't yet escape providing coverage for a property developer accused of worsening flooding issues for several homeowners by clear-cutting trees without a proper drainage plan, a Washington federal court ruled, saying the policy could conceivably cover the injuries alleged in the underlying suit.

  • January 08, 2025

    Final Treasury Regs Grow Low-Income Bonus Energy Credits

    New hydropower, nuclear, solar, geothermal and other nonpolluting energy facilities developed in areas designated as low-income communities are eligible for bonus investment tax credits under final regulations the U.S. Treasury Department unveiled Wednesday.

  • January 08, 2025

    Audi Electric SUVs Are 'Ticking Time Bombs,' Suit Claims

    Audi of America LLC and Volkswagen Group of America Inc. were hit with a proposed class action in Georgia federal court alleging certain Audi electric SUVs are "ticking time bombs" that can lose power, short-circuit and catch fire.

  • January 08, 2025

    DOI Reveals No Bids In Alaska Oil, Gas Lease Sale

    The U.S. Department of the Interior revealed Wednesday that it received no bids in response to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil and gas lease sale, just days after Alaska accused the agency of imposing too severe restrictions on development.

  • January 08, 2025

    EPA, Navajo To Remove 65 Acres Of Waste From Reservation

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Navajo Nation have finalized a plan to provide a complete cleanup of one of the largest and most high-risk uranium mine sites on the tribe's reservation, the federal agency said.

  • January 08, 2025

    Dems Cry Foul On Trump Nominees' Hearings Process

    Top Democrats claimed Wednesday that Republicans are rushing to hold confirmation hearings for at least two of President-elect Donald Trump's nominees without the full paperwork.

  • January 07, 2025

    JPMorgan Ditches Climate Coalition Ahead Of Trump 2.0

    JPMorgan Chase & Co. on Tuesday joined a slew of banks in departing the United Nations-convened Net Zero Banking Alliance, apparently bowing to regulatory pressure and jumping ship ahead of a second Trump term.

  • January 07, 2025

    Oilfield Services Firm Flowco Set to Drill Down On $392M IPO

    Oilfield equipment and services provider Flowco Holdings Inc. on Tuesday launched plans for an estimated $392 million initial public offering, represented by Sidley Austin LLP and underwriters' counsel Latham & Watkins LLP, marking the latest company to join the new year's IPO pipeline.

  • January 07, 2025

    Cato Institute Urges Justices To Hear Jury Right Case

    The Cato Institute asked the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday to accept a social media influencer's certification petition over the denial of a jury trial for a misdemeanor, saying the erosion of the Constitutional jury right for "all crimes" goes against the founders' intentions.

  • January 07, 2025

    Feds Urge 9th Circ. To Uphold Ringed Seal Protections

    The federal government and environmentalists on Monday asked the Ninth Circuit to keep Endangered Species Act protections for Arctic ringed seals in place and reject Alaska's effort to roll them back.

  • January 07, 2025

    Biden Designates Two New National Monuments In California

    President Joe Biden on Tuesday designated two sites in California as national monuments amid years of calls from Native American tribes and state and federal lawmakers, in turn protecting 848,000 acres from development.

  • January 07, 2025

    Canada Needs Catalysts To Heat Up Cold IPO Market

    Following another chilly year for initial public offerings in Canada, capital markets lawyers in the Great White North are approaching 2025 with caution, hoping that a few catalysts can break through and thaw an otherwise frozen market for public listings.

  • January 07, 2025

    Mont. Bill Floats Mine, Data Center Property Tax Changes

    Montana would lower the property tax rate imposed on metal mines, certain agricultural land and railroads but raise the rate on data center property as part of a bill introduced in the state Senate.

Expert Analysis

  • EPA's New Lead Pipe Rule Leaves Key Questions Unanswered

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recently released update to its Lead and Copper Rule is a major step forward in the elimination of lead from drinking water systems, but it lacks meaningful guidance on alternative materials, jurisdictional concerns, cost allocation and other topics, say attorneys at Foley Hoag.

  • 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.

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!