Our previous post[1] covered the introduction of A.B. 303 (Addis), the “Battery Energy Safety and Accountability Act”, following a catastrophic fire at one of the world’s largest battery energy storage facilities located in Moss Landing, California, starting on January 16, 2025. As we explained, that bill, proposed as an urgency statute, would significantly curtail
Methane Emissions: Congress Votes to Eliminate November 2024 Waste Emissions Rule 
On March 4, 2025, Congress presented to the President H.J.Res.35, which is a joint resolution which would eliminate the rule, “Waste Emissions Charge for Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems: Procedures for Facilitating Compliance, Including Netting and Exemptions” (89 FR 91094). This
Deposing Corporate Representatives? You Might Get More Time Than You Think
In complex litigation, the strategic use of discovery tools is not just beneficial – it’s imperative. Every litigator knows that a well-executed deposition can be a game-changer by uncovering key admissions, streamlining discovery, and exposing weaknesses in an organization defendant’s case.
Among the various
On March 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order to boost U.S. mining and processing of critical minerals. It directs federal agencies to prioritize and fast-track permits for such projects, invoking the Defense Production Act and other measures to enhance domestic mineral production.
In what should be welcome news to industry and others who generate hazardous waste in California (including contaminated soil), the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), through the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), released a Draft Hazardous Waste Management Plan: A Modern Approach to a Circular Economy (Plan) on March 15. As provided
Affected landowners may be able to avail themselves of certain protections under state and federal environmental laws.
By Aron Potash and Cody M. Kermanian
In the aftermath of the wildfires in the Los Angeles area in January 2025, a cleanup effort is underway to facilitate the safe return of residents to their homes in Altadena
The landmark decision alters the NPDES permit landscape, shifting the focus to specific actions over general outcomes.
By Michael G. Romey, Benjamin D. Gibson, Lucas I. Quass, Phil Goldberg, and Cody M. Kermanian
On March 4, 2025, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in City and County of San Francisco
In a published opinion filed March 14, 2025, the First District Court of Appeal (Div. 2) reversed the trial court’s judgment upholding a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for a four-story, 75-room hotel/meeting hall/parking lot project on a 2.8-acre parcel in the City of Clearlake (“City”), due to the City’s failure to lawfully conduct a tribal
Regulatory Policy: Ninth Circuit Upholds Preliminary Injunction Ordering Reinstatement of USDA, Federal Employees 
On March 17, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an order denying an administrative stay and upholding the district court’s preliminary injunction, which ordered the reinstatement of probationary employees at several federal agencies, including the U.S.
The “California Assembly Select Committee on Permitting Reform Final Report – March 2025” (the “Report”), published earlier this month, sounds an alarm bell regarding the need to overhaul the state’s “failed approach to permitting” if it is to have any hope of addressing its interconnected housing and climate crises. Citing a housing shortage of 2.5