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Environmental
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March 15, 2024
Alaska, Cos. Hit Feds With $700B Pebble Mine Takings Suits
The state of Alaska and a company behind the controversial Pebble Mine construction project filed separate takings lawsuits against the federal government in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims on Thursday, seeking more than $700 billion in damages for blocking development of the area that's home to important fisheries.
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March 15, 2024
Conservationists Seek Block Of Refuge Power Line Deal
Conservation groups are asking a Wisconsin federal judge to stop the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from executing a land swap that would let power companies run the Cardinal-Hickory Creek high-voltage transmission line across the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.
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March 15, 2024
DC Circ. Presses FERC On Justification For Pipeline Expansion
A D.C. Circuit panel on Friday questioned whether the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission had demonstrated that a Northeast pipeline expansion project was necessary to ensure that the region would have enough natural gas during extremely cold weather.
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March 15, 2024
SolarEdge Hit With Derivative Suit Over 2023 Earnings Miss
Current and former executives and directors of equipment maker SolarEdge Technologies Inc. face an investor's derivative suit in Manhattan federal court alleging they concealed distributor order cancelations and other developments that would ultimately result in a low quarterly revenue outcome.
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March 15, 2024
Divided 5th Circ. Rejects Atomic Waste Site Dispute Rehearing
A narrowly divided Fifth Circuit has widened a circuit split by refusing to reconsider its ruling that U.S. nuclear energy regulators illegally approved an atomic waste site in West Texas, ruling the Lone Star State and mineral owners could challenge the decision without participating in the licensing process.
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March 15, 2024
SEC, VW Reach $48.7M Deal To End 'Clean Diesel' Fraud Suit
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Volkswagen Group of America Finance told a California federal court on Friday that they have reached a $48.7 million settlement to end claims that the automaker defrauded U.S. investors in its scheme to cheat emissions standards in its vehicles.
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March 15, 2024
Fla. Tribe Urges No Pause In Suit Over State's Water Power
The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida on Thursday urged a federal judge not to pause its lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that alleges the state was improperly awarded authority over a Clean Water Act permitting program.
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March 15, 2024
Tribe, Teck Weigh In On Columbia Pollution Claims
A Teck Resources Ltd. unit is pushing back against the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation's argument that its claims for so-called tribal service losses for Upper Columbia River pollution were improperly dismissed, while a neighboring tribe is also urging a Washington federal judge to revisit a "clearly erroneous ruling."
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March 15, 2024
NC Landowner Sues Feds, Alleging Overreach In New Water Rule
A North Carolina landowner seeking to develop property in wetlands areas has sued the federal government over its recently amended Waters of The United States Rule, saying the rule, which includes provisions on "adjacent wetlands," directly contravenes the Supreme Court's ruling in Sackett v. EPA.
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March 15, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
The past week in London has seen Howard Kennedy face legal action by a London hotel chain, former racing boss Bernie Ecclestone and Formula One hit with a breach of contract claim by a Brazilian racecar driver, and a libel row between broadcaster Jeremy Vine and ex-footballer Joey Barton. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
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March 15, 2024
Direct Hit On Tax Regs Unlikely If Justices Ditch Chevron
A decision from the U.S. Supreme Court later this year on two cases challenging the so-called Chevron doctrine, which gives federal agencies wide latitude to interpret ambiguous laws, isn't likely to immediately affect tax regulations.
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March 14, 2024
EPA Proposes New Limits On Gas Distribution Facilities
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday finalized a rule strengthening toxic air pollution standards at gasoline distribution facilities, including storage tanks, loading operations and equipment leaks.
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March 14, 2024
Exxon Beats Insurers' Bid To Arbitrate Over MTBE Claims
A Texas appeals court sided with Exxon Mobil Corp. in the energy giant's attempt to forestall arbitration with an insurer over claims and lawsuits over exposure to methyl tertiary-butyl ether, ruling Wednesday that the trial court was right not to compel arbitration.
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March 14, 2024
Florida Seeks Faster Action In CWA Permitting Program Row
Florida is urging a D.C. federal judge to "accelerate the process" to determine if the state can retain some Clean Water Act permitting authority after federal approvals for its program were vacated, or else appeal an order that thrust a thousand pending projects into "unconscionable limbo."
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March 14, 2024
72-Year Weil Alum, 'True Visionary' Corporate Atty Dies At 97
Ira M. Millstein, the legendary Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP senior partner who helped save New York City from bankruptcy in the 1970s and used his bipartisan connections to help smooth Ruth Bader Ginsburg's path to the federal judiciary, has died, the firm said Thursday.
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March 14, 2024
PE Firm Riverspan Agrees To Pay $32M For Barretts' Assets
Barretts Minerals Inc. told a Texas bankruptcy court Thursday that a unit of private equity firm Riverspan Partners had won an auction for its assets with a $32 million cash offer, money that the talc-mining company intends to use to fund a settlement trust for alleged victims of asbestos exposure.
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March 14, 2024
Norfolk Southern Must Face Most Derailment Suit Claims
Norfolk Southern must face the bulk of the claims in consolidated suits brought over a train derailment and subsequent chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio, a federal judge ruled in a spate of opinions that also kept intact most of the rail giant's third-party claims against a chemical company and two railcar leasing firms.
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March 14, 2024
Mass. Lobstermen Win Case Fighting Feds' Fishing Closure
A Massachusetts federal judge ruled Thursday that the National Marine Fisheries Service illegally closed a 200-square-mile swath of ocean to protect the endangered North Atlantic Right Whales, backing a legal challenge by a lobster fishing industry group.
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March 14, 2024
Mont. Youths Urge State High Court To Uphold Climate Ruling
A group of youth plaintiffs on Wednesday urged the Montana Supreme Court to uphold a state court's ruling that invalidated laws barring the consideration of greenhouse gas emissions in permitting decisions.
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March 14, 2024
Backers Of Colo. Wolf Release Can Defend State's Plan
Defenders of Wildlife and other conservation groups can participate in a lawsuit seeking to block the further reintroduction of gray wolves into the state of Colorado, after a federal judge on Thursday said the groups have different interests from government agencies defending decisions related to the plan.
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March 14, 2024
Koch Can't Bring $30M Claim Against Canada Under NAFTA
Canada prevailed in a $30 million arbitration brought by Koch Industries over the province of Ontario's decision to cancel a cap-and-trade program in 2018, securing dismissal of the claim on jurisdictional grounds.
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March 14, 2024
Water Treatment Co. Must Face Rival's Trade Secrets Suit
A Tennessee federal judge has found that certain issues in a trade secrets suit against industrial water treatment service company ChemTreat need to go before a jury, shooting down arguments including that no trade secret was adequately identified.
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March 14, 2024
Bechtel Missed Subcontractor Targets On Nuke Waste Project
Bechtel National Inc. failed its subcontracting obligations while building a federal nuclear waste plant at the Hanford site in Washington state, lapses that cost businesses up to $700 million in missed opportunities, according to a watchdog agency report released Thursday.
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March 14, 2024
SEC Asks 5th Circ. To Hold Off On Climate Reg Ruling
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said it was too early for the Fifth Circuit to delay the implementation of freshly adopted emissions reporting requirements given that those requirements don't go into effect for another two years, offering the first glimpse of possible defenses it could use as it attempts to fend off lawsuits challenging the rules.
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March 14, 2024
Energy Dept. Floats $2.26B Loan For Nev. Lithium Project
The Biden administration is pitching a $2.26 billion loan to help fund lithium carbonate processing facilities at the controversial Thacker Pass mine in northern Nevada, saying they could support the production of as many as 800,000 electric vehicles a year.
Expert Analysis
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Louisiana's Toxic Tort Barrier May Be Weakening
Louisiana's short prescriptive period to bring a survival action has long served as an important barrier against toxic tort claims, but the plaintiffs bar will likely rely on the recent Fifth Circuit decision in Jack v. Evonik to argue that anyone who arguably suffered injury based on exposure to some toxic substance may have a claim, say attorneys at Kirkland.
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Opinion
Newman Suspension Shows Need For Judicial Reform
The recent suspension of U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman following her alleged refusal to participate in a disability inquiry reveals the need for judicial misconduct reforms to ensure that judges step down when they can no longer serve effectively, says Aliza Shatzman at The Legal Accountability Project.
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How 2 Cases Could Undermine The Anti-ESG Movement
A decision from a federal court in Texas and another case currently making its way through Missouri federal court signal an emerging judicial recognition of the link between environmental, social and governance considerations and maximizing financial returns, say Amy Roy and Robert Skinner at Ropes & Gray.
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EPA's Final PFAS Rule Greatly Expands Cos.' Reporting Duties
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recently released final regulation requiring reporting by entities that have manufactured or imported products containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances will require considerable time and attention from affected companies — including many that have not previously faced such obligations, say Lawrence Culleen and Judah Prero at Arnold & Porter.
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EPA Report A Reminder That Fuel Credits Are 'Buyer Beware'
A recent report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Inspector General is a reminder that fraud risk in the renewable fuel identification number market remains, and that purchasers are ultimately responsible for ensuring the validity of credits they buy, say David McIndoe and Nick Hillman at Eversheds Sutherland.
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Extreme Weather And Renewable Project Insurance Coverage
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
The regularity and severity of extreme weather events driven by climate change are putting renewable energy projects increasingly at risk — so project owners, contractors and investors should understand the issues that can arise in these situations when seeking recovery under a builder's risk insurance policy, say Paul Ferland and Joshua Tumen at Cozen O'Connor.
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Series
ESG Around The World: Japan
Japan is witnessing rapid developments in environmental, social and corporate governance policies by making efforts to adopt a soft law approach, which has been effective in encouraging companies to embrace ESG practices and address the diversity of boards of directors, say Akira Karasawa and Landry Guesdon at Iwata Godo.
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How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing
Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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A Case For The Green Investment Regime Under The ECT
The EU and U.K.'s potential plans to exit the Energy Charter Treaty, which has been criticized as protecting fossil fuel investments to the detriment of energy transition, ignore the significant strides taken to modernize the treaty and its ability to promote investment in cleaner energy forms, say Amy Frey and Simon Maynard at King & Spalding.
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Opinion
Judicial Independence Needs Defense Amid Political Threats
Amid recent and historic challenges to the judiciary from political forces, safeguarding judicial independence and maintaining the integrity of the legal system is increasingly urgent, says Robert Peck at the Center for Constitutional Litigation.
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ESG Accountability: From Reactive To Proactive
As more standards bodies and regulators develop and release their rules for sustainability and climate disclosures, organizations have an opportunity to establish leadership and unlock opportunities by making proactive commitments to tracking and reporting on environmental, social and governance issues, says Anthony Campanelli at Deloitte.
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How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies
Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.
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Opinion
Science On Human Health Effects Of PFAS Is Still Inconsistent
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances have soared to the top of environmental regulatory agendas, and dominated environmental news headlines — but scientific research into causal relationships between PFAS exposure and adverse human health effects is still unclear and inconsistent, say Jeffrey Dintzer and Samantha Van Winter at Alston & Bird.
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Leveraging Municipal Bonds For Green Energy Finance
The U.S.'s transition to renewable energy will require collaboration between public and private capital sources — and that means that lawyers used to working in corporate finance must understand how the municipal bond market functions differently, due to its grounding in the U.S. Constitution, says Ann Fillingham at Dykema.
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Mitigating Costs And Delays In The Energy Transition
Achieving net-zero will require constructing a massive amount of new wind, solar and energy storage infrastructure — and while cost overruns and delays are to be expected, contractors and owners can proactively address these problems in their project documents, say Christopher Ryan and Jesse Sherrett at Shearman.