Environmental

Recent Posts

New Rule Clarifies Federal Government Authority to Regulate Certain Bodies of Water
Posted on 1 Jul 2015 by Ballard Spahr LLP

By Brendan K. Collins and Michael C. Duffy The final Waters of the United States rule, jointly proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last spring, was signed on May 26, 2015, and aims to clarify... Read More

Waters of the U.S. Rule on Nationwide Hold
Posted on 26 Oct 2015 by Ballard Spahr LLP

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has stayed nationwide application of a controversial rule designed to clarify what water bodies and wetlands are subject to federal Clean Water Act regulation in a 2-1 decision, [subscribers can access an... Read More

U.S. EPA and the Army Corps Finalize Much-Anticipated “Waters of the United States” Definition
Posted on 10 Jul 2015 by Foley & Lardner LLP

On May 27, 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) issued a highly anticipated revision to the federal definition of “waters of the United States.” By expanding... Read More

EPA and Corps Define “Waters of The United States”
Posted on 21 Jul 2015 by Williams Mullen

By: Channing J. Martin EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers have promulgated a final rule defining the scope of federal jurisdiction over wetlands and other “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act. Dubbed the “Clean... Read More

EPA Enjoined From Enforcing New WOTUS Rules
Posted on 17 Nov 2015 by Steptoe & Johnson PLLC

Last month, the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, [subscribers can access an enhanced version of this opinion: lexis.com | Lexis Advance ], pushed aside jurisdictional questions and issued a stay, effective nationwide, blocking... Read More

“Clearing” the Waters – U.S. EPA and the Army Corps Finalize “Waters of the United States” Definition
Posted on 9 Jul 2015 by Foley & Lardner LLP

On May 27, 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“U.S. EPA”) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) issued their highly anticipated final revision to the definition of “waters of the United... Read More

New EPA and USACE Regulations Revise Definition of "Waters of the United States"
Posted on 13 Oct 2015 by LexisNexis Insurance Law Newsroom Staff

By Mr. Ken Bogdan and Mr. Al Herson Under Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) must issue a permit for discharges of dredged or fill material into "waters the United States" (WOTUS). On June 29, 2015... Read More

Creative Sentence For Ontario Concrete Company
Posted on 9 Jul 2015 by Dianne Saxe

A Sudbury ready mix concrete company, Rainbow Concrete Industries Ltd ., pleaded guilty to one count under s. 30 of the Ontario Water Resources Act , for discharging concrete waste water into a Sudbury creek, and received a creative sentence plus a fine... Read More

Waters of the United States – D.C. Circuit Home Builders II Opinion
Posted on 18 Aug 2015 by Steptoe & Johnson PLLC

Persistence is a good trait in the arena of appellate advocacy, but sometimes it is difficult to know when to keep pushing or when to stop. It may be that a signal was sent in the concurrence written by Senior Circuit Judge Silberman, with whom Senior... Read More

Clean Water Rule Opens Litigation Floodgates
Posted on 13 Jul 2015 by Williams Mullen

By A. Keith "Kip" McAlister, Jr. With much fanfare, EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) recently issued a final rule clarifying which bodies of water are “waters of the United States” protected under the... Read More

Even toxics can act as a generic selection factor in the environment
Posted on 22 Feb 2011 by Thomas H. Clarke, Jr.

One of the themes of this blog has been that virtually anything present in the environment can act as a selection factor influencing the course of evolution. A recent study on fish and PCB's and dioxins illustrates this point. Unfortunately for humans... Read More

Amphibians face threats from chemicals across the landscape
Posted on 30 Dec 2010 by Thomas H. Clarke, Jr.

Numerous prior posts have noted various theories and evidence for the reduction in number of frogs found in various environments. Taking a step back from focusing on agricultural lands and practices, some researchers are surveying the presence of frogs... Read More

Decker v. Northwest Environmental Defense Center makes some interesting points on the scope and interpretation of the CWA
Posted on 27 Mar 2013 by Thomas H. Clarke, Jr.

In Decker v. Northwest Envtl. Def. Ctr ., 2013 U.S. LEXIS 2373 (3/20/13), the Court addressed stormwater runoff from logging roads in Oregon. Georgia-Pacific et al used two logging roads from which rainwater runs off into ditches, culverts, and channels... Read More