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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While attending the ABA SEER 27th Fall Conference in Boston, Bick Law LLP learned directly from Matt Leopold, EPA General Counsel, that the final “Part 1” Waters of the U.S. rule was released yesterday, September 12.  Part 1 is the first of two phases of the WOTUS rulemaking that officially repeals the 2015 WOTUS rule enacted by the Obama Administration.  The preamble addresses the scope of agency authority under the […]

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On April 23, 2019, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an interpretative statement to clarify whether the permit program under the Clean Water Act (CWA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) applies to pollutants released from point source to groundwater.  The statement was created in response to the 50,000 comments received under the federal register notice posted on February 20, 2018.  After careful consideration of the public comments […]

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Considerable measures have been taken to minimize the public’s exposure to Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), two chemicals categorized into a larger group known as Per – Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).  With everyday items – such as food packaging, fire-fighting foam, stain- and water-repellant fabrics in some carpeting and clothing, non-stick pans, among others – laced with these chemicals, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has carefully studied […]

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