Experienced in permitting large projects, advising on challenging contaminated sites and litigating sophisticated matters, and valued for high-performance and standard-setting regulatory compliance and auditing programs, Perkins Coie navigates clients across the complicated statutory and regulatory framework of environmental and natural resource law in the United States.
Publications
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Updated 07.2023Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)Lawyer Publications
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05.08.2024FERC Meeting Agenda Summaries for May 2024UpdatesThe summaries are based on publicly available information in the dockets listed on the FERC agenda at the time of publication.
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Updated 04.2024FERC Meeting Agenda SummariesLawyer PublicationsBrief summaries of the agenda items for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC or the Commission) open meetings.
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04.24.2024Two PFAS Designated as CERCLA Hazardous SubstancesUpdatesThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a Final Rule on April 19, 2024, designating two of the most common per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—PFOA and PFOS, including their salts and structural isomers—as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.
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04.23.2024FERC Meeting Agenda Summaries for April 2024UpdatesThese summaries are based on publicly available information in the dockets listed on the FERC agenda at the time of publication.
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04.17.2024Supreme Court Rules Legislative Permit Conditions Not Exempt From Nollan/Dolan ScrutinyUpdatesIn a dispute over a traffic impact fee imposed on a residential building permit by El Dorado County, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rejected the long-standing position of California and other state courts that the Takings Clause of the U.S. Constitution applies differently when permit conditions are imposed legislatively rather than administratively.
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04.15.2024EPA’s Landmark PFAS Drinking Water StandardsUpdatesThe final rule on the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances was announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on April 10, 2024. This update summarizes the rule and analyzes its implications for regulated entities.
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04.08.2024CAISO Releases Ambitious 2023-2024 Transmission Plan To Address State’s Climate GoalsUpdatesCalifornia Independent System Operator released its draft 2023-2024 Transmission Plan on April 1, 2024. As expected, the 2023-2024 Plan incorporates projections for significant new generation of renewable energy and plans for major new transmission projects to carry the additional energy.
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04.02.2024What Nevada 'Superbasin' Ruling Means For Water UsersArticles
Law360
Andrea Driggs, Janet Howe, and Ben Longbottom authored an article for Law360* titled "What Nevada 'Superbasin' Ruling Means For Water Users" examining the recent case filing, Sullivan v. Lincoln County Water District and the implications for water users throughout Nevada and the West. -
03.21.2024Floating Offshore Wind in the Gulf of Maine—BOEM Announces Next Steps Toward DevelopmentUpdatesThe Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced on March 18, 2024, the identification of a final Wind Energy Area of 2,000,902 acres for commercial leasing and potential development of floating wind on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Maine, offshore Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.
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03.19.2024FERC Meeting Agenda Summaries for March 2024UpdatesBrief summaries of the agenda items for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC or the Commission) open meeting to be held on March 21st, at 10:00 a.m. ET.
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03.18.2024 (UPDATED 04.05.2024)The SEC’s Climate Disclosure Rule Has Arrived: Scope 3 Is Out—But What Is In?UpdatesAfter nearly two years of public comments and deliberation, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted a Final Rule on Mandatory Climate Disclosures. Most notably, the Final Rule requires companies to report certain greenhouse gas emissions and material climate impact information in their registration statements and annual reports.
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02.27.2024Oregon Offshore Wind Watch—Examining BOEM’s Final Wind Energy Areas and Scoping NoticeUpdatesIn support of the Biden administration’s goal of 15 gigawatts of floating wind by 2040 and Oregon’s goal of 3 GW of offshore wind by 2030, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management recently announced its selection of two final Wind Energy Areas for leasing and potential development of floating wind on the Outer Continental Shelf offshore Oregon.
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02.15.2024EPA’s Latest PFAS Push Targets Nine Substances Under RCRAUpdatesU.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan signed two proposed rules related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and the agency’s corrective action authority under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act on January 31, 2024. These proposed rulemakings align with EPA’s Strategic Roadmap, announced in 2021 as a “whole-of-agency” approach to addressing PFAS.
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02.13.2024FERC Meeting Agenda Summaries for February 2024UpdatesBrief summaries of the agenda items for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC or the Commission) open meeting to be held on February 15th, at 10:00 a.m. ET.
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01.29.2024BLM Proposes Updated Plan To Streamline Solar Development in the WestUpdatesThe U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced in January 17, 2024, the publication of its draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement to help streamline and accelerate utility-scale solar energy development on public lands throughout the West.
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01.19.2024COP28: Takeaways for Businesses and InvestorsArticles
The 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties wrapped up in Dubai in mid-December 2023. This Article summarizes key takeaways and describes the potential implications for businesses and investors.
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01.16.2024FERC Meeting Agenda Summaries for January 2024UpdatesThe summaries below are based on publicly available information in the dockets listed on the FERC agenda at the time of publication.
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12.21.2023BOEM Announces Regional Environmental Analysis of Floating Wind Energy Development Offshore CaliforniaUpdatesThe Bureau of Ocean Energy Management published on December 20, 2023, its notice of intent to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement of reasonably foreseeable impacts of floating offshore wind energy development activities on the five leased areas offshore Humboldt County and Morro Bay, California.
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12.14.2023FERC Meeting Agenda Summaries for December 2023UpdatesThe summaries below are based on publicly available information in the dockets listed on the FERC agenda at the time of publication.
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11.27.2023DOE Proposes Rule for More Efficient Environmental Review of Clean Energy ProjectsUpdatesThe U.S. Department of Energy proposed to amend its National Environmental Policy Act procedures on November 16, 2023, to include a new categorical exclusion for certain energy storage systems and to expand its categorical exclusions for certain transmission lines and solar photovoltaic systems.
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11.14.2023FERC Meeting Agenda Summaries for November 2023UpdatesBrief summaries of the agenda items for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC or the Commission) open meeting to be held on November 16th, at 10:00 a.m. ET. The summaries below are based on publicly available information in the dockets listed on the FERC agenda at the time of publication.
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11.02.2023FERC Directs NERC To Update Reliability Standards To Address Reliability Gaps Related to IBRsUpdatesAmid the rapidly increasing pace of nonsynchronous resources being added to the electric grid, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued Order No. 901 on October 19, 2023.
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10.26.2023DOE Announces Project Recipients for Seven Regional Clean Hydrogen HubsUpdatesThe U.S. Department of Energy Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, recently announced the project recipients selected for negotiation to develop seven regional clean hydrogen hubs across the United States.
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10.24.2023EPA Finalizes PFAS Reporting RuleUpdatesThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published a final reporting rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act on October 11, 2023, which requires manufacturers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and PFAS-containing products to report information on PFAS dating back to 2011.
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10.19.2023California Enacts Broad Climate Disclosure LawsUpdatesCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom signed two climate disclosure bills into law on October 7, 2023. They will impose significant reporting obligations on thousands of companies doing business in California.
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10.18.2023FERC Meeting Agenda Summaries for October 2023UpdatesBrief summaries of the agenda items for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC or the Commission) open meeting to be held on October 19th, at 10:00 a.m. ET.
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09.19.2023FERC Meeting Agenda Summaries for September 2023UpdatesBrief summaries of the agenda items for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC or the Commission) open meeting to be held on September 21st, at 10:00 a.m. ET.
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09.19.2023Unpacking PFAS Food Packaging Regulations in the USArticlesJeffrey Hunter, Andrea Driggs, and Sara Cloon's update as part of the Summer Sustainability Series was republished by Packaging Digest. The article examines current state law developments in regulating PFAS chemicals in consumer products and food packaging.
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09.12.2023New Rules for Climate Commitment Act Designed To Rein in Compliance CostsUpdatesThe Washington Department of Ecology recently announced rulemaking intended to clarify a key cost containment provision of the Climate Commitment Act, the state’s carbon emissions cap-and-trade program.
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09.07.2023NEPA Permitting Process Crucial to Renewable Infrastructure Project SuccessArticlesTed Boling and Kerensa Gimre wrote an article for the Center for American Progress on how the National Environment Policy Act (NEPA) process of environmental review is crucial to the success of infrastructure projects. It details five clean energy infrastructure examples that span a range of recent projects nationwide and demonstrate best practices for improving infrastructure projects.
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09.2023The Endangered Species Act and the Precautionary Principle: The D.C. Circuit's Maine Lobstermen's Decision Has LegsArticles
Foundation for Natural Resources & Energy Law’s Network / September 2023 Newsletter
In Maine Lobstermen’s Ass’n v. National Marine Fisheries Service, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that section 7 of the Endangered Species Act mandates using the “best scientific and commercial data available,” preventing the NMFS from making speculative, worst-case assumptions about whether a fishery is “not likely” to jeopardize a protected whale species’ survival. -
07.31.2023Council on Environmental Quality Proposes Phase Two Revision to Its NEPA Implementing RegulationsUpdatesThe Council on Environmental Quality has proposed further amendments to its National Environmental Policy Act implementing regulations as part of its phased rulemaking initiated in 2021.
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07.25.2023FERC Meeting Agenda Summaries for July 2023UpdatesBrief summaries of the agenda items for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s open meeting to be held on July 27, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET. The summaries below are based on publicly available information in the dockets listed on the FERC agenda at the time of publication.
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07.06.2023Navigating the PFAS Regulatory Landscape: Insights for Consumer Brands and RetailersUpdatesThis Update examines current state law developments in regulating PFAS chemicals in consumer products and food packaging, summarizes recent litigation against product manufacturers, and outlines next steps that manufacturers, retailers, and distributors of consumer products should consider to minimize their potential liability and risk.
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06.22.2023DC Court Holds That ESA Section 7 Does Not Give the “Benefit of the Doubt” to Listed SpeciesUpdatesThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit’s decision in Maine Lobstermen’s Association v. State of Maine Dep’t of Marine Resources, 2023 WL 4036598 (D.C. Cir. June 16, 2023), stands as a warning that courts may show greater skepticism to statutory interpretations by agencies that reflect policy rather than empirical judgments (at least where they are not acknowledged as such).
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06.22.2023Nature-Based Carbon Offsets—Race to Quality?UpdatesOver the last decade, carbon offsets have gained popularity within the retail and consumer products industry as a voluntary tool to mitigate their Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions.
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06.22.2023NEPA Reforms May Aid Project Speed, But Red Tape RemainsArticles
Law360
After much debate, a bipartisan Congress suspended the public debt ceiling until 2025 by passing the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which President Joe Biden signed on June 3. -
06.12.2023FERC Meeting Agenda Summaries for June 2023UpdatesBrief summaries of the agenda items for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC or the Commission) open meeting to be held on June 15, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET.
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06.08.2023Substantive NEPA Amendments in the Debt Ceiling BillUpdatesThe Fiscal Responsibility Act, colloquially known as the Debt Ceiling Bill, was signed into law by President Joe Biden over the weekend and contains several amendments to the National Environmental Policy Act. These are the most substantive amendments to NEPA since the statute was enacted more than 50 years ago.
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06.06.2023BOEM Takes Next Step Toward 2023 Gulf of Mexico Offshore Wind Lease SaleUpdates
On May 30, 2023, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced its final environmental assessment considering the effects of site characterization and site assessment activities associated with the leasing of federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico for offshore wind development. BOEM’s issuance of the final environmental assessment is one of the last steps before it holds the first-ever offshore wind lease auction in the Gulf of Mexico, which is anticipated to occur in fall 2023.
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05.31.2023EPA’s Ambitious Proposed GHG Emissions Standards May Face ChallengesUpdatesOn May 11, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a proposed rule that would adopt new GHG emissions standards for certain coal and natural gas-fired power plants. The Proposed Rule aims to drive down GHGs in the electric generation sector significantly by requiring certain new and existing fossil generation to use CCS by 2035 or co-fire with hydrogen by 2032. Questions remain, however, whether this approach will fare any better than the Clean Power Plan on judicial review.
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05.26.2023District Court Dismisses Case Challenging Offshore Wind ProjectUpdatesThe U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts granted the government’s motion for summary judgment on May 17, 2023, in a case seeking to invalidate agency approvals of the first utility-scale offshore wind project in the United States.
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05.26.2023Supreme Court Limits Reach of Clean Water ActUpdatesThe U.S. Supreme Court, on May 25, 2023, narrowed the reach of the Clean Water Act, in the latest judicial effort to define the “waters of the United States” that Congress intended to regulate. Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency (No. 21-454).
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05.24.2023Supreme Court To Review Critical Case on Deference to Administrative AgenciesUpdatesThe U.S. Supreme Court has accepted review of a case taking direct aim at “overregulation” by federal administrative agencies. Any client that routinely deals with federal administrative agencies—especially those who have experienced administrative overreach—should pay attention and consider weighing in.
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05.22.2023Governor Newsom Proposes CEQA ReformUpdatesGovernor Gavin Newsom announced an ambitious and wide-ranging plan on May 19 to expedite the development of important infrastructure projects across the state, with the twin goals of building California’s clean energy future to meet its bold climate goals while at the same time creating hundreds of thousands of jobs.
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05.18.2023Domestic Content Adder Guidance: Hits and MissesUpdatesOn May 12, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued Notice 2023-38, which contains the first rules concerning the domestic content bonus credits for renewable electricity, renewable natural gas, energy storage, hydrogen storage, and some hydrogen facilities pursuant to Code Sections 45, 48, 45Y, and 48E.
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05.17.2023DOE Proposes National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor Designation ProcessUpdatesThe U.S. Department of Energy published a combined Notice of Intent and Request for Information on May 9, 2023, that proposes a new applicant-driven, route-specific process to designate National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors.
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05.16.2023FERC Meeting Agenda Summaries for May 2023UpdatesBrief summaries of the agenda items for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC or the Commission) open meeting to be held on May 18, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET.
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05.12.2023Biden Administration Takes Steps To Accelerate Transmission PermittingUpdates
On May 10, 2023, the Biden administration announced its support for permitting reforms contained in Joe Senator Manchin’s Building American Energy Security Act of 2023. The administration also announced its support for the inclusion of eleven priorities in any bipartisan permitting reform package, including accelerated deployment of critical electrical transmission, improved permitting efficiency and predictability, and robust community engagement.
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05.03.2023New Jersey Directs Second Offshore Wind Transmission Procurement Through PJM SAAUpdatesOn April 26, 2023, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities formally requested that PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. incorporate New Jersey’s increased offshore wind goals into the PJM transmission planning process via the “State Agreement Approach.”
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04.20.2023IRS Issues Guidance on Battery Sourcing Requirements for Clean Vehicle Tax CreditsUpdatesThe Internal Revenue Service published guidance on April 17, 2023, in the form of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, detailing the critical minerals and battery components requirements under Section 30D, enacted by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
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04.18.2023FERC Meeting Agenda Summaries for April 2023UpdatesBelow are brief summaries of the agenda items for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC or the Commission) open meeting to be held on April 20, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET.
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04.17.2023Maryland Commits to 8.5 GW of Offshore Wind by 2031, Looks Ahead to Offshore Wind TransmissionUpdatesThe Maryland General Assembly passed the Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources Act on April 10, 2023, committing the state to develop 8.5 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2031.
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03.23.2023Sector-Based Cybersecurity Requirements for Critical Infrastructure, From Our Water Systems to the SkiesUpdatesCritical infrastructure companies should expect substantial new federal cybersecurity requirements based on the National Cybersecurity Strategy that President Biden announced on March 2, 2023. After the Administration announced the Strategy, the EPA released a memorandum addressing cybersecurity in public water systems and TSA released an aviation cybersecurity amendment.
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03.22.2023The High Seas Treaty: A Historic Agreement To Protect International WatersUpdatesAll Member States of the United Nations Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction reached an agreement on March 4, 2023, regarding an international treaty governing the sustainable use and conservation of the “high seas”—areas of the ocean that lie beyond any single nation’s jurisdiction. The treaty represents a culmination of nearly two decades of negotiations and meetings. It is a crucial step toward achieving the recent UN 30x30 Agreement to protect 30% of the planet’s lands and oceans by 2030.
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03.16.2023EPA Proposes Stringent National Drinking Water Standards for Six PFASUpdatesFor the first time and after much anticipation, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for key "forever chemicals."
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03.09.2023BOEM Issues Proposed Sale Notice With Novel Bidding Credits for Gulf of Mexico Offshore WindUpdates
Last week, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued a Proposed Sale Notice for the first offshore wind energy leases in the Gulf of Mexico. BOEM has dramatically reduced the proposed lease areas from the identified Wind Energy Areas, and there’s a chance that the ultimate lease areas will be even smaller. Similar to the California and Carolina Long Bay lease sales, BOEM is proposing to use a multiple-factor auction format and is newly proposing a fisheries compensatory mitigation fund bidding credit. Comments on the lease areas, auction format, proposed lease stipulations, and other issues will be accepted through April 25, 2023.
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02.06.2023Corporate Boards Are Ramping up These Sustainability PrioritiesArticlesSustainability remains a top priority for corporate boards this year as industries field growing demand from investors, consumers, and governments for more accountability, transparency, and responsiveness.
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01.24.2023Washington Legislature Considers Land Use Law Changes To Facilitate Affordable Housing DevelopmentUpdates
The Washington State Legislature kicked off its 2023 legislative session with a big focus on affordable housing initiatives. Five significant affordable housing bills were introduced this session that propose major changes ranging from eliminating local design review boards for housing development permits to modifying the multifamily tax exemption to creating a “housing benefit district” within city boundaries to boost the acquisition and development of affordable housing.
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01.23.2023FERC Proposes To Update Its Backstop Siting Authority for Electric Transmission FacilitiesUpdatesThe Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to update its regulations governing backstop siting authority for electric transmission projects.
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01.19.2023Keeping Pace: Aligning California’s Phase-Out of Gas Cars With the Charging Infrastructure RequiredArticles
Santa Clara Business Law Chronicle
When you put it that way, California’s new plan to phase out gas-powered cars by 2035 hits differently—the transition is real and will accelerate soon. -
01.11.2023IRS Issues Fact Sheet for New Federal Clean Vehicle Tax CreditsUpdatesThe Internal Revenue Service published a fact sheet clarifying changes in federal clean vehicle tax credits enacted through the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022.
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01.11.2023The Biden Rule: Redetermining Where Water Ends and Land BeginsUpdatesThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of the Army jointly announced on December 30, 2022, the latest final rule that attempts to define “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act. The Rule will take effect 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register.
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01.10.2023CEQ Issues Guidance on Evaluating Greenhouse Gas and Climate Change Effects Under NEPAUpdatesThe Council on Environmental Quality published guidance on how to evaluate greenhouse gas emissions and climate change under the National Environmental Policy Act.
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12.22.2022COP27: Four Takeaways for Business LeadersUpdates
The 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties was held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in November 2020. While much was discussed during the conference, this Update includes key takeaways that may be of greatest interest to business leaders.
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12.20.2022BLM To Accelerate Solar Energy Development on Public Lands in the WestUpdatesSecretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced on December 5, 2022, that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will develop an updated Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to help guide solar energy development on public lands throughout the West.
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12.12.2022Biden Administration Authorizes Trust Lands for Alaska Tribes, Proposes Changes To Streamline Trust RegulationsUpdatesIn mid-November, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced that it can acquire lands in trust for Alaska’s 231 federally recognized tribes and establish Indian reservations. On the heels of this announcement, the department published proposed changes to its regulations that would make it easier for tribes to place lands in trust.
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12.08.2022BOEM Conducts First-Ever California Offshore Wind Lease SaleUpdatesOn December 6–7, 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) held its third offshore wind lease sale this year—and the first of its kind for floating wind—bringing in $757.1 million from five lease areas off the central and north coasts of California.
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11.23.2022White House Releases Version 1.0 of Climate and Economic Justice Screening ToolUpdatesThe Biden-Harris administration launched Version 1.0 of its Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool on November 22, 2022.
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11.18.2022FERC Approves License Surrender for the Lower Klamath ProjectUpdatesOn November 17, 2022, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued an order approving the surrender of the FERC license for the Lower Klamath Project.
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11.10.2022FERC Sharpens Its Application of Change in Control and Affiliation Concepts Regarding Utility Board RepresentationUpdatesFERC announced clarifications regarding what constitutes a change of control of a public utility or public utility holding company under the Federal Power Act and how it will assess the presumption that investors who own less than 10% of the voting securities of a FERC Regulated Entity are not affiliated with that entity.
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11.10.2022Draft North Atlantic Right Whale and Offshore Wind Strategy AnnouncedUpdatesAs the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has ramped up offshore wind development to meet the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of generating 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, the expansion of offshore wind energy could affect the North Atlantic right whale.
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11.01.2022NEPA Means Better Agency DecisionsArticles
The Environmental Forum
Partner Ted Boling authored “NEPA Means Better Agency Decisions” published in the The Environmental Forum regarding the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its regime for environmental impact assessment and framework for a transparent, evidence-based public process for agency decisions.
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10.20.2022BOEM Releases Final Sale Notice for California Offshore Wind Lease SaleUpdatesThe Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued its Final Sale Notice (FSN) on October 18, 2022, for the first offshore wind energy leases on the west coast of the United States.
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10.05.2022California Allows Housing on Commercial Lands, Limits Required ParkingUpdatesIn what has become a near-annual ritual, California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law a large package of bills aimed at addressing the state’s glaring housing shortage.
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10.03.2022US BOEM Rapidly Ramps Up Offshore Wind DevelopmentArticlesThe U.S. administration’s goal of generating 30 GW of power through offshore wind by 2030 has spotlighted the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to rapidly ramp up offshore wind development.
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09.14.2022New England Requests Information on Electric Grid Upgrades To Integrate Offshore WindUpdates
Five New England states recently issued a Request for Information seeking comment by October 14, 2022, on changes and upgrades to the regional electric transmission system to integrate renewable energy resources, particularly offshore wind. Through the RFI, the five states seek to improve the grid’s reliability, resilience, and affordability for the region’s electricity customers by integrating renewables and leveraging federal funding for transmission investments. Information received during the comment period will inform the states’ decisions to procure or facilitate transmission investment, inform planning activities, and further inform efforts to secure federal funding, including under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, and otherwise support infrastructure investment decisions.
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09.12.2022CISA Seeks Input on New Cybersecurity Reporting RequirementsUpdatesPresident Biden signed into law the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022 on March 15, 2022. CIRCIA solicits public comment for 60 days, beginning September 12, 2022.
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09.07.2022California Seeks To Curb Declining Water Supply With New Executive ActionsUpdates
Governor Gavin Newsom announced a revamped water strategy on August 11, 2022, in response to updated projections that California could witness a 10% reduction in water supply by 2040 due to the accelerated impacts of climate change.
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08.26.2022The Inflation Reduction Act and the Rise of Clean HydrogenUpdatesPresident Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act on August 16, 2022, which, among other things, uses the tax code to slow the effects of climate change by significantly investing in clean energy and reducing of greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030.
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08.19.2022The Inflation Reduction Act’s Impact on Offshore Wind LeasingUpdatesThe $437 billion Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law on August 16, 2022, by President Biden, makes historic investments in clean energy. The IRA allocates $369 billion toward energy security, carbon emissions reduction, and climate resilience.
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08.09.2022New York Announces Third Solicitation for at Least 2,000 MW of Offshore WindUpdatesGovernor Hochul announced the release of New York’s third competitive Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Certificate solicitation on July 27, 2022.
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July/August 2022WOTUS: Have you seen Bill Murray in Groundhog Day?ArticlesStacey Bosshardt and Christopher Thomas co-authored State of WOTUS: Have you seen Bill Murray in Groundhog Day? the July/August 2022 issue of Trends, a publication from the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources.
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07.22.2022Building the Plane While We’re Flying It – Should We Reform the Offshore Wind Leasing and Permitting Process During Liftoff for a New Industry?Laura Morton and Ted Boling contributed a book chapter titled “Building the Plane While We’re Flying It – Should We Reform the Offshore Wind Leasing and Permitting Process During Liftoff for a New Industry?” to 68th Annual Institute Proceedings.
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07.20.2022Just Short of a Rule: Washington State’s Recommendations on PFAS Cleanup LevelsUpdatesThe Washington State Department of Ecology recently released a focus sheet that provides Ecology’s recommended soil and groundwater cleanup levels for a group of chemical compounds known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
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07.19.2022BOEM Announces First Regional Environmental Analysis of Offshore Renewable EnergyUpdatesThe Bureau of Ocean Energy Management published its notice of intent on Friday, July 15, 2022, to prepare a programmatic environmental review to analyze the potential impacts of wind energy development activities in the New York Bight—offshore New York and New Jersey.
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07.18.2022California Expands Energy Commission’s Jurisdiction to Bolster Clean Energy DevelopmentUpdatesGov. Newsom signed AB 205 into law on June 30, 2022, a legislative effort that significantly expands the California Energy Commission’s jurisdiction and encourages the development of new clean energy projects.
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07.14.2022West Virginia v. EPA Curtails Federal Climate ActionUpdatesThe U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency curtailed the agency’s authority to regulate emissions from power plants through rules shifting electricity generation from coal to more renewable sources.
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06.28.2022Transforming Institutions to Connect Land and Water for Healthy CommunitiesArticlesPartner Ted Boling co-authored “Transforming Institutions to Connect Land and Water for Healthy Communities” published in the Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWR).
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06.16.2022California Court Rules Bees Can Be Listed Under the California Endangered Species ActUpdatesIn a notable decision interpreting the California Endangered Species Act, a California court of appeal ruled that insects are eligible for listing as threatened, endangered, or candidate species under the act.
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06.09.2022Move America’s Offshore Wind Energy From Potential to PowerArticlesAs leaders gather for the first in-person celebration of Capitol Hill Ocean Week in two years, we have a proposal for how to bridge the chasm between America’s offshore wind energy ambition and current capacity.
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06.08.2022BOEM Proposes First Ever West Coast Offshore Wind Lease SaleUpdatesThe Bureau of Ocean Energy Management published its Proposed Sale Notice on May 31, 2022, for what would be the first ever offshore wind energy leases on the west coast of the United States.
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06.01.2022Climate Change and the Biden Energy Agenda Part I: InfrastructureArticlesStacey Bosshardt and Megan McLean co-authored Climate Change and the Biden Energy Agenda Part I: Infrastructure, the first article in two-part series in the PLI Chronicle about the Biden Administration’s climate change agenda.
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05.19.2022Proposed Revisions to Indian Trust Land Regulations Limit Third-Party InterestsUpdatesThe Bureau of Indian Affairs has proposed preliminary revisions to the regulations that govern the acquisition of land into trust for Indian tribes. The proposed revisions would streamline the fee-to-trust process and eliminate many important checks and balances that protect third-party interests.
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05.17.2022Offshore Wind Energy Momentum ContinuesUpdatesThe Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) held its second offshore wind lease sale of 2022 off the East Coast on May 11, bringing in $315 million from two lease areas in the Carolina Long Bay.
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05.13.2022From Policy to Power: Federal Actions to Deliver on America’s Offshore Wind PotentialUpdatesOcean Conservancy and Perkins Coie partnered to outline actionable recommendations that, if implemented, would significantly increase the effectiveness, efficiency, and regulatory certainty of U.S. offshore wind.
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05.06.2022To Meet ESG Goals, Cos. Must Scrutinize Carbon OffsetsArticles
Law360
Seemingly every other week, another company pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 or sooner. These efforts are to be applauded. -
04.25.2022FERC Greenlights PJM and New Jersey Offshore Wind Transmission AgreementUpdatesOn April 14, 2022, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission accepted a “State Agreement Approach” Agreement between PJM Interconnection, LLC and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities effective April 15, 2022.
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04.11.2022Biden Administration Secures Supply Chains of Strategic and Critical Minerals for Clean Energy EconomyUpdatesPresident Biden, on March 31, 2022, invoked the Defense Production Act to secure reliable supply chains for minerals essential to a clean energy transition.
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04.07.2022Gov't On Solid Ground In Moving Against Offshore Wind SuitArticles
Law360
In January, a New Jersey-based nonprofit organization, Save Long Beach Island, and its president sued the U.S. Department of the Interior in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The complaint in Save Long Beach Island v. U.S. Department of the Interior asserts that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management violated the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act. -
04.04.2022Biden Administration Continues Offshore Wind Momentum With Ninth Lease SaleUpdatesThe Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released its final sale notice (FSN) for two lease areas totaling 110,091 acres in the Carolina Long Bay Area on March 25, 2022.
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04.2022Where Water Ends and Land Begins: Course Changes and Clean Water ActArticlesNowhere is change more certain than when it comes to Clean Water Act (CWA) rulemakings, leaving floundering regulated entities and litigation in their wake.
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03.30.2022Record-Setting Auction, Flurry of Transmission Planning Activity Demonstrate Growing Momentum for Offshore WindUpdatesOffshore wind energy development received a huge dose of momentum at the end of February, as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) held the largest offshore wind lease sale ever in the United States.
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03.30.2022What Companies Should Know Now About the SEC’s Proposed Rule on Mandatory Climate Disclosures—and How to Plan AheadUpdatesThe U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 21, 2022, proposed detailed and wide-ranging requirements for publicly traded companies to disclose their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate risks in their registration statements and annual or other periodic reports.
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03.15.2022EPA Adopts New ASTM Standard for Phase I Environmental Site AssessmentsUpdatesThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, on March 14, 2022, issued both a final rule incorporating revised ASTM International standard practices, ASTM International’s E1527–21 ‘‘Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process,’’ and a proposed rule soliciting comment on this action.
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02.02.2022Escalating Stakes in Battle for Ocean WindUpdatesOffshore wind development in the United States continues to draw opposition from coastal landowners, businesses, organizations, and other users of ocean waters, as it has since the industry first emerged here.
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02.02.2022
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12.16.2021Opportunities and Challenges in Biden’s Plan for a Zero-Carbon Federal Government by 2050President Biden signed an executive order on December 8, 2021, directing the federal government to use its scale and procurement power to slash its carbon emissions by 65% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050
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12.16.2021The Biden Administration’s Plan for a Zero-Carbon Federal Government by 2050UpdatesPresident Biden signed an executive order on December 8, 2021, directing the federal government to use its scale and procurement power to slash its carbon emissions by 65% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
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12.09.2021The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Creates a Network of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations, but Issues RemainUpdatesThe Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law by President Biden on November 15, 2021, has the potential to transform the surface transportation sector in the United States.
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11.22.2021COP26: Corporate Impacts and OpportunitiesUpdatesThe 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties, wrapped up earlier this month in Glasgow, Scotland, after two weeks of negotiations. This update discusses how international agreements and U.S. policy announcements coming out of COP26 will affect businesses and provide opportunities in the months and years ahead.
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11.15.2021How the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Build Back Better Bill Would Advance the Offshore Wind SectorUpdatesThe $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which President Biden signed into law today, and the proposed $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376) each set aside historic investments in clean energy.
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11.12.2021A Change Is on the Horizon: A Revised ASTM Standard for Phase I Environmental Site AssessmentsUpdatesAfter a lengthy committee process, ASTM International revised its standard practice for Phase I environmental site assessments (ASTM E1527) for the first time since 2013.
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11.10.2021Washington’s PFAS Chemical Action Plan: Another Piece in the Regulatory PatchworkUpdatesOn November 3, 2021, the Washington Department of Ecology published its final PFAS Chemical Action Plan, which provides a roadmap for addressing uses and releases of those chemicals in Washington State to protect human health and the environment.
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11.09.2021Changes to the Environmental Review Process for Surface Transportation Projects in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs ActUpdatesThe Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which President Biden is expected to sign into law, contains some important changes to the federal environmental review process for surface transportation projects.
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11.02.2021Beyond Cradle to Grave: EPA Proposes to Regulate PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Under RCRAUpdatesIn response to a petition from New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on October 26, 2021, that it will take steps toward regulating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances commonly referred to as “PFAS,” under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
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11.01.2021DOE Loan Programs Office Backs Loan Guarantees to Foster Innovation and Achieve 2050 Net Zero Carbon EconomyUpdatesUnder the new leadership of Director Jigar Shah, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) has announced that more than $40 billion is available in loans and loan guarantees to fund innovative energy infrastructure projects.
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10.12.2021Council on Environmental Quality Proposes Revisions to 2020 NEPA RegulationsUpdatesThe Council on Environmental Quality has proposed amendments to its 2020 NEPA implementing regulations, adopted during the waning days of the Trump administration.
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10.08.2021US Fish and Wildlife Service Reinstates MBTA Interpretation and Seeks Input on Take Permitting SchemeUpdatesThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service revoked its January 7, 2021, rule defining the scope of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act as it applies to conduct that results in the injury or death of protected migratory birds.
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09.29.2021California Commits $15 Billion to Fighting Climate ChangeUpdatesGovernor Gavin Newsom signed a $15 billion legislative package on September 23, 2021, funding efforts to combat climate change in California over the next three years.
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09.28.2021California Enacts New Legislation to Accelerate Housing ProductionUpdatesCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed into law several bills intended to accelerate local approval of housing projects and increase housing production.
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08.19.2021FAST-41 Environmental Review and Permitting Process Changes in the Senate Infrastructure BillUpdates
Title VIII of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684), the infrastructure bill recently passed by the U.S. Senate, includes several important amendments to Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, or FAST-41, which have the potential to significantly reform the federal environmental review and permitting process for covered infrastructure projects.
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2021Endangered Species
ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources
American Bar Association -
2021Forest Resources
ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources
American Bar Association -
2021Endangered Species Act: Law, Policy, and Perspectives, 3rd EditionLawyer Publications
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association released the third edition of Endangered Species Act: Law, Policy, and Perspectives. -
07.27.2021FERC Steps Toward Potential Overhaul of Transmission Planning and Cost AllocationUpdates
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently signaled potential wide-reaching reforms to regional electric transmission planning, cost allocation, and generator interconnection processes. Nearing the tenth anniversary of its landmark Order No. 1000, FERC issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which examines whether existing approaches adequately account for the transmission needs of a changing resource mix. The ANOPR probes a wide range of topics and appears likely to generate specific proposals for fundamental reform to how we plan and pay for the grid.
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2021The Year in Review 2020
ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources
American Bar AssociationWater Quality and Wetlands Section -
10.28.2021 - Updated 02.24.2024
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05.17.2021Ransomware, Cyberattacks, and Cybersecurity for Pipelines and LNG FacilitiesUpdatesThe recent ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline—one of the largest oil pipelines in the United States that delivers nearly 45% of the fuel consumed on the East Coast—has put a spotlight on a regulatory gap in reliability standards for pipeline infrastructure. This update reviews the current status of federal regulation of pipeline reliability as well as several legislative fixes under consideration.
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05.10.2021US Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes to Revoke Recent MBTA Final RuleUpdatesThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a proposed rule to revoke its January 7, 2021, final rule, which had determined the Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibits only the intentional take of migratory birds, and not incidental and unintentional take associated with development activities or project operations.
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05.04.2021Senate Adopts Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure ActUpdatesThe U.S. Senate passed the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021 by a nearly unanimous vote in its first significant legislative step towards fulfilling the goals of the Biden administration’s American Jobs Plan with respect to water infrastructure. The Act both reauthorizes existing funds and creates new programs to support drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects. Most funds are allocated to the existing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-administered Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). A significant proportion of authorized funds specifically target water systems and infrastructure needs of disadvantaged populations, including low-income communities, rural areas, and tribal lands.
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04.21.2021Managing Conflict: Department of the Interior Implementation of 2020 NEPA RegulationsUpdatesThe secretary of the interior issued two Secretarial Orders on April 16, 2021, that provide early indications of the Biden administration’s approach to the environmental review process for infrastructure projects under the National Environmental Policy Act.
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03.31.2021Expect Significant Investments in Water InfrastructureUpdatesPresident Biden’s Build Back Better initiative includes extensive investment in drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems with the hope of upgrading aging infrastructure, making it more resilient in the face of climate change, and addressing historical inequities.
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03.26.2021FERC Announces GHG Emissions Assessments in Pipeline Certificate ProceedingsUpdatesOn March 22, 2021, FERC took a step toward reforming the way in which it analyzes greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for purposes of natural gas pipeline certificates. However, FERC did so via a certificate order rather than a revised policy statement, as many had anticipated, and garnered sharply dissenting opinions from two commissioners as a result.
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03.24.2021Chief Justice Roberts' Statement Questions Broad Presidential Authority Under the Antiquities Act of 1906Updates
On March 22, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari in a case that upheld President Obama’s designation under the Antiquities Act of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument in the northern Atlantic Ocean
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03.18.2021Supreme Court and Ninth Circuit Limit Reach of Freedom of Information ActUpdatesThe Freedom of Information Act requires that federal agencies make records available to the public upon request, unless the records fall within one of nine exemptions.
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03.08.2021Climate Change Takes Center Stage at the SECUpdates
Over the past few weeks, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has taken several actions that put climate change front and center, reflecting the importance to many investors of climate change related disclosures.
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02.01.2021The Race to a Clean Electricity Future in Washington State Begins With WUTC and Commerce RulesUpdatesIn May of 2019, the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) became law in Washington state and set bold decarbonization and renewable energy mandates for electric utilities
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01.29.2021Commissioners’ No Votes Speak Volumes About Upcoming Issues Facing FERCUpdatesThe Federal Energy Regulatory Commission held its first monthly meeting of 2021 on January 19, welcoming new Commissioner Mark Christie to his first meeting and taking on a packed agenda.
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01.19.2021Final Regulations Issued Regarding Section 45Q Tax Credits Carbon Oxide SequestrationUpdatesThe Regulations contain important clarifications regarding the taxpayers eligible to claim Section 45Q tax credits.
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01.15.2021Army Corps Reissues Clean Water Act Nationwide Permits With Energy, Infrastructure Project ImplicationsUpdatesThe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published in the Federal Register changes to its Clean Water Act Nationwide Permits (NWPs).
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01.13.2021Washington State Releases 2021 Energy StrategyUpdatesThe Washington Department of Commerce released its 2021 State Energy Strategy this month.
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12.08.2020Here Comes the Sun: Solar Development in WisconsinArticlesThis article explores the legal and practical issues associated with the oncoming increase in solar energy, how solar projects are developed and financed, and the risks and opportunities solar energy presents for landowners, energy developers, regulated utilities, local communities, and the state as a whole.
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12.21.2020Arizona DEQ Proposes Final Contours and Draft Legislation for Surface Water Protection ProgramUpdatesThe Arizona Department of Environmental Quality updated stakeholders on December 15, 2020, regarding the final elements of its proposed state Surface Water Protection Program and solicited feedback on the draft legislation for the program.
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12.18.2020US Fish and Wildlife Service Adopts New Regulation for Critical Habitat ExclusionsUpdates
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service adopted a final regulation on December 18, 2020, to establish a process and the criteria for excluding areas from critical habitat designations under the Endangered Species Act.
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12.16.2020New Regulation Defines the Term “Habitat” Under the Endangered Species ActUpdatesThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service on December 16, 2020, jointly adopted a final regulation providing a one-sentence definition for the term “habitat” under the Endangered Species Act.
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12.15.2020What Will Clean Energy Look Like in the Biden Administration?UpdatesThe Biden administration’s “Clean Energy Revolution” includes a wide range of legislative and executive priorities to reach its net-zero emissions target by 2050.
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12.09.2020Mining Proposal Raises Questions About Permitting CouncilArticles
Law360
Nearly five years after it was established, the Federal Permit Improvement Steering Council has proposed adding the mining sector to the list of infrastructure sectors covered by Title 41 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, or FAST-41. -
12.01.2020Federal Permitting Council Proposes Adding Mining Sector Under “FAST-41”UpdatesThe Federal Permit Improvement Steering Council on November 27, 2020, proposed to add mining to the list of infrastructure sectors that are covered by Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41).
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11.25.2020Department of Transportation Proposes New NEPA ProceduresUpdatesThe U.S. Department of Transportation has proposed comprehensive changes to update its procedures under the National Environmental Policy Act in response to the Council on Environmental Quality’s July 16, 2020, overhaul of the regulations implementing NEPA.
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11.23.2020Closing the Clean Water Gap: Arizona DEQ Proposes State Protected Surface Waters ProgramUpdatesThe Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, on November 6, 2020, introduced a proposed Protected Surface Water Program, which would regulate certain state surface waters that are newly excluded from the regulatory scope of the federal Clean Water Act.
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11.20.2020Forest Service Releases Narrowly Tailored Update to Its NEPA ProceduresUpdatesThe U.S. Forest Service has released narrowly tailored changes to update its procedures under the National Environmental Policy Act, in the wake of the Council on Environmental Quality’s recent overhaul of the NEPA regulations.
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11.03.2020EPA’s Online Guidance Database—A Makeover for the Agency’s Guidance DocumentsUpdatesThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently adopted a final regulation governing the issuance of guidance documents, which the agency historically has used to provide direction to agency staff, other governmental agencies, the regulated community, and interested stakeholders on a wide variety of technical and regulatory matters under its purview.
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10.2020Siting Energy and Transmission Line Projects in ArizonaLawyer PublicationsWith the coal era winding down and renewable energy sources rapidly growing, Arizona offers an attractive market for renewable energy facilities, with plenty of sunshine and even a bit of wind up north.
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10.26.2020Washington Developing Streamlined Solar Project Permitting ProcessUpdatesThe Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) is continuing its efforts to develop a streamlined process for permitting solar energy facilities in Washington State
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10.20.2020Energy Bar Association Ignites Discussion at Virtual Fall ForumUpdatesThe Energy Bar Association held a very well-attended virtual Fall Forum last week. Perkins Coie Partner Jane Rueger, who is president of the EBA this year, opened the Fall Forum with an address that built on the event theme of “Commit, Engage, Ignite.”
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09.23.2020FERC Plants the Seeds for DER Aggregators’ Participation in the RTO/ISO Markets: Work Must Be Done to See What Will GrowUpdatesThe Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued Order 2222 on September 17, 2020.
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08.2020Mines and Maui: So Much for Regulatory CertaintyArticlesThe Supreme Court’s decision in County of Maui disrupted long-settled understandings of the scope of the Clean Water Act and has created uncertainty for the mining industry and others.
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07.22.2020FERC Adopts Sweeping Overhaul to Its PURPA RegulationsUpdatesFor the first time in fifteen years, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) significantly revamped key aspects of its regulations implementing the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA).
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07.16.2020Just Add Water: Permitting, State Sovereignty, and the Marble Cake DebacleArticles
American Bar Association - Summer 2020: Licensing and Permitting
Deciding where federal environmental authority should give way to state and local jurisdiction—“baking the marble cake of federalism,” as administrative law scholars put it—is admittedly a difficult task. -
07.14.2020Supreme Court Revives Clean Water Act General Permit for Pipeline and Utility Line ProjectsUpdatesThe U.S. Supreme Court delivered near-term relief to project developers on June 6, reinstating one of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ key nationwide Clean Water Act permits.
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07.13.2020Washington State Department of Ecology Unveils Expedited Voluntary Cleanup ProgramUpdatesIn April 2019, the Washington legislature amended the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) to allow the Washington State Department of Ecology to create an expedited version of the existing Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP).
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07.07.2020EPA Publishes Finalized PFAS Significant New Use RuleUpdatesThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on June 22, 2020, released the prepublication version of final regulations establishing “significant new use rules” for long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylate (LCPFAC) chemical substances, a subset of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
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07.06.2020D.C. Circuit Overturns Decades of Precedent, Finds FERC Cannot Delay Appellate Review With Tolling OrdersUpdatesOn June 30, 2020, in an en banc review, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit concluded that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission cannot delay judicial review of its decisions by issuance of tolling orders.
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07.02.2020EPA Sets End Date for Temporary COVID-19 Environmental Enforcement PolicyUpdatesAcross the country, the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected the ability of businesses to fulfill their environmental compliance obligations.
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06.22.2020CPUC Adopts Short-Term Actions to Accelerate Microgrid DeploymentUpdatesThe California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on June 17, 2020, issued its Decision Adopting Short-Term Actions to Accelerate Microgrid Deployment and Related Resiliency Solutions in California.
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06.16.2020Proposed Regulations Increase Incentives for Carbon Capture TechnologyUpdatesThe Internal Revenue Service on May 28, 2020, introduced proposed regulations detailing how companies can qualify for carbon capture tax credits under Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code.
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06.09.2020President Orders Federal Agencies to Further Expedite Environmental Project Approvals Using Emergency PowersUpdatesPressing ahead on his efforts to reduce delays in federal approvals necessary for major infrastructure projects, President Donald Trump on June 4 called for more streamlining in another executive order, Accelerating the Nation’s Economic Recovery from the COVID-19 Emergency by Expediting Infrastructure Investments and Other Activities.
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06.03.2020EPA Final Rule Narrows State and Tribal Review Under the Clean Water ActUpdatesThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a final rule on June 1, 2020, intended to limit the ability of states and tribes to block or delay projects requiring a water quality certification under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.
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2020Endangered Species
ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources
American Bar Association
Environment, Energy, and Resources Law: The Year in Review 2019
Endangered Species chapter -
2020Forest Resources
ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources
American Bar Association
Environment, Energy, and Resources Law: The Year in Review 2019
Forest Resources chapter -
2020The Year in Review 2019
ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources
American Bar AssociationForest Resource SectionWater Quality and Wetlands Section -
05.06.2020Washington Begins Greenhouse Gas Assessment RulemakingUpdatesThe Washington Department of Ecology initiated the process of developing regulations governing greenhouse gas assessments for major projects by issuing a CR-101 Preproposal Statement of Inquiry on April 30, 2020.
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04.29.2020California Governor Newsom Allows Electronic Noticing Under CEQA and Suspends Tribal Consultation Requirements for 60 DaysUpdatesGovernor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on April 22 suspending for a period of 60 days (1) the filing, posting, notice, and public access requirements related to certain notices under the California Environmental Quality Act, and providing for electronic posting; and (2) certain aspects of the consultation process with Native American tribes.
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04.27.2020Supreme Court Rules Clean Water Act May Regulate Discharges Through Groundwater to Navigable WatersUpdatesUncertainty has long reigned over the reach of the federal Clean Water Act, which applies to “navigable waters,” defined by statute only as “waters of the United States.”
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04.23.2020US Supreme Court Limits Use of Tort Claims By Affected Homeowners at Superfund SitesUpdatesThe U.S. Supreme Court, on April 20, stepped into the long-simmering debate about the rights of residential homeowners affected by Superfund response actions, ruling that they are indeed bound by the federal statute’s ban against potentially responsible parties taking additional, unauthorized remedial actions.
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04.21.2020Managing COVID-19 WastesUpdatesThe U.S. Centers for Disease Control is now recommending that everyone consider wearing facemasks or other face coverings to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, which would include many workplaces.
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04.16.2020Regulatory Fines Dischargeable in BankruptcyUpdatesDebtors facing regulatory fines and penalties want to shed them in bankruptcy and emerge without paying them.
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04.08.2020FERC Takes Further Actions in Response to COVID-19UpdatesThe Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (the commission) took numerous actions on April 2, 2020, to ease regulatory burdens across the electricity, natural gas, and oil pipeline industries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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04.06.2020Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board Rules Ecology Exceeded Its Authority Under CWA, Invalidates NPDES Permit ConditionUpdatesWashington state’s Pollution Control Hearings Board ruled on February 26 that the Washington Department of Ecology exceeded its Clean Water Act authority by inserting a permit condition in the Aquatic Mosquito Control General Permit, which required compliance with the Endangered Species Act.
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03.30.2020DOJ Formally Ends Use of Supplemental Environmental Projects in SettlementsUpdatesCompanies should be aware that Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPS)—voluntary environmental or public health benefit projects in lieu of payment of civil penalties for violation of federal environmental laws—will no longer be available in discussions to resolve and reduce liability for environmental law violations as of March 12, 2020.
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03.27.2020Responding to COVID-19 Requires an Integrated ApproachUpdatesRecognizing the high volume of COVID-19 content being published, Perkins Coie developed a one-stop, integrated resource page that addresses key legal and business considerations for companies across essential business areas, from insurance coverage and labor and employment, to privacy and security, corporate governance, tax, construction, supply chain, and more.
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03.24.2020 (updated 3.26.2020)Environmental Compliance During the COVID-19 PandemicUpdatesIn the wake of coronavirus (COVID-19), businesses are finding themselves in situations where facilities need to shut down, staff are sent home, laboratories that test monthly samples are temporarily closed, or outside contractors scheduled to complete required performance testing have canceled.
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03.23.2020California Governor’s Executive Order Aimed at Assisting Borrowers, Tenants, Renters, and Homeowners Affected by COVID-19UpdatesAs the widespread economic impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) worsen, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-28-20 on March 16, 2020, to assist Californians experiencing financial hardship.
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03.23.2020FDA Issues COVID-19 Food Safety Guidance for Food ManufacturersUpdatesDuring the public health emergency brought on by the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19), food processors and manufacturers must continue to be vigilant in protecting the health and safety of their workers and the foods they produce and distribute.
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03.18.2020Bay Area COVID-19 Shelter-In-Place Orders Exempt Activities Necessary for Housing ConstructionUpdatesIn response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) global pandemic, seven counties in California—Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz—issued orders requiring residents to shelter in place and mandating closure of many businesses.
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02.05.2020Bird Is the Word: US Fish & Wildlife Service Proposes Narrow Interpretation of Migratory Bird Treaty ActUpdatesThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a proposed rule on January 30, 2020, that narrowly interprets the protections afforded by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
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01.30.2020CEQA Year in Review—2019UpdatesThe past year saw several trailblazing opinions, indicating that courts continue to grapple with some of CEQA’s core policies. Click here to read the full report.
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01.30.2020Trump Navigable Waters Rule Bound for Court ChallengesArticles
Law360
Concluding their administrative efforts to narrow federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers on Jan. 23 released their final regulations interpreting the term “waters of the United States." -
01.27.2020New Regulations Redefine the Scope of the Clean Water ActUpdatesThe Clean Water Act applies by its terms to “navigable waters,” which the act defines merely as “waters of the United States.”
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01.24.2020New Jersey Buries the Needle on Electric Vehicles With New LegislationUpdatesNew Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed landmark legislation (S2252/A4819) on January 17, 2020 that is poised to dramatically accelerate the electrification of New Jersey’s transportation sector.
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01.23.2020Washington Supreme Court Invalidates Indirect Emitter Portions of the Clean Air RuleUpdatesIn a split decision issued on January 16, 2020 the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that the Department of Ecology lacks authority under the state’s Clean Air Act (CCA) to cap greenhouse gas emissions from indirect emitters like natural gas and petroleum product distributors.
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01.14.2020White House NEPA Overhaul Likely to Face Legal ChallengesArticles
Law360
Continuing its efforts to expedite federal approvals for projects subject to the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, or CEQ, published proposed revisions to its NEPA-implementing regulations on Jan. 10. The proposed rule, released a week after NEPA’s 50th birthday, would comprise the first substantial revisions to the CEQ’s agencywide regulations since 1978. -
01.13.2020White House Proposes Overhaul of NEPA RegulationsUpdatesTaking the next step in its efforts to streamline the environmental review process for projects under federal jurisdiction, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) published proposed regulations on January 10 that would revamp the rules implementing the National Environmental Policy Act.
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Winter 2020Historic Leasing and the Unfulfilled Potential to Use Partnerships to Preserve Historic Properties and National ParksArticlesThe concept of the "national park" is an American innovation that has led to the preservation of thousands of historic sites and millions of acres of parkland in the United States and its territories for the enjoyment and education of the American public and future generations.
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12.15.2019Water Quality Trading & Adaptive Management: New Developments Promote Regulatory InnovationArticles
The Water Report, Vol. 190
The United States and the world face multisystemic environmental problems that threaten our quality of life. -
10.10.2019New California Law Restricts Cities’ Ability to Limit HousingUpdatesCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law yesterday a major set of restrictions on the actions California cities and counties may take to impede housing development. Senate Bill 330 broadly aims to prevent local agencies from putting up new barriers to housing production.
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10.08.2019California Lawmakers Deliver Rental Relief: Tenant Protection Act of 2019UpdatesGovernor Gavin Newsom signed into law the Tenant Protection Act of 2019, AB 1482, (now California Civil Code Section 1946.2 and 1947.12), on [DATE], joining only Oregon in enacting a statewide rent control law.
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10.03.2019Ninth Circuit Upholds BIA Approval of Southern California Wind Energy ProjectUpdates
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the approval of a utility-scale wind facility in California, rejecting claims that the Bureau of Indian Affairs violated the National Environmental Policy Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act in approving the project.
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09.16.20192015 Clean Water Act Rule RepealedUpdatesA new final regulation issued on September 12, 2019 by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers repeals the Obama administration’s 2015 “Clean Water Rule,” but does little to clear up the longstanding confusion over the scope of federal authority and jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act.
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09.12.2019San Francisco Sellers: COPA Now in EffectUpdatesThe San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development released its much-awaited Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA) Program Rules on Monday, September 3, 2019. (The mayor signed COPA on May 3, 2019. More information about the legislation can be found in our previous update.)
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09.03.2019Drowning in Confusion: What Is a “Water of the United States”?UpdatesA decision by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia issued on August 21, 2019, highlights the continuing confusion over the definition of “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act.
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08.28.2019D.C. Circuit Dismisses Clean Air Act Challenge to New EPA Policy Memorandum, Finding No “Final Agency Action”UpdatesThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has issued an important decision that narrowly interprets the types of governmental decisions that may be challenged in court as “final agency action.”
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08.21.2019Axios Expert Voices: Cities Are Rewriting Zoning and Land Use Rules to Usher in AVsArticlesA growing number of U.S. cities, including Las Vegas, Minneapolis and Chandler, Arizona, are re-examining their zoning, land use, and transportation regulations to ease the way forward for AVs.
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08.19.2019EPA Proposes to Narrow Water Quality Certification Authority Under the Clean Water ActUpdatesThe Environmental Protection Agency issued a 163-page proposed rule on August 9, 2019, to clarify the substantive and procedural requirements for water quality certifications under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.
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08.14.2019D.C. Circuit Delivers Setback to FCC’s 5G Network Deployment EffortsUpdatesIn a recent decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit struck down key portions of a 2018 order by the Federal Communications Commission that would have exempted certain small wireless facilities from environmental and historic preservation review.
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Updated 08.27.2019Trump Administration Finalizes Major Changes to Endangered Species Act RegulationsUpdatesThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service issued a set of three new final rules on August 12, 2019, that substantially revise the regulations implementing the Endangered Species Act.
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07.23.2019Is the US Supreme Court’s FOIA Decision a Game Changer for Companies Seeking to Prevent Disclosure of Proprietary Information?UpdatesThe U.S. Supreme Court rejected a decades-old legal standard for companies that wish to shield their business information from disclosure to the public under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
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07.19.2019EPA Revises Its FOIA RegulationsUpdatesThe Environmental Protection Agency issued a final rule June 26, 2019, revising the agency’s Freedom of Information Act regulations.
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07.01.2019Trump Administration Issues Draft Guidance on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Evaluation Under NEPAUpdatesThe Council on Environmental Quality published draft guidance June 26, 2019, on how to assess greenhouse gas emissions under the National Environmental Policy Act, the law that requires environmental impact assessment for projects that receive federal funding or federal approvals.
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06.27.2019U.S. Supreme Court’s Knick Cemetery Decision Buries Williamson—Takings Claimants May Go Directly to Federal CourtsUpdatesThe U.S. Supreme Court overturned a 34-year-old precedent established by Williamson Planning Comm’n v. Hamilton Bank, holding that landowners pursuing takings claims do not need to seek redress in state courts before pursuing a federal claim.
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05.28.2019Washington State Legislature Increases Hazardous Substance Tax, Providing Additional Funds to Address Contaminated SitesUpdatesThe Washington Legislature narrowly passed SB 5993, which increases the tax on petroleum that primarily funds the state’s contaminated site cleanup program, protects the funds from being used for other purposes and amends the state’s cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act, to expand the Washington State Department of Ecology’s authority to issue cleanup grants.
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2019Forest Resources
ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources
American Bar Association
Environment, Energy, and Resources Law: The Year in Review 2018
Forest Resources chapter -
04.24.2019Utility Regulatory Commissions in Wisconsin and Iowa Chart Path on Electric Vehicle InfrastructureUpdatesTwo midwestern states are taking up the issue of how to address the expansion of electric vehicles (or EVs) in their jurisdictions.
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04.17.2019State Regulatory Commissions Continue to Address Electric Utility Movement Into the Transportation SectorUpdatesElectric vehicles (or EVs) cumulatively consume large amounts of electricity, which means regulated utilities have a natural interest in the expansion of EVs and in managing the impacts to the electric grid from that increased electric demand.
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03.25.2019Legal Landscape for Coal Ash Ponds Remains in FluxUpdatesFederal environmental law governing coal ash ponds used by many regulated electric utilities remains uncertain after a flurry of recent activity at the Environmental Protection Agency and in the courts.
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01.31.2019EPA Proposes to Exempt Animal Waste From Reporting RequirementsUpdatesEPA is currently reviewing comments on its November 14, 2018 proposed rule to exempt livestock farms from reporting routine farm air emissions under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and intends to issue a final rule this spring.
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01.08.2019Federal Court Requires Additional Environmental Review for Offshore Fracking Off California CoastUpdatesA federal court recently prohibited the U.S. Department of the Interior from approving any plans or permits for offshore fracking off the California coast until it complies with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA).
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12.19.2018Ten Things to Know About USDOT's New NEPA and Section 4(f) Regulations for Highway, Transit and Rail ProjectsUpdatesNew regulations took effect last month governing the federal environmental review process for highway, public transit and some railroad projects.
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12.18.2018Two Electric Utility Approaches to Planning for Widespread Electric Vehicle AdoptionUpdatesElectric utilities across the country are laying the groundwork—sometimes literally—to keep up with the growing popularity of electric vehicles (EVs).
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12.14.2018Agencies Release Proposed Rule to Limit Clean Water Act JurisdictionUpdatesThe Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers announced a proposed rule to redefine the term “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act on December 11, 2018.
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12.04.2018California Affirms State Law Prohibition of Incidental Take of Migratory Birds Despite Contrary Federal StanceUpdatesThe California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California attorney general have jointly issued an advisory regarding California’s state law protections for migratory birds.
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11.30.2018SEC Adopts New Disclosure Requirements for Mining CompaniesUpdatesThe SEC recently adopted amendments to modernize the rules relating to property disclosure requirements for mining registrants, and Industry Guide 7, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
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11.29.2018Supreme Court Limits Authority to Designate Critical Habitat Under Endangered Species ActUpdatesIn a unanimous decision with immediate repercussions for the administration of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the U.S. Supreme Court held that an area is eligible for designation as critical habitat under ESA only if it is also “habitat” for the species within the meaning of the statute.
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09.28.2018Courts to Environmental Plaintiffs: Use RCRA, not Clean Water Act, to Address Coal-Ash Disposal at Coal-Fired Power PlantsUpdatesIn three recent decisions, the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Fourth Circuit and Sixth Circuit have signaled the courts’ refusal to allow environmental plaintiffs to use the federal Clean Water Act to address coal ash pollution from unlined storage ponds at coal fired power plants.
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09.12.2018Recent Developments in State Regulatory Approaches to Electric Vehicle InfrastructureUpdatesThanks to better technology and lower costs, fuel efficient electric vehicles (EVs) are on the move in nearly every state in the country.
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09.04.2018D.C. Circuit Overturns EPA’s Coal Combustion Residuals Rule for Coal-Fired Power PlantsUpdatesThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, on August 21, 2018, vacated much of U.S. EPA’s final rule regulating the disposal of “coal combustion residuals” (CCR) at coal-fired power plants.
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08.09.2018Large Jury Verdicts in Hog Nuisance Cases Signal CAFO Litigation Is RisingUpdatesA federal jury last week returned a $473.5 million verdict against the world’s largest pork producer for nuisances caused by three industrial-scale hog farms.
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Updated 07.25.2018Major Changes Proposed to Endangered Species Act RegulationsUpdatesThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service published three proposed rules last week that would revise the regulations implementing portions of the Endangered Species Act.
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06.29.2018Speeding Up and Breaking Down: Consequences of Trump Administration’s Deregulation and Deconstruction AgendasUpdates
Approximately 17 months into this administration, we can better assess the consequences of the administration’s dual—and sometimes dueling—agendas of deregulation and deconstruction, and forecast how these priorities may affect agency action going forward.
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06.21.2018CEQ Invites Comments on Potentially Sweeping Changes to NEPA RegulationsUpdatesThe Council on Environmental Quality yesterday issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking inviting input on potential changes to the CEQ regulations under the National Environmental Policy Act, the federal law that requires environmental impact assessment for projects involving federal funding or other federal approvals.
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06.20.2018Deregulation and Deconstruction—An Insider’s Perspective on Trends in Natural Resource Law in the Trump EraArticlesEvery administration brings disruption. For one thing, a host of new political appointees arrives to take the helm of a vast federal bureaucracy of some three million civilian employees, and comprised of fifteen Cabinet-level departments and hundreds of agencies, boards, bureaus, and commissions. In this sense, the Trump Administration was not unique.
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06.05.2018Washington Supreme Court Narrows “Owner or Operator” Liability, Exempts DNR From Cleanup Law LiabilityUpdatesIn a decision issued last month, the Washington Supreme Court narrowed “owner or operator” liability under the Model Toxics Control Act.
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2018Forest Resources
ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources
American Bar Association
Environment, Energy, and Resources Law: The Year in Review 2017
Forest Resources chapter -
05.02.2018U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Issues Guidance on Endangered Species Act Incidental Take PermitsUpdatesThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a guidance memorandum addressing when an incidental take permit may be needed under Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act for projects that modify habitat of federally listed species.
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04.19.2018Federal Agencies Sign MOU to Require “One Federal Decision” on Major Infrastructure ProjectsUpdatesOn April 9, 2018, the heads of a dozen federal agencies executed a memorandum of understanding on implementation of Executive Order 13807, which directed federal agencies to expedite environmental review and permitting for major infrastructure projects.
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04.16.2018FCC Reduces Regulatory Barriers to 5G Wireless DeploymentUpdatesThe Federal Communications Commission recently adopted an order containing sweeping regulatory changes to speed the deployment of advanced wireless services to provide connectivity for innovative Internet of Things, augmented reality, unmanned vehicles, and artificial intelligence-driven devices, services, and systems.
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04.05.2018Federal Spending Bill Changes Wildfire Suppression Funding and Other Forestry InitiativesUpdatesThe $1.3 trillion Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, passed March 23, 2018, includes bipartisan measures to fundamentally change how the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies pay for wildfire suppression.
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03.06.2018Natural Gas Importer Sues U.S. Customs for Rejecting NAFTA ClaimsUpdatesAn importer of natural gas from Canada filed suit on February 23, 2018, alleging that U.S. Customs and Border Protection unlawfully denied preferential treatment for its imports under NAFTA.
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02.15.2018White House Releases Final Proposal to Streamline Infrastructure PermittingUpdatesOn February 12, 2018, the White House released a set of proposals to streamline the federal environmental review process for infrastructure projects.
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01.31.2018White House Proposes to Streamline Environmental Reviews for Infrastructure ProjectsUpdatesThe Washington Post last week reported a leaked White House document that revealed a far-reaching set of proposals to streamline the environmental review process for infrastructure projects.
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01.24.2018Supreme Court Sends Challenges to Clean Water Rule to Federal District CourtsUpdatesIn a unanimous decision on January 22, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that challenges to the Obama administration’s 2015 Clean Water Rule must be brought in federal district courts rather than directly in the courts of appeals.
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01.23.2018USDOT Seeks Comment on Removing Regulatory Barriers to Autonomous VehiclesUpdatesLast week, three U.S. Department of Transportation agencies issued requests for comment on ways to update federal regulations and policies to allow for the safe testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles.
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01.12.2018Industrial Landowners May Be Liable for Tenants’ Stormwater DischargesUpdatesThe United States District Court for the Northern District of California held that the owners of an industrial park may be liable under the Clean Water Act for illegal stormwater discharges by their tenants, even if the owners played no role in generating or adding to the discharges.
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01.11.2018FERC Terminates DOE’s Proposed Grid Resiliency Rulemaking Effort and Opens Its Own InvestigationUpdatesIn an order issued Monday, January 8, 2018, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission unanimously terminated the rulemaking proceeding it previously initiated in response to a directive issued last fall by U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry.
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01.04.2018D.C. Circuit Upholds FTA Approval of Purple Line Light Rail ProjectUpdatesReversing a district court decision that had delayed work on the $2.4 billion Purple Line light rail transit project in Maryland, the D.C. Circuit has held that the FTA and MTA fully complied with the National Environmental Policy Act when approving the project.
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01.02.2018Department of Interior Reverses MBTA’s Take Definition in a New Solicitor’s OpinionUpdatesThe U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of the Solicitor issued Memorandum M-37050, on December 22, 2017, which adopts the position that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) prohibition on the “taking” or “killing” of migratory birds applies only to deliberate acts intended to take a migratory bird.
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11.07.2017Ninth Circuit Paves Way for Regulation of Stormwater Discharges Under RCRAUpdatesThe Ninth Circuit recently ruled that the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act’s (RCRA) anti-duplication provisions under 42 USC § 6905 do not apply in the absence of a stormwater discharge permit issued under the Clean Water Act.
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09.26.2017Automated Vehicles: Do New Act and Policy Clarify the Regulatory Future?UpdatesThe Trump administration took its first major step to facilitate the deployment of automated vehicles with the Department of Transportation’s release of “Automated Driving Systems 2.0: A Vision for Safety,” an update to the 2016 Federal Automated Vehicle Policy.
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08.30.2017FERC Failed to Adequately Consider Environmental Impacts of Downstream GHG Emissions Under NEPA Says D.C. CircuitUpdatesThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia last week vacated and remanded a 2016 Order by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that had authorized construction and operation of the Southeast Market Pipelines Project.
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08.24.2017Executive Order Aims to Speed Up Environmental Reviews of Infrastructure ProjectsUpdatesPresident Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order 13807, on August 15, 2017, which is intended to accelerate the environmental review and permitting for infrastructure projects that require an environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act.
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08.07.2017CA Supreme Court Holds CEQA Not Preempted by Federal Rail Transportation Law for Projects Carried Out by State AgenciesUpdates
The California Supreme Court has issued its decision in Friends of the Eel River v. North Coast Railroad, an important case regarding preemption of state environmental law by the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act, which contemplates a unified national system of railroad lines subject to federal, not state, regulation.
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08.01.2017Should Infrastructure Project Developers Invoke Streamlined Environmental Review Under FAST-41?UpdatesTitle 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41) includes measures to streamline environmental reviews for certain infrastructure projects.
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07.20.2017House Panel Approves Groundbreaking Federal Autonomous Vehicle Legislation DraftUpdatesThe House Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection reached bipartisan agreement on July 19, 2017, regarding major aspects of legislation to address the testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles.
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06.29.2017Agencies Release Proposed Rule to Rescind Obama-Era Clean Water RuleUpdatesThe Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a proposed rule on June 27, 2017, that will rescind the Obama administration’s 2015 Clean Water Rule and recodify the pre-2015 regulations that it replaced.
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06.12.2017Impact of Ninth Circuit Upholding Biological Opinion for Silver State South Solar Project in NevadaUpdatesIn Defenders of Wildlife v. Zinke, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the Biological Opinion prepared by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to assess the impacts on the threatened desert tortoise from the Silver State South solar project in southern Nevada.
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06.08.2017USDOT Seeks Input on Unnecessary Rules and Policies Impeding Transportation Infrastructure ProjectsUpdatesThe U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced today that it has initiated a review of its existing policies, guidance documents and regulations to identify “unnecessary obstacles to” transportation infrastructure projects.
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05.30.2017Treaty Obligations to Protect Fish Habitat From Degradation UpheldUpdatesIn July 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the state of Washington violated tribal treaty obligations by building and maintaining barrier culverts that block 1,000 linear miles of streams suitable for salmon habitat.
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04.27.2017Court Rules Forest Products Industry Group Has Standing to Challenge Critical Habitat DesignationUpdatesA forest products trade association has standing to challenge the critical habitat designation for the northern spotted owl, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit held in Carpenters Industrial Council v. Zinke, No. 15-5304 (April 11, 2017).
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04.17.2017CA Court of Appeal’s Split Decision Upholds CARB Cap-and-Trade ProgramUpdatesIn a 2-1 decision, the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, upheld the California Air Resource Board’s cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas allowances.
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04.05.2017Executive Order Seeks Sweeping Reversal of Climate Change Policies to Favor U.S. Energy ProductionUpdatesPresident Donald Trump recently signed Executive Order 13783, an omnibus executive order aimed at reducing burdens on further development of domestic energy resources, with “particular attention” to oil, natural gas, coal and nuclear energy resources.
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04.04.2017CA Supreme Court Boosts Plaintiffs’ Challenges to Endangered Species Listing Under CESAUpdatesThe Supreme Court of California recently ruled that under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), plaintiffs may use a delisting petition, supported by new evidence, to challenge a prior decision by the California Fish and Game Commission to list an endangered species.
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03.06.2017Fish and Wildlife Service Approves New 30-Year Eagle Act RuleUpdatesThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has formally approved the long-awaited, 30-year eagle take rule, which will allow renewable energy companies and other developers of large projects to obtain a 30-year permit (as opposed to the previous five-year permit) for the incidental take of bald and golden eagles.
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03.02.2017Executive Order Signals Federal Clean Water Act Jurisdiction Will Be NarrowedUpdatesIn the latest chapter of the seemingly never-ending controversy over the Clean Water Act’s reach, on February 28, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to rescind or revise the Obama administration’s 2015 Clean Water Rule.
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01.31.2017DOI Issues Solicitor’s Opinion That MBTA Prohibits Incidental TakeUpdatesThe U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of the Solicitor issued Memorandum M-37041 on January 10, 2017, arguing that incidental take is prohibited under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).
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01.24.2017Second Circuit Upholds EPA’s Water Transfers RuleUpdatesThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Transfers Rule last week.
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01.09.2017Potential Expansion of MTCA to More Owners/Operators of Contaminated Property in WashingtonUpdates
The Washington State Court of Appeals recently held the Department of Natural Resources liable as an operator or owner of a contaminated site under the Model Toxics Control Act, RCW 70.105D, in Pope Resources, LP v. Wash. Dept. of Natural Resources.
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12.01.2016OSHA’s New Anti-Retaliation Workplace Illness and Injury Reporting Rule: How Employers Can PrepareUpdatesOn November 28, 2016, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas denied a preliminary injunction that sought to block the nationwide implementation of the new Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s anti-retaliation rule, “Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses.”
This Update was republished in Law360 on 12.05.2016, "How Employers Can Prep For New OSHA Injury Reporting Rule." -
09.15.2016California’s New Climate Change Laws Tighten Limits on GHG, Increase Legislative Oversight of CARBUpdatesCalifornia Governor Jerry Brown signed into law last week two controversial anti-climate change bills that will tighten greenhouse gas (GHG) limits by 40% and increase legislative supervision of the California Air Resources Board (CARB)—the agency responsible for reducing GHG emissions.
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08.31.2016Significant Changes to Washington State’s Voluntary Cleanup ProgramUpdatesThe Washington State Department of Ecology recently rolled out significant changes to its Voluntary Cleanup Program.
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08.30.2016D.C. Circuit Overturns FWS Approval of Wind Farm Due to Bat ConcernsUpdatesThe U.S. Court of Appeals for District of Columbia Circuit recently held that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service violated the National Environmental Policy Act by approving an Ohio wind energy project without looking at all reasonable alternatives for reducing deaths to the endangered Indiana bat.
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08.11.2016Ninth Circuit Finds Navy’s Low Frequency Active Sonar Program Violates Marine Mammal Protection ActUpdatesIn NRDC v. Pritzker, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit confirmed that the Marine Mammal Protection Act’s (MMPA) incidental take authorizations will be construed narrowly and conservatively, giving the benefit of doubt to marine mammal species.
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08.09.2016EPA Declines to Regulate Forest Road Discharges Under the Clean Water ActUpdatesThe Environmental Protection Agency issued a decision on July 5, 2016, that declined to regulate discharges from forest roads for regulation under Section 402 of the Clean Water Act.
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08.01.2016Environmental Liabilities in Oil & Gas Sales Under Bankruptcy Code Section 363UpdatesSince the beginning of 2015, at least 77 companies in the oil and gas industry have sought bankruptcy relief in the United States.
Republished in Law360, "Section 363 Is No Magic Bullet For Environmental Liability," on 08.03.2016. -
07.07.2016Controversy Over Interior’s Trust Authority in Alaska Remains UnresolvedUpdatesA majority panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit recently dismissed the State of Alaska’s challenge to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s authority to acquire land in trust for Alaska tribes on the ground that the state’s challenge is moot.
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07.05.2016Ninth Circuit Rules Tribal Treaty Rights Obligate State to Ensure Harvestable Fish Are AvailableUpdatesLast week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the state of Washington violated tribal treaty obligations by building and maintaining barrier culverts that block 1,000 linear miles of streams suitable for salmon habitat.
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06.23.2016Implications of New Lautenberg Act’s Sweeping Changes to Toxic Substances Control ActUpdatesPresident Obama signed HR 2576, the Frank Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (Lautenberg Act), into law on June 22, 2016.
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06.15.2016Pre-1969 Fill of Shoreline Area Not a Violation of the Public Trust DoctrineUpdatesThe Washington State Court of Appeals, Division III, ruled on June 14, 2016 that the Three Fingers Fill on Lake Chelan, placed in shoreline areas prior to December 4, 1969, was authorized by a “savings clause” contained in the Shoreline Management Act and therefore did not violate the Public Trust Doctrine or otherwise create a public nuisance.
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06.13.2016DOJ’s Increased Focus on Environmental Criminal CasesUpdatesRecently, John C. Cruden, DOJ’s Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Environmental and Natural Resources Division, which oversees DOJ’s environmental litigation, voiced a heightened commitment to enforcing environmental laws through criminal prosecution.
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06.01.2016Supreme Court Rules that Clean Water Act Jurisdictional Determinations Are Reviewable in CourtUpdatesThe U.S. Supreme Court ruled on May 31, 2016 that an approved jurisdictional determination issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under the Clean Water Act is a final agency action subject to judicial review.
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05.31.2016If At First You Do Not Succeed: Fish and Wildlife Service Tries Again With 30-Year Eagle Act PermitUpdatesOn May 6, 2016, the Fish and Wildlife Service published a proposed rule that would substantially change how the Service administers its conservation and management program under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
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04.05.2016Ninth Circuit Rules Navy Satisfied NEPA in Considering Terror Threat to San Diego FacilityUpdatesThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit last week rejected a claim under the National Environmental Policy Act that the Navy did not adequately consider the environmental consequences of a potential terrorist threat with respect to the redevelopment of a military complex near downtown San Diego.
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04.01.2016Supreme Court Holds the Ninth Circuit Misinterpreted the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation ActUpdates
The U.S. Supreme Court recently rejected the Ninth Circuit’s interpretation of § 103(c) of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA).
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03.23.2016U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Updates Native American Tribe PolicyUpdatesThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced an updated Native American policy on January 27, 2016, which provides a framework for government-to-government relationships to further the federal government’s trust responsibility to federally recognized tribes to protect, conserve and use tribal resources.
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03.17.2016FWS Proposes Revisions to Development Mitigation PolicyUpdatesThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) published draft revisions on March 8, 2016 to its 1981 Mitigation Policy for mitigating the impacts of development projects to natural resources.
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03.17.2016Ninth Circuit Reinstates Polar Bear Habitat Designation, ESA Implications for the WestUpdatesIn a decision that could result in significant new restrictions on development activities in the Arctic as well as set important Endangered Species Act (ESA) precedent in the Western United States, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently reversed an Alaska district court’s judgment vacating the designation of critical habitat in Alaska for the polar bear.
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02.17.2016Worker Endangerment Initiative May Increase Criminal Prosecutions of Worker and Health Safety ViolationsUpdates
The U.S. Department of Justice issued a Memorandum to all U.S. Attorneys and entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Labor on December 17, 2015 to bolster the federal government’s arsenal to hold employers criminally liable for worker safety and health violations.
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02.17.2016Would the Supreme Court Stay EPA’s Clean Power Plan Today?UpdatesThe senior-most U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Antonin Scalia, passed away on February 13, 2016 just days after the Supreme Court, by a slim 5 to 4 majority, stayed the EPA’s enforcement of the Clean Power Plan.
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02.16.2016New Critical Habitat Regulations Published Under the Endangered Species ActUpdatesOn February 11, 2016, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service jointly published final regulations and a final policy addressing critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act.
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02.11.2016Supreme Court’s Stay on EPA’s Clean Power Plan Places States in LimboUpdatesOn Tuesday, February 9, 2016, only a few weeks after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied a multistate plea to stop the U.S. EPA’s Clean Power Plan, the United States Supreme Court issued a highly unusual judicial stay on the EPA’s implementation of the Clean Power Plan.
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01.26.2016Arizona Supreme Court Affirms ADWR’s Approval of Mining Company’s Request to Sever and Transfer Its Surface Water RightsUpdatesThe Arizona Supreme Court, in Arizona Department of Water Resources v. Hon Crane McClennen in and for the county of Maricopa, No. CV-15-0223-SA, reversed a ruling from Judge McClennen of the Superior Court of Maricopa County on November 12, 2015, vacating the Arizona Department of Water Recourses’ (ADWR) approval of Freeport Minerals Corporation’s (Freeport) application to sever water rights it owned which were appurtenant to Planet Ranch in Mohave County and to transfer such rights to other areas.
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01.11.2016Congress Enacts Federal Permitting Improvements to Speed Infrastructure ProjectsUpdatesCongress enacted the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015, also known as the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (the FAST Act) on December 4, 2015.
Presentations
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2024
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03.26.2024Financing Offshore Wind-Related Projects Through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office (LPO)WebinarsPerkins Coie and LPO staff hosted a primer on using LPO to finance your next major infrastructure project.
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03.08.2024
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02.07.202434th Annual Land Use & Development Law Lunch Briefing and WebinarSpeaking EngagementsSeminar and WebinarA 90-minute multi-panelist briefing on the recent evolution of land use, planning, CEQA, and environmental law in California.
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01.03.2024
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12.18.2023
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12.07.2023NEPA Reform – Permitting for Critical Minerals ProductionSpeaking Engagements
This panel discussed a broad range of diverse views on the state of play in the reform of federal permitting laws by legislation and rulemaking.
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11.21.2023
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11.15.2023National Environmental Policy ActSpeaking EngagementsPanelist
32nd Annual Eastern Boot Camp on Environmental Law / Washington, D.C. -
10.19.2023What is ESG & Why do Idaho Companies Care?Speaking EngagementsModerator
Idaho Business for Outdoors / Boise, ID -
10.11.2023Doing Business With Tribes: Issues and OpportunitiesSpeaking EngagementsIdaho Mining Conference / Boise, ID
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10.10.2023
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09.21.2023Sustainability: Contract Drafting for the Unknown Reasonably and With AccountabilitySpeaking EngagementsAmerican Bar Association Forum on Air and Space / Dallas, TX
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09.20.2023New NEPA Proposed Regulations: The Bipartisan Permitting Reform Implementation RuleSpeaking Engagements
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09.01.2023
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06.23.2023
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06.16.2023
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05.15.2023
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05.04.2023International Climate Change Law: Developments and ChallengesSpeaking EngagementsUniversity of Washington School of Law / Seattle, WA
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04.25.2023Perspectives on Challenges in U.S. Offshore Wind Development from Industry General CounselSpeaking EngagementsModerator
IEL Conference for Renewable Project Development / Houston, TX and Virtual -
04.04.2023The Law of Climate ChangeSpeaking EngagementsEnvironmental Law Institute
Western Boot Camp on Environmental Law -
02.23.2023The Intersection of Environmental Law and Tribal NationsSpeaking Engagements
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02.23.2023Tribal Specific NEPA ConsiderationsSpeaking Engagements
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02.23.2023Trust Duties and Emerging Considerations Related to the National Historic Preservation ActSpeaking Engagements
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01.31.202333rd Annual Land Use & Development Law Lunch Briefing and WebinarSpeaking EngagementsSeminar and WebinarA 90-minute multi-panelist briefing on the recent evolution of land use, planning, CEQA, and environmental law in California.
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01.27.2023From Policy to Power: Case Study of Actionable Recommendations That, if Implemented, Would Significantly Increase the Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Regulatory Certainty of U.S. Offshore WindSpeaking EngagementsElectric Power in the West seminar hosted by Law Seminars International / Virtual and Seattle, WA
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01.18.2023Litigation Roundup: An Overview of Recent and Ongoing Litigation and Legal Issues Impacting WaterSpeaking EngagementsAmerican Water Works Association / Virtual Legal Roundtable
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01.18.2023Transmission and Interconnection ChallengesSpeaking EngagementsModerator
Tulane Offshore Wind Conference: Overcoming Barriers in the Gulf / New Orleans, LA -
01.10.2023Council on Environmental Quality Updates and DOT Implementation Efforts in the IIJA and IRA EraSpeaking EngagementsTransportation Research Board Annual Meeting / Washington, D.C.
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12.14.2022Inflation Reduction ActSpeaking EngagementsCanadian Consulate / Webinar
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12.08.2022
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11.16.202231st Annual Eastern Environmental Law Boot Camp®Speaking Engagements
Instructor
Environmental Law Institute / Washington D.C. -
11.08.2022The Momentum Behind U.S. Offshore Wind: The Policy Implications and Supply Chain OpportunitiesSpeaking EngagementsOffshore Wind Executive Summit / Galveston, TX
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11.03.2022Contaminated Property Liability in Washington: Liability Structures and Tools for DevelopersSpeaking EngagementsLaw Seminars International / Virtual
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10.28.2022How to Permit Large Energy ProjectsSpeaking EngagementsCommercial Renewable Energy Project Development program hosted by The Foundation for Natural Resources & Energy Law in Westminster, CO.
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10.19.2022Wired for Wind: The New Landscape for Transmission and InterconnectionSpeaking Engagements
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10.18.2022Improving BOEM Marine Spatial Planning: From Open Ocean to Lease SalesSpeaking Engagements
Panelist
American Clean Power Offshore WINDPOWER Conference 2022 / Providence, RI -
10.07.2022Legal Issues Facing the Utility IndustrySpeaking Engagements
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07.22.2022Building the Plane While We’re Flying It – Should We Reform the Offshore Wind Leasing and Permitting Process During Liftoff for a New Industry?Speaking EngagementsOffshore wind is a critical part of a rapid transition to a carbon-free electrical grid. The industry faces significant barriers, however, in the planning, leasing, and permitting process. This panel examined potential legal and policy reforms that could provide more certainty for offshore wind projects.
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07.22.2022Renewable Energy & ElectricitySpeaking Engagements68th Annual Natural Resources & Energy Law Institute / Vail, CO
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05.16.2022Best Practices for NEPA Implementation in a Dynamic Regulatory EnvironmentSpeaking EngagementsTed Boling co-presented “Best Practices for NEPA Implementation in a Dynamic Regulatory Environment” at the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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05.10.2022Deep Sea Mining 101Speaking EngagementsJane Carmody presented “Deep Sea Mining 101” to the ABA’s Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources Mining Committee.
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05.06.2022NEPA beyond 50: EIA for Renewable Infrastructure InvestmentSpeaking EngagementsTed Boling presented “NEPA beyond 50: EIA for Renewable Infrastructure Investment” to the International Association for Impact Assessment Conference.
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04.27.2022Minimizing and Mitigating Potential Environmental Justice Impacts from Offshore Wind Port ActivitiesSpeaking EngagementsInternational Offshore Wind Partnering Forum (IPF) / Atlantic City, NJ
Understanding environmental justice issues and regulations is critical for the success of offshore wind projects. Panelists will discuss the results of a recently conducted survey and discuss best practices for considering environmental justice when engaging offshore wind manufacturing, assembly and lay down, construction and operations and maintenance activities in port facilities.
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04.08.2022Infrastructure Bill—Transformational Change, or More of the Same?Speaking EngagementsPanelist
ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources 51st Spring Conference on Environmental Law / San Francisco, CA -
02.15.2022NEPA and Environmental Justice DevelopmentSpeaking Engagements
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01.27.2022What Is ESG? An Exploration of Environmental, Social, and GovernanceSpeaking Engagements
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01.19.202232nd Annual Land Use and Development Law BriefingWebinarsA 90-minute multi-panelist briefing on the recent evolution of land use, planning, CEQA, and environmental law in California.
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11.04.2021Emerging Topics in Energy – Environmental Justice, Renewables and InfrastructureSpeaking EngagementsDuring its 2020–21 Session, the Virginia General Assembly enacted the Virginia Clean Energy Act and a host of bills impacting various aspects of renewable energy resource development.
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11.03.202130th Annual Eastern Environmental Law Boot Camp®Speaking Engagements
Instructor
Environmental Law Institute / Virtual -
08.24.2021
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06.09.2021The Future of NEPA—the Status and Future of New NEPA RulesSpeaking EngagementsAmerican Bar Association / WebinarMatt Rojas and Ted Boling participated in a panel entitled “The Future of NEPA—the Status and Future of New NEPA Rules” on a recent ABA-sponsored webinar.
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05.20.2021CEQA Mid-Year Update, Litigation Strategies and Administrative RecordsSpeaking EngagementsCounty Counsels Association of California
Land Use Spring 2021 Study Section Meeting -
05.20.2021CEQ's Review of the 2020 Final Rule: Issues and OpportunitiesSpeaking EngagementsThis presentation discussed the major issues in the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) 2020 final rule updating the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementing regulations, the CEQ process to "consider suspending, revising, or rescinding," the 2020 rule under Executive Order 13990, and recommendations on which provisions from the 2020 rule should be retained or modified.
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05.20.2021Navigable Waters of the United States (WOTUS), Waters of the State (WOTS) and Protected Species – Implications for Project Processing; ESA; NEPASpeaking EngagementsCounty Counsels Association of California
Land Use Spring 2021 Study Section Meeting -
04.21.2021
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04.21.2021Environmental Issues in Energy Project DevelopmentSpeaking EngagementsHalfMoon Education / VirtualPerkins Coie attorneys present at the HalfMoon Education, Inc. virtual program, “Environmental Issues in Energy Project Development”.
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03.23.2021The Law of Climate ChangeSpeaking Engagements
Environmental Law Institute
Seventeenth Annual Western Boot Camp on Environmental Law® -
02.16.2021
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02.15.2021Energy & Mineral Law FoundationSpeaking EngagementsEnvironmental/Regulatory Special Institute / Washington, D.C.
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01.26.202131st Annual Land Use Land Use & Development Law BriefingWebinarsA 90-minute multi-panelist briefing on the recent evolution of land use, planning, CEQA, and environmental law in California.
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12.10.2020
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11.10.2020All About Housing: The Roots of the Crisis, Local Governments, State Legislation, and CEQASpeaking EngagementsA panel presentation on state and local responses to the housing crisis at the AEP State Virtual Conference 2020.
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11.19.2020 & 11.05.202029th Annual Eastern Environmental Law Boot Camp®Speaking Engagements
Instructor
Environmental Law Institute / Virtual -
11.05.2020
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10.29.2020Federal Policy Panel DiscussionSpeaking EngagementsModerator
Idaho Mining Conference / Virtual Event -
10.29.2020The New CEQ NEPA Regulations—What do They Mean for Miners?Speaking EngagementsIdaho Mining Conference / Virtual Event
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10.15.2020Older or Wiser: NEPA's Golden YearsSpeaking EngagementsAmerican Bar Association, Section on Energy, Environment & Resources 28th Fall Conference / Virtual
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09.30.2020The Future of Pipelines: A Rocky Road for New Projects?Speaking EngagementsEnvironmental Law Institute / Webinar
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09.17.2020The Refiner’s Perspective on the RFSSpeaking EngagementsOil Price Information Service (OPIS)
12th Annual RFS, RINs & Biofuels Forum -
05.12.2020The Climate Is Changing, Should NEPA? Climate Change Considerations Under NEPA and CEQ's Draft RuleSpeaking EngagementsAmerican Bar Association / Webinar
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05.08.2020School Districts and the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA): Tips and Tactics for SuccessWebinarsJoin us for a discussion of the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) during which we will provide an overview of SEPA, the processes to follow for compliance, and tips and tactics useful for school districts to successfully navigate working within the requirements of SEPA.
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03.25.2020
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01.22.2020; 01.30.2020; 02.04.2020; 02.06.202030th Annual Land Use & Development Law Lunch Briefing
Seminar Presenter
Walnut Creek, CA
San Francisco, CA
Palo Alto, CA -
01.23.2020Moving Forward to Optimize the Role of Natural Gas on the Future GridSpeaking EngagementsModerator
EUCI Conference / Denver, CO -
01.22.2020The Changing Regulatory Legal Landscape for Natural GasSpeaking EngagementsEUCI Conference / Denver, CO
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11.18.2019The National Environmental Policy ActSpeaking Engagements28th Eastern Bootcamp on Environmental Law
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10.25.2019CERCLA 108(b)Speaking Engagements
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09.19.2019Key Developments in Environmental Law and PolicySpeaking Engagements2019 Large Landowners Forum
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05.2019PFAS: Compliance Update - Conference on ToxicsSpeaking EngagementsEnvironmental Law Education Center / Portland, OR
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06.14.2018Affordable Hydrogen - From Renewable, Hawaii SourcesSpeaking EngagementsVERGE Hawaii / Honolulu, HI
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06.11.2018Energy Storage: SeattleSpeaking EngagementsLaw Seminars International / Seattle, WA
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06.07.2018Navigating The Course Through The U.S. Government in Offshore WindSpeaking EngagementsU.S. Offshore Wind Conference and Exhibition / Boston, MA
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01.18.2018; 01.24.2018; 01.25.2018; 01.30.2018.28th Annual Land Use & Development BriefingSeminars2017 has been another eventful year in the development of land use and planning law in California.
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01.17.2018Waters of the United StatesSpeaking EngagementsThis presentation addressed the following questions: Where does federal Clean Water Act jurisdiction stand after the Trump Administration’s cancellation of the WOTUS Rule? Is there an increased risk of citizen suit? What state regulations are there for protection of wetlands and critical areas?
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09.13.2017Marine Renewable Energy: Looking West for EnergySpeaking EngagementsPacific Ocean Energy Trust, Ocean Renewable Energy Conference XII / Portland, OR
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03.15.2017Native American Lands and Natural Resources - The Changing Landscape in Idaho, the Northwest, and BeyondBreakfast Briefing / Boise, ID
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01.18.2017; 01.25.2017; 01.26.2017; 02.07.2017; 02.22.2017.27th Annual Land Use & Development Law BriefingSeminars2016 has been another dynamic year in the development of land use and planning law in California.
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05.16.2016Air Toxics SeminarSeminarsAssociated Oregon Industries / Portland, OROn May 16, 2016 Perkins Coie and Associated Oregon Industries welcomed AOI members and other interested parties to a seminar/webinar presentation addressing questions and issues arising from DEQ's recent announcement to investigate sources that may emit metals.
Blog
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Supreme Court Rules Legislatively Adopted Exactions Not Exempt From Nollan/Dolan Scrutiny
In a dispute over a traffic impact fee imposed on a residential building permit by El Dorado County, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rejected the long-standing position of California and other state courts that the Takings Clause of the U.S. Constitution applies differently when permit conditions are imposed legislatively rather than administratively. Sheetz v. County... Continue Reading…
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The court of appeal held that a City Council resolution approving a development agreement that included policy decisions regarding development of a public park was a legislative act subject to referendum. Move Eden Housing v. City of Livermore, 100 Cal. App. 5th 263 (2024). In 2018, the City of Livermore and Eden Housing entered into... Continue Reading…
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Petitioner’s challenge to a Specific Plan, which was filed before that plan was adopted, was barred as premature, and its belated attempt to amend its petition after the Specific Plan had been adopted was barred by the statute of limitations. Fix the City, Inc. v. City of Los Angeles 100 Cal. App. 5th 363 (2024).... Continue Reading…
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Agricultural Conservation Easements Partially Mitigate the Loss of Agricultural Land
After deciding in a prior appeal in the same case that offsite agricultural conservation easements (ACEs) were not effective at reducing a project’s conversion of agricultural land, the Fifth Appellate District held that ACEs can mitigate such impacts. V Lions Farming, LLC v. County of Kern, Nos. F084763, F085102, F085220 (5th Dist., March 7, 2024).... Continue Reading…