Environmental
$87 Million Each for Lead Firms in 2010 Oil Spill Litigation
News
Two Louisiana law firms – Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards of Lafayette and Herman, Herman & Katz in New Orleans – wiill get the biggest payouts.
Removal of Energy ‘Burdens’ Could Have Huge Impacts
Insight
A provision of the “energy independence” executive order signed by President Trump is so broad in scope that legal experts say it could affect numerous government responsibilities far beyond those that deal directly with energy and climate change, according to a post by Climate Central.
Ruling Against Acting NLRB GC Offers Opportunity for Employers
News
Employers who want to challenge their unfair labor practice complaints may want to delay their cases from being heard, according to a source quoted by the Society for Human Resource Management.
German Authorities Raid Jones Day Offices in VW Emissions Inquiry
News
German prosecutors raided the offices of Jones Day, the American law firm hired to conduct an internal investigation of Volkswagen’s emissions fraud, the AP reports.
Tillerson May Face Deposition About ‘Wayne Tracker’ Alias Emails
News
Tillerson sent the most sensitive messages to and from company board members, including communications about the risks associated with climate change, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said.
Monsanto Ghostwrote Cancer Studies of Its Own Weed Killer, Plaintiffs in Lawsuit Say
News
Plaintiffs claim that Monsanto’s toxicology manager ghostwrote parts of a scientific report in 2013 that was published under the names of several academic scientists, and his boss ghostwrote parts of another in 2000, according to a Reuters report.
EPA to the Oil and Gas Industry on its Request for Information: Never Mind
Insight
The EPA has announced that it will no longer demand detailed information regarding methane releases from gas production facilities and related equipment, reports Akin Gump in its AG Deal Diary.
Study Says Local Benefits From ‘Fracking’ Outweigh the Costs
Insight
The study explored revenue generated in communities where drilling takes place, local income and employment, benefits to local governments, decreases in the quality of life, and increases in housing prices.
Disaster Response for the Gulf Oil Spill Webinar
Event, March 16, 1 p.m. EST
Textron Systems will present a webinar demonstrating how remote sensing and geospatial mapping products can be employed to quickly respond to an evolving oil spill.
Addressing Environmental Claims and Obligations in Chapter 11
Event, Feb. 8, 1 p.m. EST
Practical Law and IWIRC NY offer a complimentary webinar addressing environmental claims and obligations in Chapter 11 with leading bankruptcy attorneys and advisors.
Pipeline Opponents Face High Legal Hurdles Challenging Trump
News
Reuters is reporting that opponents of two controversial oil pipelines face an uphill battle if they fight construction of the lines.
Texas Supreme Court Rules Pipeline Can Take Land by Eminent Domain
News
Typically, the power of eminent domain is granted to governmental entities rather than private institutions. Under Texas law, however, a common carrier has the right and power of eminent domain, according to Snell & Wilmer L.L.P.
Utility-Scale Battery Storage Systems: Legal Issues and Opportunities
Insight
Utility-scale battery storage projects present land use, permitting and environmental and health and safety issues, according to an article published by Farella Braun + Martell LLP.
Are We Dialing Down Nuclear Power at Precisely the Wrong Time?
Insight
Nuclear plants are disappearing at a faster rate than the EPA forecasted due to a variety of economic, regulatory and political factors, according to an article published by FTI Consulting Inc.
AG Depositions in Climate Change Probe Called ‘Highly Unusual’
News
A federal judge in Dallas has ordered the attorneys general of two Northeastern states to come to Texas next month to be deposed in a lawsuit brought by Exxon Mobil, according to a report posted by Androvett Legal Media & Marketing.
Energy Outlook: Platts U.S. Election Webinar
On-Demand
S&P Global Platts has posted an on-demand webinar taking a look at the potential impact the recent presidential election could have on petroleum, natural gas, power and metals.
Class-Action Attorneys Awarded $555.2 Million for Work in BP Suits
News
U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier pointed out that award represents about 4.3 percent of the estimated $13 billion that BP is expected to pay under the ongoing settlements, reports The Times-Picayune.
Folksy SC Lawyer Stares Down Duke Energy, Other Utility Giants
News
Frank Holleman never thought he’d become a nationally recognized authority on coal ash, a toxin-riddled waste that has power companies under scrutiny across the country, but five years after taking a job with a regional conservation group, Holleman is perhaps the one person utilities hate to see coming, writes Sammy Fretwell for The State of Columbia, S.C.
Freeborn Launches Environmental Law & Toxic Torts Practice Group
News
Environmental lawyer Philip Comella has joined Freeborn & Peters LLP to head the firm’s newly formed Environmental Law & Toxic Torts Practice Group. He previously worked in-house for a major waste-management company and 22 years at a large law firm.
Law Profs Issue Takedown of Decision Striking Fracking Rule
News
The 36 professors take issue with the lower court’s interpretation of the Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, writes E&E Publishing reporter Ellen M. Gilmer.
