EPA’s head compliance official, Susan P. Bodine, recently announced EPA’s intention to loosen regulatory enforcement for businesses in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a memo dated March 26, 2020, Bodine refers to pandemic conditions that have complicated enforcement, including a smaller workforce, social distancing requirements, and travel restrictions. Given all of these sudden, dramatic changes, EPA concludes that “efforts to protect workers and the public from COVID-19 may […]

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Atlantic Richfield Co. v. Gregory A. Christian, et al. (Case No. 17-498) is set for oral argument before the Supreme Court on December 3, 2019, and the outcome could have broad implications for private parties seeking to recoup costs from PRPs for cleanup activities that are beyond the scope of EPA’s chosen remedy under CERCLA. The case involves the Anaconda Smelter Superfund Site in Butte, Montana.  Contamination from the Anaconda […]

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In efforts to conserve endangered and threatened species, Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act of 1973 into law.  The Act establishes various programs to aid threatened species of fish, wildlife, and plants in the United States.  Subsequently, the Act has saved over two hundred species from extinction, including “the peregrine falcon, the humpback whale, the Tennessee purple coneflower and the Florida manatee.”  Under the Act, authority is given to […]

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On May 20, 2019,Nature Sustainability published a study detailing a seemingly counterintuitive climate solution, seeking atmospheric restoration by converting one greenhouse gas into another. Global warming has been commonly attributed to the increasing levels of carbon dioxide; however, studies suggest “methane is 84 times more potent in terms of warming the climate system over the first 20 years after its release.” Rob Johnson, the lead author of this Stanford-led paper, claims […]

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