On July 7, 2023, following a request for publication made on behalf of the California Building Industry Association, the Building Industry Association of the Bay Area, and the California Business Properties Association, the Fourth District Court of Appeal ordered published its decision originally filed on June 8, 2023, affirming the trial court’s judgment upholding a
Second District Affirms Judgment Voiding CEQA Infill Exemption For Hollywood Hotel Project That Would Demolish Affordable Housing Units Because City Deemed Inapplicable And Never Considered Project’s Consistency With General Plan Housing Element Policies To Preserve Affordable Housing
In an opinion filed June 28, 2023, and later ordered published on July 25, 2023, the Second District Court of Appeal (Div. 5) affirmed a judgment granting a writ of mandate setting aside (1) the City of Los Angeles’ (City) approval of a 10-story hotel project (with three levels of subterranean parking) to be located
Greenberg Traurig’s Giuliano Apadula to Speak at Brownfields 2023
Giuliano Apadula, a shareholder in Greenberg Traurig, LLP’s Environmental Practice in Philadelphia, will speak at Brownfields 2023 Friday, August 11 at 9:00 a.m. The conference will be held in Detroit this year.
The annual conference brings together stakeholders from industry, government, and the community to discuss the remediation and redevelopment of contaminated
Shale Law Weekly Review—Week of August 7, 2023
Methane Emissions: White House Holds Methane Summit
On Wednesday, July 26, 2023, the White House released a fact sheet describing the White House Methane Summit, which was held that day. The Summit focused on strategies to reduce methane emissions and with a focus on methane leaks from the oil and gas industry. The fact sheet
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—August 7, 2023
Agricultural Labor: Department of Labor Announces Heat Hazard Alert
On Thursday, July 27, 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a heat hazard alert. According to a White House fact sheet, the hazard alert is the first of its kind and was issued
Two China Based Companies Banned as a Result of Forced Labor
Standing up against cruel and inhumane labor practices
UK Announces Sustainability Disclosure Standards Based on the ISSB
The UK standards will aim to increase the comparability and value of reported information for investors.
By Paul A. Davies, Michael D. Green, and James Bee
The UK government announced on 2 August 2023 that it will develop standards for company sustainability disclosures in the UK by July 2024, leveraging the work of
How Much Are We Willing to Pay to Save the Oregon Spotted Frog?
Greenwire (subscription required) reported this week that the Fish & Wildlife Service Recovery Plan for the Oregon spotted frog estimates that the cost to achieve recovery of the frog will be roughly $2.7 billion over 40 years. This post isn’t about the Oregon spotted frog or even about the Endangered Species Act as a whole.
Phase 2 NEPA Revisions: Significant Changes Proposed by CEQ in the Proposed Bipartisan Permitting Reform Rule
Introduction
On July 31, 2023, the Council on Environmental Quality (“CEQ”) proposed the Bipartisan Permitting Reform Implementation Rule (“Proposed Rule”), 88 Fed. Reg. 49,924 (July 31, 2023), which is better known as Phase 2 of the Biden Administration’s revisions to the regulations that implement the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”).
NEPA imposes a procedural requirement
Boston Bans Fossil Fuels in New and Renovated City Buildings
On July 31, 2023, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu signed an executive order ending the use of fossil fuels in new construction and major renovations of city-owned buildings. Although city buildings comprise a small percentage of overall carbon emissions in Boston, the new executive order aligns with larger efforts to decarbonize both publicly and privately owned