Moving so quickly and so broadly with economy wide climate ambitions thru decarbonization
Maryland is Leading the Transition to All Electric Buildings
Reviewing US EPA’s New Cybersecurity Evaluation Requirements in Sanitary Surveys Conducted at Public Water Systems
Previously, we discussed the Biden-Harris Administration’s emphasis on cybersecurity in the water utility sector. This month, the Administration continued that trend by issuing a final memorandum interpreting the regulatory requirements pertaining to public water system (PWS) sanitary surveys to require that states evaluate operational technology for cybersecurity when conducting the periodic sanitary surveys. A fact
Stakeholders Threaten to Sue the EPA to Require Regulation of Noise Pollution
On March 17, 2023, a law school clinic submitted to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) a sixty-day notice of intent to sue letter, setting forth various entities’ intent to sue the EPA for its alleged failure to perform various non-discretionary duties under the Noise Control Act of 1972 (the “Act”).
The Act has
EPA Proposes Enforceable Drinking Water Standards For PFAS
Last week EPA released its proposal for the first set of Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) under the Clean Water Act for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). In contrast to non-enforceable health advisory levels introduced in 2016 and revised in 2022, MCLs constitute enforceable drinking water standards that will impact drinking water utilities and industry nationwide.
OSHA Highlights Grain Handling Facility Safety: March 27-31
By A. Scott Hecker, Adam R. Young, James L. Curtis, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: OSHA is promoting grain safety and compliance with the Grain Handling Facilities Standard on it’s website and links to additional information about Stand Up for Grain Safety Week, which takes place March 27-31, 2023.
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Business and Human Rights – a “primer” for CFOs for advancing the ‘S’ in ESG
Companies must recognise that they are subject to increased expectations in terms of effective identification and management of social issues. A failure to do so – and the resulting inequality – is increasingly seen as representing a systemic risk to the resilience of business operations and value chains. Expectations are reinforced by the wave of
FCA Seeks Improvements to ESG Benchmarks
The regulator is concerned that ESG-related disclosures are not meeting expectations.
By Nicola Higgs, Becky Critchley, Anne Mainwaring, Ella McGinn, and Charlotte Collins
The FCA has published a Dear CEO letter sent to benchmark administrators on 20 March 2023, expressing concerns about the quality of their ESG-related disclosures. The FCA’s concerns
Choice-of-Law Clauses in Marine Insurance Policies: The U.S. Supreme Court Grants Cert
Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court granted cert in the case of Great Lakes Insurance SE v. Raiders Retreat Realty Co., LLC. The question before the Court is whether, under federal admiralty law, a choice-of-law clause in a marine insurance policy can be rendered unenforceable if enforcement is contrary to a strong public policy
EPA Proposes Maximum Contaminant Levels for Six PFAS Compounds
On March 14, 2023, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS. The public comment period will be open for sixty (60) days following publication in the Federal Register. EPA anticipates finalizing the regulation by the end of 2023.
If finalized, the NPDWR will
Another Call for CEQA Litigation Reform? Second District Rejects NIMBY Group’s CEQA, Coastal Act, and Land Use Challenges, Affirms Judgment Upholding Approval of Zoning-Compliant And CEQA-Exempt Eldercare Facility On Flat, Graded, Vacant One-Acre Infill Site Surrounded By Residential and Commercial Development
In a published opinion filed March 8, 2023, the Second District Court of Appeal (Division 8) affirmed the trial court’s judgment denying writ relief in a lawsuit challenging approval of a CEQA-exempt eldercare facility project in Pacific Palisades, an oceanside area of the City of Los Angeles. Pacific Palisades Residents Association, Inc. v. City of