Environmental

Recent Posts

State Net Capitol Journal – Here Comes El Nino and Drought Stokes Wildfires in Western States
Posted on 19 Oct 2015 by State Net

California Update: Here Comes El Nino While much of the West suffers through an epic drought that has contributed to a deadly fire season, state and local officials are bracing for a severe El Nino winter that could bring substantial rain along the... Read More

USFWS WV Field Office Guidance on Bat Conservation Plans – Proceed Cautiously
Posted on 26 Aug 2015 by Steptoe & Johnson PLLC

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has released the “Guidance on Developing and Implementing a Myotid Bat Conservation Plan. http://www.fws.gov/westvirginiafieldoffice/PDF/WVFO_IBCP.pdf . Key teaching points about this guidance are raised in the following... Read More

California State Water Resources Control Board Issues Drought Regulations Restricting Certain Water Uses and Ordering Curtailments in Several Watersheds
Posted on 25 Sep 2014 by Duane Morris LLP

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, California is experiencing severe to exceptional drought conditions. Twice in 2014, California Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr. has issued proclamations regarding the State of Emergency related to... Read More

California Governor Issues Drought Emergency Proclamation for 25-Percent Urban Water Conservation
Posted on 27 Apr 2015 by Duane Morris LLP

On April 1, 2015, California Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. issued an Executive Order to address the significant drought conditions in the state. This Alert provides a summary of the key measures, which are effective immediately. 25-percent urban... Read More

Governor Jerry Brown Urges Conservation As California Runs Dry
Posted on 4 Feb 2014 by State Net

BROWN URGES CONSERVATION AS CA RUNS DRY: With the state facing its worst drought in decades, California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) urged Golden State residents last week to cut back their water usage wherever possible. Brown said residents should voluntarily... Read More

Roadless Rule Emerges Victorious From Decade of Legal Challenges
Posted on 2 Dec 2012 by LexisNexis Environmental Law Community Staff

By Mr. Michael Anderson Get the latest expert analysis on the federal "Roadless Area Conservation Rule," which bans road building and logging on millions of acres of national forest land in numerous states. This article includes an overview... Read More

Migration patterns of bluefin tuna result in an over-estimation of their numbers, and complicate option for management plans
Posted on 20 Dec 2008 by Thomas H. Clarke, Jr.

A number of strategies have been noted in prior posts for increasing marine life in a particular area. In terms of commercial fishing, two strategies that have shown some success have been a) the creation of islands of no-fishing, which allow all marine... Read More

Conservation could reduce peak electricity demand by 20%, notes FERC report
Posted on 16 Aug 2009 by Thomas H. Clarke, Jr.

A recent FERC report notes that conservation measures by both business and residential electricity customers (known as demand response programs) could reduce peak demand by as much as 20%. The decreased demand could prevent the need for several hundred... Read More

Can the decreasing size of fish due to fishing be reversed? Perhaps
Posted on 23 Apr 2009 by Thomas H. Clarke, Jr.

The common practice of catching only the larger fish in a population becomes an evolutionary pressure for later generations to stay small and grow slow, a problem seen emerging with a number of fish species commonly taken for food. A recent study suggests... Read More

National Marine Fisheries Service concurs, pesticides acting together harm salmon
Posted on 23 Apr 2009 by Thomas H. Clarke, Jr.

As noted in a prior post, researchers have found that various pesticides act synergistically to harm salmon. The report by scientists of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center evaluated the effects of 5 of the most extensively used pesticides in the Pacific... Read More

Contrary to popular belief, leave them alone and damaged ecosystems will bounce back much more rapidly than believed
Posted on 6 Sep 2009 by Thomas H. Clarke, Jr.

Many studies on various aspects of the global environment provide evidence that humankind is inflicting significant damage to the ecosystems that support human livelihoods. Many such studies also predict that ecosystems will take centuries to recover... Read More

EPA issues draft specification for high-efficiency flushing urinals to qualify for WaterSense label
Posted on 21 Feb 2009 by Thomas H. Clarke, Jr.

The EPA WaterSense program [see http://www.epa.gov/watersense/ ] targets decreasing the amount of water used by various fixtures. EPA has now issued a draft specification for high efficiency flushing urinals [see http://www.epa.gov/watersense/pp/urinals... Read More

California proposes a very flawed plan to "reduce" urban water use
Posted on 10 Jun 2009 by Thomas H. Clarke, Jr.

A coalition of Federal and State agencies has released a draft report making recommendations on how California can reduce per capita urban water use by 20% by the year 2020. The result of the effort includes numerous recommendations on reducing per capita... Read More

ISO issues design guide for energy efficiency in new buildings
Posted on 21 Feb 2009 by Thomas H. Clarke, Jr.

The International Organization for Standardization is a network of national standards institutes of 157 countries. ISO has a Geneva-based secretariat to coordinate the system. Individual member organizations may suggest new standards, which are then developed... Read More

Energy conservation vs. public health: The case for very hot water
Posted on 15 Jan 2009 by Thomas H. Clarke, Jr.

For years, conservation advocates have told consumers to turn down the thermostat on their hot-water heaters to save energy and avoid scalding showers and baths. At least for some people, however, this tactic could prove dangerous. Experts note that the... Read More