On 1 October 2011 all private sewers and lateral drains in existence on 1 July 2011 that drain to the public network will transfer to the ownership of the water and sewerage companies. This transfer will apply to residential and commercial properties in England and Wales. It will bring about the biggest change in responsibility for sewerage services since 1937 ...
The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”), Pennsylvania Department of Environmental of Protection (“PADEP”), and environmental groups have quickly answered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) summons to ensure new energy extraction complies with environmental laws ...
The global focus on reducing greenhouse gases and promoting renewable energy cannot be ignored in today’s business environment. Whether your business deals directly in energy or not, EU green policy-making is likely to affect your costs: transport, shipping, heating, electricity - all are ultimately affected by EU legislation on energy and climate change. In March 2007, the Council of the European Union agreed a new Energy Policy ...
1. Industry Structure and Market Portugal is usually looked at as a potential oil-producing country attracting industry players on a regular basis to carry out prospection activities due to the extension of its coast. In fact, several public agencies and experts have identified the Portuguese off-shore and on-shore as having oil producing potential ...
INTRODUCTION TO DISPUTE RESOLUTION FRAMEWORK Ukraine is a civil law country with the Constitution being a principal source of law. The main sources of civil and commercial law are acts promulgated by the legislative and executive branches of the state. International treaties ratified by Parliament become part of national law and prevail in a conflict with domestic law ...
On June 20, 2011, Justice Ginsberg delivered the unanimous opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court in American Electric Power Company, Inc. v. Connecticut, holding that the Clean Air Act and EPA action under it displaced the federal common law nuisance claims against CO2 emitters that plaintiffs sought to pursue. Plaintiffs had sued four private power companies and the TVA, asking for a decree setting CO2 emission limitations at defendants’ power plants, with the limitations to be reduced annually ...
as published in West Virginia Executive magazine, June 2011The past few years have been an exciting time for oil and gas operators. The Marcellus Shale, previously uneconomical to produce, has been unlocked through the deployment of advanced drilling techniques, namely horizontal drilling and large-volume hydraulic fracturing ...
On 20 December 2010, the Government issued Government Regulation No. 78 of 2010 on Reclamation and Post Mining Activities (“GR No. 78”). It is the fourth Government Regulation issued pursuant to Law No. 4 of 2009 on Mineral and Coal Mining, along with several lower level regulations. Under GR No ...
Introduction Sustainable energy use has a significant place in Ukraine's energy policy. The Energy Strategy to 2030 and the Economic Reform Programme for 2010 to 2014 both identify switching to alternative energy sources and achieving greater energy efficiency as key priorities ...
Argentina has great geological potential and a very attractive regulatory framework that provides mining companies with important incentives, such as a 30-year fiscal stability period and several tax exemptions. However, in 2010, the Argentine mining industry faced certain issues prompted by regulatory trends in order to address social, environmental, and economic concerns towards mining ...
On 5th May 2011, the Italian Government approved the much¨Cexpected Ministerial Decree (the ¡°Decree¡±), establishing new tariffs for photovoltaic plants (¡°Photovoltaic Plants¡±) entering into operation from 1st June 2011 and until 31st December 2016. The Decree was published in the Official Gazette on 12th May 2011 and entered in force on 13th May 2011 ...
Recent decisions of the Australian Competition Tribunal provide an opportunity to reflect on the efficiency and cost effectiveness of limited merits review under the National Electricity Law (NEL) ...
The 2011 Regular Session of the West Virginia Legislature began and progressed in the midst of a frenzy of media attention focused on natural gas production activities in the Marcellus Shale formation and allegations of inadequate regulatory programs to assure proper State oversight of these operations ...
Introduction Based on the final report submitted on September 29 2009 by a working group established by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, on March 11 2010 the government submitted a draft for proposal to Parliament on new legislation in relation to a feed-in tariff system for electricity produced by renewable energy ...
For the third year in row, Václav Rovenský and Ján Béreš prepared an up-to-date overview of Czech legal regulations in the electricity sector for the worldwide publication Getting the Deal Through – Electricity Regulation 2011. The overview summarizes the current regulations of the electricity business in the Czech Republic and focuses inter alia on topics relating to the determination of electricity prices in the Czech Republic ...
On February 23, 2011, IOGA hosted a comprehensive day-long informational and training seminar on the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (“USEPA”) mandatory greenhouse gas (“GHG”) reporting rule for the oil and gas industry, Subpart W of 40 C.F.R ...
The situation is this: you represent a manufacturer in a tort dispute. During discovery, plaintiffs notice a Rule 30(b)(6) deposition of your client’s representative, but elect to forgo the deposition in exchange for negligible admissions filed by your client. Discovery has closed. The trial date is looming ...
The Québec mining industry is currently at the forefront of discussion, particularly in light of:* the publication of a study on the mineral industry cluster’s contribution to socio‑economic development in Québec, which occurred during the Mining Week (April 26th to May 2nd) organized by, among others, the Québec Mining Association and the Québec Mineral Exploration Association; a copy of this study is available on their website;(1)* the Fraser Institute A
Alternative dispute resolution benefits the public no matter what the outcome Attorney-General Robert McClelland continues to pus alternative dispute resolution after launching the report A Strategic Framework for Access to Justice in the Federal Civil Justice System late last year. One of its main recommendations is to encourage Commonwealth agencies to use ADR ...
The majority of disputes are settled before trial, and an increasing number are settled before proceedings are issued. The Civil Procedure Rules that provide the framework for litigation in England and Wales encourage parties to consider alternative ways to resolve their differences. There are a variety of techniques that can be utilised to achieve an early and cost effective settlement. Collectively, these are known as ADR ...
by Ronald W. SchulerAccording to insiders, with regard to a Pennsylvania severance tax, Governor Corbett will be holding firm on “no state tax, no local fee,” although it is likely that the legislature will nevertheless offer up a “local impact assessment” bill ...
by Andrew B. McCallisterAs the West Virginia Legislature passes the midway point of the 2011 Regular Session, oil and gas issues remain hot topics with several bills having the potential to directly impact Marcellus Shale operators. Perhaps most significantly are two bills (SB 258/HB2878 and SB 424/HB 3042) that would substantially alter the current regulatory regime for Marcellus Shale permitting in West Virginia ...
by Allyn G. TurnerOn February 8, 2011, the EPA sent a draft copy of its plan for studying the impact of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water to the Science Advisory Board for review and comment. As proposed, EPA’s plan would involve a “cradle to the grave” study of the practice, from the impacts of the withdrawals of water used to fracture a well to the ultimate disposal of the frac water flowback ...
