A district court permitted a contribution suit under CERCLA against a paper company to proceed in a case involving a site in Dayton, Ohio. The site was allegedly contaminated with numerous hazardous chemicals that were used in the paper-making process over the course of 100 years. A commercial prope...
Aerial drones are emerging as an effective tool for environmental monitoring and enforcement because of their ability to reach areas that would be otherwise inaccessible or cost-prohibitive. However, the regulatory framework has not developed as fast as the technology, raising concerns. As EPA and other agencies consider using drones to monitor industrial sites and farmland, many landowners claim it would be an invasion of privacy. Using drones for inspections also raises legal questions about information obtained from drone flyovers and the associated evidentiary requirements.
A district court held that an energy company violated the CAA when it undertook major modifications at its power plant without getting the proper permits and installing the best available pollution control technology. The energy company operated a plant that included two grandfathered coal-fired ele...
A district court denied a state water and power board's motion to dismiss a CERCLA suit brought by two goverment entities for costs related to a drain project in Lansing, Michigan. The government entities sued the board for the increase in costs assessed for the building of a storm drain in a distri...
The Sixth Circuit held that the CAA does not categorically prevent EPA from challenging preconstruction projections of whether and to what extent emissions will increase following new source construction. In March 2013, the appellate court reversed and remanded a district court ruling in favor of an...
The Tenth Circuit reversed a district court ruling that barred a mining company from pursuing a CERCLA contribution claim for the Lower Silver Creek/Richardson Flat site because of representations it made to a bankruptcy court concerning its settlement agreement with EPA. In 2009, as part of a Chapt...