On Tuesday, December 11, 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers (“ACE”) proposed a rule revising the definition of “waters of the United States.” The so-called WOTUS rule defines the scope of Clean Water Act (“CWA”) jurisdiction and the permitting requirements thereunder, and has been in the hot seat for
Lauren Rucinski
Net Neutrality Repealed: What it Means for Business
By Lauren Rucinski & Devin Ricci on
Posted in Business and Corporate, Intellectual Property
As of December 14, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) repealed the so-called net neutrality regulations in a 3 to 2 vote along party lines. But what does this mean and how may this decision affect you or your business?
To be honest, it is too early to tell if derailing the short-lived regulation of…
Stay of the Stay: RMP Rule Evaluation Moves Forward
By Lauren Rucinski on
On August 30, 2017 the D.C. Circuit denied environmental and labor groups’ request to stay the Tump EPA’s final rule delaying the Obama-era amendments to the EPA’s Risk Management Program (“RMP”) rule. The RMP rule implements Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act and requires facilities that use extremely hazardous substances to develop and update…
EPA Approves Emergency Fuel Waiver for Areas in Louisiana in Response to Hurricane Harvey
By Lauren Rucinski on
On August 28, 2017, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) approved an emergency fuel waiver for areas for Louisiana affected by Hurricane Harvey. The waiver is an effort to minimize or prevent problems with the supply of gasoline. Sixteen parishes in the state are required to sell low Reid vapor pressure (“RVP”) gasoline,[i] having a…
A Plethora of Cases Could Affect WOTUS Rulemaking
By Lauren Rucinski on
The US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has an opportunity to rule on controversial Clean Water Act wetlands jurisdictional requirements through the appeal of a Montana man’s conviction for polluting a navigable waterway. US v. Joseph Robertson, No. 16-30178 (C.A. 9). The timing of the appeal could affect the Trump administration’s efforts to take…
Silicone Facility to Pay $1.5M in Fines for Monitoring and Reporting Violations
By Lauren Rucinski on
Posted in Environmental Litigation and Regulation
On May 4, 2017, Momentive Performance Materials Silicones, LLC (“MPM”) agreed to a settlement with the United States, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), and the State of New York, that requires MPM to pay $1.5 million in fines. The action was brought against MPM pursuant to Sections 113(a) and (b) of the…