by Patrick J. Paul On June 9, 2021, in a move that came as a surprise only for its delay in being announced and not at all in the substance of the announcement itself, the EPA and US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) announced their intent to revise the definition of “waters of the United […]
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by Patrick J. Paul On April 27, 2021 Governor Doug Ducey sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin requesting the Department of Defense (DOD) identify and treat water in Arizona contaminated in the areas surrounding four defense installations and prevent additional human exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from other DOD facilities in […]
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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 […]
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by Patrick J. Paul On February 23, 2021 the US Air Force issued a press release announcing its distribution of bottled water to homeowners and businesses immediately east of Luke Air Force Base following the discovery of Perfluoroctanoic (PFOA) and Perfluoroctane Sulfonate (PFOS) in drinking water samples. The Air Force Civil Engineer Center recently conducted sampling […]
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By Patrick J. Paul Consistent with his campaign promises to establish a diverse cabinet and leadership team, representative of both the national community and his own philosophy on environmental, energy and climate change issues, President Biden’s natural resource leadership team reflects just that. New EPA Administrator, Michael Regan, a former EPA employee having worked in […]
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By Patrick J. Paul Three weeks into the administration of President Biden and Vice-President Harris, early indications suggest a commitment to maintaining campaign promises with respect to numerous energy and environmental-related issues including climate change and environmental justice. On Inauguration Day, January 20, President Biden executed a number of executive orders seeking to undo changes […]
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By Patrick J. Paul On January 14, 2021, Colorado published its Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap, representing the most substantive planning process the state has ever undertaken on climate leadership, pollution reduction and clean energy transition. The Roadmap is a testament to the efforts of numerous state agencies including the Colorado Energy Office and the Departments of […]
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By Patrick J. Paul On January 14, the Federal Aviation Administration approved the first fully automated commercial drone flights by granting Massachusetts-based American Robotics, Inc. permission to operate drones without hands-on piloting and “beyond-visual-line-of-site” (BVLOS) through January 31, 2023. Weighing less than 20 pounds, American Robotics’ Scout drones utilize acoustic technology to detect and avoid […]
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by Patrick J. Paul On January 13, 2021, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) announced revisions to its Nationwide Permit (NWP) Program under the Clean Water Act. The final rule reissues 12 existing NWPs and creates four new NWPs. Major changes to existing NWPs include removing limits on stream loss measured in linear feet from […]
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by Patrick J. Paul As the page is turned on 2020 and some hope exists with respect to a COVID-19 vaccine, Arizona finds itself with the dubious distinction of leading the nation in COVID-19 cases per 100,000. Against this regrettable backdrop, Governor Ducey earlier today announced $500,000 in funding to support a wastewater testing pilot […]
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