The State Water Board adopted a regulation this week requiring the state’s largest urban retail water suppliers to report their monthly water use. A similar emergency policy was adopted on a mandatory basis during the last statewide drought; however, since November 2017, reporting has been implemented on a voluntary basis. The regulation affects California’s 400 largest water systems serving approximately 90% of the state’s population. The goal of collecting this […]

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The Supreme Court ruled today on an important environmental case involving common law and state statutory claims (Atlantic Richfield Co. v. Christian et al., case number 17-1498).The question before the court was whether Atlantic Richfield Company (“ARCO”) is liable for remediation by landowners at a Superfund site beyond that required by the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”). The answer is “yes—so […]

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Now that we are all stuck at home, it is a good time to check out our indoor air quality.  What could be polluting the air in your home? Pollutants can include emissions from combustion devices and gas-fired appliances, such space heaters, ranges, ovens, stoves, furnaces, fireplaces, and water heaters; cleaning supplies; pet dander; house dust mites; and mold.  In particular, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are all constantly cleaning […]

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If you live in California, you may have noticed the steep decline in prices at the pump. You can thank the U.S. EPA for that.  Every spring, gas prices seem to skyrocket. The difference between summer- and winter-grade gasoline involves the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) of the fuel. RVP is a measure of how easily the fuel evaporates at a given temperature. The more volatile a gasoline (higher RVP), the […]

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