To respond effectively to climate change, local, state, and federal governments should adopt complementary policies, but that’s much easier said than done. A case in point is the drive to reduce emissions from the building sector, which accounts for nearly
Latest from Environmental and Land Use Law
Appeals Court Divests Conservation Commissions’ Wetlands Jurisdiction After Missed Deadline
On January 26, the Massachusetts Appeals Court issued a decision in Boston Clear Water Company, LLC v. Town of Lynnfield, finding a Conservation Commission lost jurisdiction over a project before its’ review even began. The case reaffirmed the Appeals
Biden-Harris Administration Proposes NEPA Regulatory Revisions
After nearly 50 years with little change, the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) regulations are facing their second substantive revisions in less than 12 months.[1] In September 2020, the Trump Administration oversaw a series of regulatory revisions that greatly
Federal PFAS Cleanup Regulation on the Horizon
Federal regulators recently picked up the pace in controlling the class of persistent environmental toxins known as PFAS, as the nation’s eyes increasingly focus on this problem. Local governments, airports, and potentially responsible parties should pay particularly close attention to
Supreme Court Creates New “Functional Equivalent” Test For Groundwater Discharges
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay.
Wading into a dispute about the Clean Water Act’s applicability to groundwater discharges, the Supreme Court handed environmentalists a somewhat surprising victory in County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund. However, the lower courts,
Supreme Court Creates New “Functional Equivalent” Test For Groundwater Discharges
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay.
Wading into a dispute about the Clean Water Act’s applicability to groundwater discharges, the Supreme Court handed environmentalists a somewhat surprising victory in County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund. However, the lower courts,
How COVID-19 is Affecting Environmental Permitting
As government agencies at every level continue to implement programs to combat the spread of the Coronavirus, many environmental practitioners are struggling to make sense of what this means for their environmental permitting timelines. Below, we have compiled an overview
How COVID-19 is Affecting Environmental Permitting
As government agencies at every level continue to implement programs to combat the spread of the Coronavirus, many environmental practitioners are struggling to make sense of what this means for their environmental permitting timelines. Below, we have compiled an overview
Massachusetts and Federal Updates on PFAS Regulation
Image by Baudolino from Pixabay
On February 20, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it would begin a regulatory determination process aimed at deciding “whether or not to begin the process to propose and promulgate a national primary
Massachusetts and Federal Updates on PFAS Regulation
Image by Baudolino from Pixabay
On February 20, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it would begin a regulatory determination process aimed at deciding “whether or not to begin the process to propose and promulgate a national primary