Finally, It’s Here: European Commission Adopts EU Taxonomy and Other Measures to Facilitate Sustainable Transition
New ESG and Gender Diversity Requirements for Listed Companies and IPO Applicants Proposed by Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Volkswagen asks the Supreme Court to Clarify the Role of States in Regulating a Manufacturer’s Post-Sale Vehicle Conduct
Briefing for certiorari has recently completed in Volkswagen v. Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County. The challenged Ninth Circuit decision, if permitted to stand, could have significant effects on federal administration of motor vehicle emissions regulations, and enforcement actions against auto manufacturers.…
Appellate Division Affirms Rejection of Experts’ Net Opinion; Dry Cleaners Are Not Abnormally Dangerous
The Appellate Division’s recent unpublished decision in Meyer v. Constantinou (April 16, 2021; Dkt. No. A-1793-18) affirmed the exclusion of an environmental expert report as a net opinion for ignoring key facts without sufficient reason. The decision also affirmed the trial court’s finding that dry cleaners are not abnormally dangerous and therefore not subject to strict liability.
The case involved a disputed source of solvent contamination. Specifically, a gas station/auto repair shop discovered PCE contamination…
FERC Focusing On Electric Transmission Incentives
FERC recently took two actions regarding its transmission rate incentives policies. FERC proposed to scale back an earlier proposed increase in the return on equity (ROE) premium allowed in the rates of transmission owners that join Transmission Organizations such as RTOs/ISOs and proposed to clamp limits on its term. The Commission also scheduled a workshop to address performance-based incentives for transmission technology deployment. Both actions were taken in the context of a March 2020 Notice…
OSHA Advises Employers Not to Record Adverse Reactions From Voluntary COVID-19 Vaccines on the 300 Log
Supreme Court Denies Review of And Depublishes Second District Refinery Project Case Addressing CEQA Baseline Issues
Falling more into the category of “spring cleaning” than “breaking news,” readers should note that a Second District decision, published last spring and covered in this blog, was ordered depublished by the California Supreme Court late last summer.…
Agricultural Law Weekly Review – Week Ending April 16, 2021
Colorado River Lower Basin States Face Tier 1 Shortage and Maybe More
NASA Flies First Drone Ever on Another Planet
By Patrick J. Paul
On April 19, 2021, America’s civil space program – the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) made history when its Mars Ingenuity helicopter made the first ever powered, controlled flight on another planet. With it, the once comical world of the Jetsons becomes increasingly real.
The solar-powered helicopter first became airborne at 3:34 a.m. EDT – 12:33 Local Mean Solar Time (Mars time) – when NASA’s Ingenuity team determined it would…