Environmental Law

1st Calif. Conviction Over Too-Shady Trees

A six-year legal battle over a California couple’s beloved redwoods has ended in defeat for them and victory for a next-door neighbor who says the too-shady trees interfered with the solar energy panels on his home. Two of the trees have grown big enough to violate the state’s little-known Solar…

Feb 22, 2008 4:59 PM CST

Appeals Court Compares EPA to Queen of Hearts, Strikes Down Mercury-Swap Rule

A federal appeals court alluded to Alice in Wonderland when it ruled today that the EPA violated federal law by adopting rules allowing some power plants to exceed caps on mercury emissions. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down an EPA proposal that would…

Feb 8, 2008 6:29 PM CST

City Sues Man For Canceling Trash Pickup Service

The city of San Carlos, Calif., is suing one of its residents—an avid recycler—because he’s no longer in need of the city’s garbage-collection service. Served with the lawsuit at his home on Sunday, 53-year-old Eddie House told the San Francisco Examiner that he was shocked by the suit. “I don’t…

Jan 31, 2008 10:49 PM CST

Md. Judge Criminally Charged in Environmental Case

A Maryland judge who has served on the bench for nearly 25 years has been criminally charged in an environmental case resulting from work done at his waterfront vacation home. The charges against District Judge Askew Gatewood Jr., which carry a potential prison term of up to seven years, if…

Jan 24, 2008 8:22 PM CST

Hot Practice Area: Global Warming

Law firms that began focusing on global warming as a specialization in recent years are seeing their practices heat up. As the climate-change issue has become politically recognized, it is the subject of increased regulation and government funding. Hence, corporations need counsel to lobby Congress for favorable rules on carbon…

Jan 22, 2008 5:05 PM CST

Lawsuit Question: Is Stray Voltage or Lack of ‘Cow Comfort’ Thinning Herds?

At least six lawsuits in southern Minnesota contend stray voltage from overloaded power lines is harming cattle. Electricity needs to run in a complete circuit, but sometimes it can’t return to its source because of power line disrepair or overload, the Associated Press reports. When blocked, the electricity goes into…

Jan 10, 2008 7:23 PM CST

AIG Unit Agrees to Pay $42.5M for Environmental Cleanup

A subsidiary of American International Group Inc. has agreed to pay $42.5 million to clean up environmental contamination at four industrial facilities that had been owned by Fruit of the Loom. The money will be used to clean up four sites in Michigan, New Jersey and Tennessee, the Associated Press…

Jan 10, 2008 6:51 PM CST

Calif. Sues EPA Over Greenhouse Gas Emissions

California sued the EPA today after the federal agency rejected the country’s first law imposing greenhouse gas limits on automobiles. The suit in the San Francisco-based 9th Circuit was expected after the EPA on Dec. 19 denied California’s bid for a Clean Air Act waiver. The Associated Press reports that…

Jan 2, 2008 10:39 PM CST

Ending the Paper Chase

ABA, EPA seek smaller eco-footprint from law firms

Jan 1, 2008 8:44 PM CST

Greenbacks for Going Green

When law firms talk about going green, they may be doing more than simply recycling scratch paper.

Jan 1, 2008 8:42 PM CST

Calif. to Sue EPA for Blocking State’s Tough Emissions Standards

The state of California plans to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for rejecting its plan to implement tougher air quality standards for cars and trucks. Aides to California Attorney General Jerry Brown confirmed the state will file suit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, where…

Dec 21, 2007 4:15 PM CST

Man Could Get 35 Years in ‘Arborcide’

A 60-year-old Nevada man who was convicted by a jury last month of slaughtering trees worth some $250,000 in one what attorney termed an “arborcide” reportedly faces up to 35 years in prison. However, a lawyer for Douglas Hoffman plans to ask for probation for his client, who is presently…

Dec 4, 2007 6:23 PM CST

Nixon Peabody Appoints Sustainability Officer

Nixon Peabody has appointed a chief sustainability officer to bolster the law firm’s environmental efforts as well as its image with clients. Carolyn Kaplan, a lawyer in the firm’s energy and environmental practice, will spend a quarter of her time in the new position, the Recorder reports. She told the…

Nov 26, 2007 2:19 PM CST

Appeals Court Tosses SUV Emissions Standards

A federal appeals court has tossed new fuel economy standards for light trucks, saying the government failed to consider the economic impact of emissions that contribute to global warming. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also said the government should explain why it set lower standards for light trucks,…

Nov 16, 2007 11:38 AM CST

Appeals Court Orders Narrowed Relief in Whale Sonar Case

A federal appeals court is requiring the Navy to lessen the harm caused by its sonar to whales and other marine life. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said a solution needs to be worked out before naval exercises begin in January off the coast of Southern…

Nov 14, 2007 7:05 PM CST