ÃÛÌÒÊÓÆµ

Environmental

  • April 22, 2025

    Wind Farm Work Stoppage Raises Energy Project Risks

    The Trump administration's recent move to freeze construction of a federally approved offshore wind farm has energy infrastructure developers concerned that their permits may not protect them from the government pulling the plug on their projects.

  • April 22, 2025

    US Intends To Proceed With Ariz. Copper Mine, Justices Told

    The U.S. government says there has been no doubt that it intends to proceed with a land exchange in Arizona for a planned multibillion-dollar copper mine, telling the U.S. Supreme Court that its recent notice of publication of a final environmental impact statement for the project does not constitute urgent review.

  • April 22, 2025

    Ohio Derailment Not Caused By Texas Hurricane, Rail Co. Says

    Railcar company GATX Corp. told a federal jury Tuesday that after three weeks of testimony, only a single witness had advanced Norfolk Southern's theory that a 2017 hurricane in Texas caused the hidden damage to a GATX-owned car that would eventually set off the 2023 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

  • April 22, 2025

    Phillips Steps Down As FERC Commissioner

    Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Commissioner Willie Phillips stepped down from his role on Tuesday, paving the way for President Donald Trump to install a Republican majority at the five-member agency.

  • April 22, 2025

    GAO Report Looks At Gen AI's Environmental, Human Effects

    Generative AI's promises to boost productivity and transform industries could benefit people, but it also comes with risks of social harm, and its effects on the environment remain unclear, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said in a report released Tuesday.

  • April 22, 2025

    Nuclear Startup To Go Public Through $475M SPAC Deal

    Nuclear startup Terra Innovatum said Tuesday it plans to go public at a valuation of $475 million by merging with special purpose acquisition company GSR III Acquisition Corp., joining several industry peers to go public through a SPAC deal.

  • April 22, 2025

    At Least 10 Firms Assist On $1B Barrick Gold Alaska Deal

    Barrick Gold Corp. said Tuesday it has agreed to sell its 50% interest in the Donlin Gold Project in Alaska to Paulson & Co. and Novagold Resources Inc. for $1 billion in cash, in a deal steered by at least 10 law firms.

  • April 21, 2025

    EPA Tells Enviro Justice Employees Reductions Are Coming

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday issued reduction in force notices to employees in the recently shuttered environmental justice and civil rights office, as part of the agency's plan to carry out President Donald Trump's order to get rid of all diversity, equity and inclusion positions.

  • April 21, 2025

    Calif. Judges Who Lost Homes Sue LA Over Palisades Fire

    A California federal judge and a retired federal magistrate judge whose homes were destroyed in the Pacific Palisades wildfire have sued the city of Los Angeles over the deadly inferno, saying two water reservoirs drained by the city's water department for repairs prior to the blaze substantially caused their losses.

  • April 21, 2025

    'Embarrassed' Judge Can't Yet Rule On Woolsey Fire Suit

    A Los Angeles judge told attorneys from Southern California Edison and the state of California on Monday he is "embarrassed" that he is unable to yet rule on the government's motion for summary adjudication in its complaint seeking recovery of funds distributed to local agencies during the devastating Woolsey Fire in 2018.

  • April 21, 2025

    New Cos. Added As 7 Other Firefighter Unions Join PFAS Suit

    Seven firefighters unions have joined a proposed class action accusing 3M Co., DuPont and safety gear companies of knowingly exposing first responders to cancer-causing "forever chemicals" in their protective equipment, according to a newly amended complaint filed in Connecticut federal court.

  • April 21, 2025

    AFGE Units Ask Court To Nix Agencies' Labor Contracts Suit

    American Federation of Government Employees affiliates told a Texas federal court Monday to dismiss a lawsuit from the Department of Defense and other federal agencies asking the court to allow termination of collective bargaining agreements, saying the government does not have standing.

  • April 21, 2025

    Wind Farm Co. Asks 10th Circ. To Undo Osage Teardown Order

    Enel Green Power North American Inc. is asking the Tenth Circuit to reverse a lower court's $4.2 million judgment and order requiring it to remove 84 wind turbines from the Osage Nation reservation, arguing that its conclusion of continuing trespass for the retention of backfill rocks is unprecedented and illogical.

  • April 21, 2025

    Offshore Leasing Withdrawal Ruling Not Moot, Court Told

    Environmental groups on Friday insisted an Alaska federal judge can reinstate her decision barring the Trump administration from undoing former President Barack Obama's withdrawal of offshore waters from oil and gas leasing, blasting the government's contention that the ruling remains moot.

  • April 21, 2025

    DOL Tells 5th Circ. It May Rescind Biden-Era ESG Rule

    The U.S. Department of Labor told the Fifth Circuit on Monday it's considering rescinding a Biden-era rule allowing retirement fiduciaries to consider issues like climate change and social justice when choosing investments, according to filings in a suit challenging the rule from conservative states and energy companies.

  • April 21, 2025

    Feds Vow To Cut NY Funds If Congestion Pricing Stays On

    The U.S. Department of Transportation on Monday amplified threats to pull federal funding for Manhattan roadway projects if congestion pricing continues, saying state officials now have until May 21 to explain why they're flouting a federal directive to halt the "unconscionable" program.

  • April 21, 2025

    Microchip Co. Wants USPTO To Apply New Rules Retroactively

    A California company behind a new kind of energy-efficient microchip says it's retained a former U.S. Patent and Trademark Office director in order to make the case that the agency's new rules over discretionary denials should be retroactively extended by seven days, in order to wipe out a partially successful patent challenge from a Chinese rival.

  • April 21, 2025

    Calif. Homeowners Say Insurers Colluded To Limit Coverage

    California property owners affected by the Los Angeles wildfires accused over 300 insurers of conspiring to eliminate competition in the marketplace, forcing consumers to instead obtain fire insurance from the state's insurer of last resort, according to two lawsuits filed in state court.

  • April 21, 2025

    Interior Says Offshore Air Rule Challenge Must Be Nixed

    The U.S. Department of the Interior and an oil and gas industry group on Friday said that the agency got it right in 2020 when it abandoned an Obama-era proposal to revise air pollution rules for offshore oil and gas operations.

  • April 21, 2025

    Unions Score Block On Orders To Fire Probationary Workers

    A California federal judge blocked the Office of Personnel Management from ordering federal agencies to fire probationary employees and stopped several agencies from heeding its directives, but he declined to order them to rehire the workers they've already let go.

  • April 21, 2025

    3 Firms Guide Brazilian Energy Producer's $155M SPAC Deal

    Brazilian oil refiner PX Energy on Monday agreed to merge with special purpose acquisition company Papaya Growth Opportunity Corp. I in a deal that will take PX public in the United States at an estimated $155 million value, guided by three law firms.

  • April 21, 2025

    Baker Botts Adds Enviro Ace From In-House Role In Houston

    Baker Botts LLP announced Monday that it has added a partner in Houston who brings more than 25 years of environmental law experience, including more than a decade on the legal team at Koch Industries.

  • April 21, 2025

    CMOC Buying Lumina Gold For $420M

    China's CMOC Group Ltd. has agreed to acquire Vancouver-based Lumina Gold Corp. in an all-cash deal valued at CA$581 million ($420 million), Lumina said Monday, as the miner looks to expand its gold portfolio in Latin America.

  • April 21, 2025

    Conn. Utility Says Regulators Must Hear PFAS Class Case

    Eversource Energy subsidiary Aquarion Water Co. of Connecticut on Monday said claims that it failed to protect consumers from PFAS chemicals boil down to accusations that a proposed class paid too much for water, asking a state superior court judge to toss a lawsuit that rate regulators hadn't seen first.

  • April 21, 2025

    Solar Co. Oya Gets OK On Ch. 11 Liquidation After Asset Sales

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Monday confirmed solar energy producer Oya Renewables' bid to liquidate through Chapter 11 under a plan supported by creditors, months after the company sold most of its assets for $39 million.

Expert Analysis

  • What Bisphenol S Prop 65 Listing Will Mean For Industry

    Author Photo

    The imminent addition of bisphenol S — a chemical used in millions of products — to California's Proposition 65 list will have sweeping compliance and litigation implications for companies in the retail, food and beverage, paper, manufacturing and personal care product industries, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Note 3 Simple Types Of Legal Complexity

    Author Photo

    Cases can appear complex for several reasons — due to the number of issues, the volume of factual and evidentiary sources, and the sophistication of those sources — but the same basic technique can help lawyers tame their arguments into a simple and persuasive message, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Permitting, Offtake Among Offshore Wind Challenges In 2024

    Author Photo

    Although federal offshore wind development started to pick up this year, many challenges to the industry became apparent as well — including slow federal permitting, the pitfalls of restarting permits after changes in project status, and the difficulties of negotiating economically viable offtake agreements, say attorneys at Liskow & Lewis.

  • Series

    Gardening Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Beyond its practical and therapeutic benefits, gardening has bolstered important attributes that also apply to my litigation practice, including persistence, patience, grit and authenticity, says Christopher Viceconte at Gibbons.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review

    Author Photo

    For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • The Fashion Industry Should Prep Now For State PFAS Bans

    Author Photo

    New York and California have each passed legislation regulating PFAS in apparel and other textiles, so retailers should consult with manufacturers and suppliers and obtain the requisite certification documents as soon as possible to avoid disruptions in supply chains, say attorneys at Venable.

  • California Supreme Court's Year In Review

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Horvitz & Levy highlight notable decisions on major questions from the California Supreme Court's last term, including voter initiatives, hostile work environment and the economic loss rule.

  • DC Circ. Decision Opens Door To NEPA Regulation Litigation

    Author Photo

    A recent D.C. Circuit decision in Marin Audubon Society v. Federal Aviation Administration could open the door to more litigation over the White House Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act regulations, and could affect how many agencies conduct and interpret environmental assessments, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Service Providers Must Mitigate 'Secondary Target' Risks

    Author Photo

    A lawsuit recently filed in an Illinois federal court against marketing agency Publicis over its work for opioid manufacturers highlights an uptick in litigation against professional service providers hired by clients that engaged in alleged misconduct — so potential targets of such suits should be sure to conduct proper risk analysis and mitigation, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Opinion

    FTC Actions In Oil Cases Go Against Its Own Rulemaking

    Author Photo

    Two recent Federal Trade Commission actions concerning the oil and gas industry appear to defy its own merger guidelines, with allegations that fall far short of the commission's own standard — raising serious questions about the agency's current approach, say attorneys at Clifford Chance.

  • How Global Data Center Regs May Influence US Policies

    Author Photo

    As regulators around the world react to the growth of data centers, and their increasing consumption of energy, water and land, international policies in this area may influence how the incoming U.S. administration regulates data centers in this country, say attorneys at HWG.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

  • Post-Election Implications For The EPA's Methane Rules

    Author Photo

    Amid the U.S. Supreme Court's recent denial of requests to halt implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's methane rule in two suits, and given the outcome of the election, a complete reversal of the methane rule is expected, but state-level policymaking and enforcement will continue, says John Watson at Spencer Fane.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

    Author Photo

    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Environmental archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!