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Companies are Preparing for ESG Disclosure Rules
Public companies in the U.S. find themselves at a dynamic time of emergent environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) disclosures. New appointees in the Biden Administration, from the SEC and the...
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PFAS in a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment?
The question de riguer in commercial real estate transactions is if PFAS is included in a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment? As made clear by the January 14, 2021 EPA action, the response is “no”...
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There are More than 40 Million People in Modern Slavery
A January 18, 2021 report by the UK Independent Anti Slavery Commissioner is both a wake-up call and a useful guide on preventing modern slavery and human trafficking. In the Western world there are...
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EPA 2020 Enforcement Offers Insight
The Environmental Protection Agency’s has released the results of its 2020 enforcement and compliance efforts and those results offer significant insight that business can benefit from. In the first 5...
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Rare Earth Metal Theft by Catalytic Converter
The theft of catalytic converters to sell for the value of the rare earth metal components is a thing once again. A catalytic converter is a component part of the exhaust system of a fossil fuel motor...
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SEC to Update Required Climate Related Disclosures
On February 24, acting chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Allison Herren Lee, offered insight into the future direction of mandatory climate change disclosures and new ESG regulation,...
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Covid Pandemic Exposes More Children to Toxic Lead
Covid-19 school closures and lockdowns resulted in thousands of children having increased blood lead levels. In a study of this consequence of Covid-19, released by the Centers for Disease Control and...
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Now We Know What is Killing the Birds
A cause is now known for bird deaths that eluded scientists for more than 25 years. It is beyond dispute that there are human activities that have a known negative impact on the natural environment,...
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Green Buildings are Subsidizing Conventional Buildings Stymying Climate Progress
Green building bonds, which are higher rated and could provide cheaper capital for green building projects, can correct the current market that prices mortgages, green building or nongreen, the same,...
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Labor Department Will Not Enforce Anti ESG Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced that it will not enforce recently published final rules by the prior Administration on “Financial Factors in Selecting Plan Investments” and “Fiduciary Duties...
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Maryland Adopts 42 New Environmental Laws in 2021
The 442nd session of the Maryland legislature adjourned on April 12, 2021. There were no balloons dropped from the balconies at sine die, ostensibly because of Covid-19 social distancing there were no...
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Two Creeks, a Marsh and Two Lakes Sue a Florida Real Estate Developer
Two creeks, a marsh and two lakes are plaintiffs in a first of its kind complaint filed last month against a real estate developer and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Wilde Cypress...
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Maryland to Commit to World Economic Forum’s One Trillion Trees Initiative...
The Maryland legislature has enacted and the Governor is expected to sign legislation that will take effect on June 1, 2021 establishing aggressive state tree planting goals and a host of other...
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A Call for Comprehensive and Clearer ESG Disclosures
Last Wednesday, with a Dutch court finding Royal Dutch Shell partially responsible for climate change and ordering it to reduce emissions and two environmental activists being voted to Exxon Mobil...
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Revoking the Migratory Bird Treaty Act Incidental Take Rule, Once Again
Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposed rule to restore criminal penalties for accidental killing of migratory birds, revoking the January 7, 2021, final regulation that...
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EPA and Army Announce Intent to Revise “Water of the United States” Rule
Last week the Environmental Protect Agency and Department of the Army announced the agencies’ intent to initiate new rulemaking that restores the Obama era waters of the United States rule that was in...
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Good ESG Guidance Available in a Matter of Days
As we work with a flood of businesses now considering their place in the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) space, the number one concern that we hear expressed is A Call for Comprehensive and...
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Fireworks Cause Air Pollution But
In a literally explosive example of the right balance between environmental protection and people’s desire to celebrate is no environmental regulation, despite that fireworks degrade air quality with...
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DuPont Resolves PFAS Claims with Delaware
The State of Delaware and E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, The Chemours Company, DuPont de Nemours, Inc. and Corteva, Inc. (all “DuPont” related companies), businesses having operated in the State...
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Phase l Environmental Site Assessment Standard Being Revised
The Phase l Environmental Site Assessment Standard E1527-13 will sunset in late 2021, eight years from its approval on November 6, 2013. This is hugely significant because a Phase l Environmental Site...
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