Welcome to the S&W Environmental, Natural Resources, Oil and Gas Law Blog. This blog is a resource for the regulated community to stay current on new developments impacting the environmental, natural resources and energy sectors. It provides timely updates on a broad range of federal, state and local environmental topics — including proposed legislation and government rulemakings — that impact regulated industries throughout the southwest and the nation as a whole.
by Patrick J. Paul On June 10, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announced three actions demonstrating its commitment to help reduce the potential risks to the public from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). RELEASE Those actions included issuing a proposed rule that is designed to gather comprehensive data on more than 1,000 PFAS manufactured […]
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 […]
by Chris Colyer With the COVID-19 pandemic finally starting to subside, state and local governments are making up for lost time and enacting new environmental laws, rules, and policies at a breakneck pace. Consequently, companies find themselves having to rapidly adjust to new a new regulatory environment. To assist our reads to stay organized and […]
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 […]
by Fred Breedlove The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s April 24-Month Study, published this week, as expected, signals a significant likelihood of reduced water deliveries in the Lower Basin of the Colorado River to Arizona, California, and Nevada. Not only does it suggest a high likelihood of Tier 1 reductions for 2022 and 2023, but it […]
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 […]
by Denise A. Dragoo During the recent General Session, the Utah Legislature enacted several major energy bills which confirm the State’s continued investment in, and support of, both conventional and renewable energy sources. The Legislature consistently chose to promote “all of the above” as the energy mix for a more reliable electric grid. Following austerity […]
by Michael W. Patten The local economies of many communities in the southwest are tied to the operations of large coal-fired power plants. As those plants start closing, the communities can face significant disruption in their local economies through loss of jobs, tax revenues and other impacts. How to address those impacts involves both federal […]
by Michael C. Ford Changes are on the way for ASTM’s Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (“Phase I”) standard, the almost 30-year-old lynchpin of the transactional due diligence process. The American Society for Testing and Materials (“ASTM”) – the group that publishes the Phase I standards under the designation “ASTM E 1527” – regularly reviews […]
by Sean M. Sherlock Environmental justice is a principle that has been around since at least the 1990s, with roots back to the 1960s. The US EPA describes environmental justice as “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and […]
