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By Michael C. Murphy Today the New York Court of Appeals issued an opinion affirming local zoning laws adopted by two upstate towns that prohibited oil and gas-related activities within their borders. Specifically, the Court ruled that there was nothing...

On June 30, 2014, the New York Court of Appeals ruled that under the “Home Rule” principle, towns may ban oil and gas production activities, including but not limited to hydraulic fracturing, through the use of local zoning laws in the case...

By William A. Ruskin The New York Law Journal reported on January 2, 2014 that the Town of Prattsburgh, which, during the relevant time, had virtually no laws, codes or requirements on the books governing the installation of wind turbine facilities...

By Meredith James and Dianne Saxe. Helen Slottje, a lawyer in Ithaca, New York, was recently awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for her work “helping towns across New York defend themselves from oil and gas companies by passing local bans...

By Michael C. Murphy . On June 3rd, the New York Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in two cases challenging the authority of a municipality to ban certain oil and gas activities within its jurisdiction. The Court is reviewing two lower court...

by Dr. Fang Ye This article, written by a partner at a Shanghai, China, law firm, covers the conflicts between land zoning power and land development rights in China. It discusses the structure and legal attributes of the land zoning power in China...

By J. Cullen Howe, Environmental Law Specialist, Arnold & Porter LLP Zoning laws can sometimes make it more difficult for building owners to construct new green buildings or make existing ones more energy efficient. The New York City Department...

Columbia Law School's Center for Climate Change Law (CCCL) has prepared a first draft of a model small-scale solar-siting ordinance . The model ordinance offers a framework that can enable municipalities to implement and enforce the effective and...

Columbia Law School's Center for Climate Change Law (CCCL) has prepared a first draft of a model small-scale solar-siting ordinance . The model ordinance offers a framework that can enable municipalities to implement and enforce the effective and...

Columbia Law School's Center for Climate Change Law (CCCL) has prepared a first draft of a model small-scale solar-siting ordinance . The model ordinance offers a framework that can enable municipalities to implement and enforce the effective and...

By Russell L. Schetroma and Nathaniel I. Holland On Friday, July 27, the Commonwealth appealed the July 26, 2012 4/3 decision of the Commonwealth Court that struck down the provisions of Act 13 of 2012 that attempted to assure statewide uniformity...

By Russ L. Schetroma On April 11, 2012, a senior judge of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court entered a preliminary injunction deferring the effective date of the provisions of Pennsylvania's Act 13 of 2012 affecting the authority of local governments...

By Russell L. Schetroma and Nathaniel I. Holland In a 4-3 decision [ enhanced version available to lexis.com subscribers ], the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court struck down portions of the state's new law - dubbed Act 13 - governing Marcellus shale...

In a 4-3 decision, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court struck down portions of Act 13 of 2012, which had placed limits on the authority of local governments to regulate oil and gas industry activities. In its July 26, 2012 ruling on a legal challenge...

NEWARK, N.J. - (AP) An Islamic group has sued a suburban town it says engaged in religious discrimination by abruptly changing zoning regulations to prevent the opening of a mosque. Members of the Al Falah Center and local residents filed suit Tuesday...