In response to Governor Newsom’s “shelter-in-place” order for California, Bick Law has instituted a mandatory work-from-home policy for all attorneys and staff. As we are fully equipped to work remotely, we do not anticipate that this policy will interfere with our normal business operations. At present, we remain fully operational during normal business hours. Bick Law attorneys and staff, as always, are ready and available to serve our clients. In […]

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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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Last week, as part of the effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an Executive Order requiring all Californians to “shelter in place.” The Order requires all state residents stay at home, leaving only to engage in “essential activities.” The Order identifies 16 critical infrastructure sectors that provide services that are essential to the health and well-being of Californians. The sixteen sectors include: chemicals; commercial […]

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Yesterday, March 10, 2020, pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its first proposed Preliminary Regulatory Determinations for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) compounds in drinking water, specifically the two most common long chain compounds, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The comment period ends May 11, 2020. PFAS Regulation and CERCLA A federal drinking water standard would support EPA’s ongoing […]

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