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Environmental
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December 13, 2024
EPA Mandates More Worker Safety For Carbon Tetrachloride
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule this week on carbon tetrachloride exposure, requiring "robust" employee safety planning on worksites but continuing to allow for its use as a feedstock for refrigerants.
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December 13, 2024
Bipartisan Bills Target US Dependence On Chinese Minerals
A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced three new pieces of legislation aimed at helping address what it said was America's "deep reliance" on the Chinese Communist Party for critical minerals, after spending months evaluating the issue.
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December 13, 2024
NYC Hospital System Wants Out Of REIT's $50M Campus Suit
The New York City Health and Hospitals Corp. and the New York City Economic Development Corp. asked a New York federal court Friday to dismiss a $50 million suit that accused them of being misleading when it came to the development of a floodwall that's supposed to be part of a commercial life sciences campus project.
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December 13, 2024
NC Gov., Lawmakers Take Parting Shots In Clash Over Power
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has doubled down in the state Court of Appeals on claims Republican state lawmakers are trying to whittle away his appointment powers, while legislators argue the governor has no case law on which to base his constitutional claims.
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December 13, 2024
Sexual Abuse, Price-Gouging Bills Clear Michigan Senate
Michigan state senators passed a flurry of bills during a marathon session ending early Friday morning, including legislation giving sexual assault victims more time to file lawsuits, strengthening protections against price-gouging and expanding polluter liability.
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December 13, 2024
Wis. Tribe Challenges Enbridge Pipeline Reroute Permits
The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa on Thursday sued Wisconsin environmental officials over permits given to Enbridge Inc. to reroute part of its controversial Line 5 pipeline around the tribe's reservation and build a new segment in the area.
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December 13, 2024
Justices To Decide If Industry Can Test Calif. Auto Waiver
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday granted fossil fuel industry groups' request to review a decision backing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Act waiver that allows California to set its own greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles and run a zero-emission vehicles program, but the justices won't consider the legality of the waiver itself.
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December 13, 2024
Taxation With Representation: Kirkland, Davis Polk, Wachtell
In this week's Taxation With Representation, Google and TPG Rise Climate partner with Intersect Power, Gen Digital Inc. acquires MoneyLion Inc., Patient Square Capital acquires Patterson Companies Inc., and the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins sell minority ownership shares to private equity firms.
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December 12, 2024
Sierra Club-EPA Row Has 6th Circ. Debating Smog Data
A Sixth Circuit judge questioned Thursday whether a Sierra Club challenge over Detroit's air quality was "a debate over the science" as opposed to the law, as the group fights federal regulators' determination that air pollution in the area is under control.
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December 12, 2024
Mich. Judge Hesitant To Rule On $217M Dam Repair Tax
A Michigan federal judge sounded reluctant Thursday to make a decision about whether a $217 million dam repair tax assessment violated homeowners' constitutional rights before a state appellate panel rules on the homeowners' challenge to the assessment in a parallel case over properties affected by flooding from the 2020 Edenville Dam collapse.
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December 12, 2024
Wash. Judge Weighs Stay Of Gas Reg Suit Amid New Cases
A Seattle federal judge hinted on Thursday she might pause a building industry coalition's lawsuit challenging Washington regulations discouraging the use of natural gas appliances in new construction, pointing to fresh litigation in state court that could force regulators to revise the rules in the wake of an initiative voters passed in November.
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December 12, 2024
DOI Plan Would Protect NM Land From New Mining Claims
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland on Thursday initiated a two-year segregation period to temporarily withdraw 165,000 acres of public lands in New Mexico from new mining claims and the issuance of new federal mineral leases.
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December 12, 2024
US Expands Tariffs On Chinese Tungsten, Polysilicon Imports
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has announced additional tariff increases for imports on certain tungsten products, wafers and polysilicon from the People's Republic of China as part of a review process in an investigation of the country's acts, policies and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property and innovation.
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December 12, 2024
NC Republicans Override Veto Of Bill Curbing Dems' Power
Republican lawmakers have used the final days of their supermajority in the North Carolina General Assembly to override Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of a Hurricane Helene disaster relief bill that strips his and other Democrat-controlled offices of certain powers.
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December 11, 2024
Texas Sues 3M And DuPont Over Forever Chemicals
Texas launched a suit against 3M and DuPont for "misrepresentations and key omissions" the companies made about so-called forever chemicals, telling a state court on Wednesday that the companies lied to the public about the harmful chemicals for over 50 years.
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December 11, 2024
Justices Won't Block EPA Coal Ash Rule During Court Case
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a Kentucky electric utility's effort to halt implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rule strengthening federal regulations for the safe management of coal ash.
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December 11, 2024
Wash. Port Asks Justices To Review 9th Circ. CWA Ruling
The Port of Tacoma urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to answer what it calls a "longstanding circuit split" over whether private suits seeking to enforce state permit conditions that go beyond the Clean Water Act can proceed in federal court.
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December 11, 2024
Mixed 5th Circ. Backs $14M Exxon Texas Air Pollution Fine
A mixed Fifth Circuit on Wednesday backed a $14 million fine against ExxonMobil Corp. over air pollution in southeast Texas, with a per curiam opinion stating the court wouldn't have reheard the case if it had known it would take more than 18 months to issue an opinion.
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December 11, 2024
Metal Recycler Accused Of Polluting Connecticut Streams
Global industrial recycling firm Sims Metal was hit with a Clean Water Act lawsuit by an environmental watchdog group claiming the company lets stormwater and snow runoff drag metal particles and other pollutants into streams that enter Long Island Sound in greater New Haven, Connecticut.
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December 11, 2024
EPA Gives States, Tribes Clearer Path To Water Permit Power
States and Native American tribes have a clearer path to gaining the authority to set water pollution standards that may be even stronger than federal ones under a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule finalized Wednesday.
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December 11, 2024
Feds, Illinois Sue East St. Louis For Sewage Pollution
The federal government and state of Illinois sued the city of East St. Louis on Wednesday alleging its failure to operate the city's sewer system in compliance with the law has led to the pollution of local waterways with untreated sewage for years.
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December 11, 2024
Nippon Offers $5K Bonuses To Ease US Steel Deal Concerns
Nippon Steel Corp. has committed to providing $5,000 closing bonuses to employees of U.S. Steel in hopes of easing concerns about the controversial $14.9 billion merger between the two companies, which both the sitting and incoming president have said they oppose.
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December 11, 2024
Dutch Duo Beats Insurer's Claims Of Poor Greenhouse Design
Neither a Dutch greenhouse builder nor designer were responsible for the failure of a Michigan produce farm's $14.1 million greenhouse, a federal judge ruled, granting an early win to the pair in an insurer's subrogation suit seeking coverage for a storm loss.
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December 11, 2024
DC Circ. Lets Pipeline Safety Rule Remain Amid Agency Fix
The D.C. Circuit has agreed to leave in place one of four new safety standards for gas transmission pipelines while the U.S. Department of Transportation works to amend them, after an industry group said not doing so could cause unnecessary repair costs.
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December 11, 2024
3M Gets Georgia Man's $850M PFAS Remediation Bid Denied
A Georgia federal judge has shut down a proposed injunction requiring 3M Co. and other companies to pay $850 million for remediation of water sources in Dalton contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, saying the named plaintiff doesn't have standing to call for the remediation.
Expert Analysis
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How BIS' Rule Seeks To Encourage More Voluntary Disclosure
Updated incentives, penalties and enforcement resources in the Bureau of Industry and Security's recently published final rule revising the Export Administration Regulations should help companies decide how to implement export control compliance programs and whether to disclose possible violations, say attorneys at Freshfields.
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8 Childhood Lessons That Can Help You Be A Better Attorney
A new school year is underway, marking a fitting time for attorneys to reflect on some fundamental life lessons from early childhood that offer a framework for problems that no legal textbook can solve, say Chris Gismondi and Chris Campbell at DLA Piper.
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Navigating Complex Regulatory Terrain Amid State AG Races
This year's 10 attorney general elections could usher in a wave of new enforcement priorities and regulatory uncertainty, but companies can stay ahead of the shifts by building strong relationships with AG offices, participating in industry coalitions and more, say Ketan Bhirud and Dustin McDaniel at Cozen O’Connor.
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How The 2025 Tax Policy Debate Will Affect The Energy Sector
Regardless of the outcome of the upcoming U.S. election, 2025 will bring a major tax policy debate that could affect the energy sector more than any other part of the economy — so stakeholders who could be affected should be engaging now to make sure they understand the stakes, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.
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Sublimit And Policy Interpretation Lessons From Amtrak Case
The recently settled dispute between Amtrak and its insurers over sublimit coverage illustrates that parties with unclear manuscript policies may wish to avoid litigation in favor of settlement — as the New York federal court declined to decide the case by applying prior term interpretations, says Laura Maletta at Chartwell Law.
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3rd Circ. Hertz Ruling Highlights Flawed Bankruptcy Theory
The Third Circuit, in its recent Hertz bankruptcy decision, became the latest appeals court to hold that noteholders were entitled to interest before shareholders under the absolute priority rule, but risked going astray by invoking the flawed theory of code impairment, say Matthew McGill and David Casazza at Gibson Dunn.
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Opinion
This Election, We Need To Talk About Court Process
In recent decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has markedly transformed judicial processes — from summary judgment standards to notice pleadings — which has, in turn, affected individuals’ substantive rights, and we need to consider how the upcoming presidential election may continue this pattern, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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The Complex Challenges Facing Sustainable Food Packaging
More and more states are requiring recycled content to be used in product packaging, creating complex technological and regulatory considerations for manufacturers who must also comply with federal food safety requirements, say Peter Coneski and Natalie Rainer at K&L Gates.
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Int'l Agreements Are Key For Safe Nuclear Waste Disposal
By replacing fossil fuels, nuclear energy has the potential to offer a major contribution to the global fight against climate change — but ensuring that nuclear power is safe and sustainable will require binding, multinational agreements for safe nuclear waste disposal, say Ryan Schermerhorn and Christopher Zahn at Marshall Gerstein.
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Series
Playing Diplomacy Makes Us Better Lawyers
Similar to the practice of law, the rules of Diplomacy — a strategic board game set in pre-World War I Europe — are neither concise nor without ambiguity, and weekly gameplay with our colleagues has revealed the game's practical applications to our work as attorneys, say Jason Osborn and Ben Bevilacqua at Winston & Strawn.
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How Multifamily Property Owners Can Plan For The EV Future
As the electric vehicle market expands, and federal and state incentives and mandates intended to promote EV use come into effect, owners and operators of multifamily residential properties should be prepared to meet the growing demand for onsite EV charging infrastructure, say Sydney Tucker and Andreas Wokutch at Frost Brown.
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New Law May Move Calif. Toward Fashion Sustainability
California’s recently signed Responsible Textile Recovery Act seeks to increase sustainability innovation in the fashion industry, but it could also create compliance hurdles for brands, especially smaller fashion houses that do not have ample resources, say Warren Koshofer and Maggie Franz at Michelman & Robinson.
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Conn. Court Split May Lead To Vertical Forum Shopping
As shown by a recent ruling in State v. Exxon Mobil, Connecticut state and federal courts are split on personal jurisdiction, and until the Connecticut Supreme Court steps in, parties may be incentivized to forum shop, causing foreign entities to endure costly litigation and uncertain liability, says Matthew Gibbons at Shipman & Goodwin.
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Mental Health First Aid: A Brief Primer For Attorneys
Amid a growing body of research finding that attorneys face higher rates of mental illness than the general population, firms should consider setting up mental health first aid training programs to help lawyers assess mental health challenges in their colleagues and intervene with compassion, say psychologists Shawn Healy and Tracey Meyers.
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Enviro Policy Trends That Will Continue Beyond The Election
Come October in a presidential election year, the policy world feels like a winner-take-all scenario, with the outcome of the vote determining how or even whether we are regulated — but there are several key ongoing trends that will continue to drive environmental regulation regardless of the election results, say J. Michael Showalter and Samuel Rasche at ArentFox Schiff.