Key Points As litigation under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) continues to drive lengthier and costlier environmental reviews, the use of "categorical exemptions" can provide a quick and efficient path towards CEQA compliance – but only if the exemption is legally sound and defensible. California's Fifth District Court of Appeal recently published Los Angeles Department of Water and Power v. County of Inyo (Cal. Ct. App., Aug. 17, 2021, No ...
Another wave of COVID-19 has spread all over Thailand and is raising understandable concerns and generating uncertainty among the business community. With our series of infographics, we take this opportunity to guide you on the key measures and best practices to help you mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on your business. Today, we highlight 4 practical steps with noteworthy considerations when implementing workforce restructuring options available to employers in Thailand ...
On September 2, 2021, Resolution of the Board of Directors Nº 017-2021-OEFA/CD (the “Resolution”) was published in the Official Gazette El Peruano, which amends the Regulation of the environmental emergency report of the activities under the purview of the Agency for Environmental Assessment and Enforcement- OEFA ...
The Minister of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (“DFFE”) recently published a notice inviting consultation on her intention to publish a National Guideline for Consideration of Climate Change Implications in Applications for Environmental Authorisations, Atmospheric Emission Licences and Waste Management Licences (the “Guideline”) ...
Kindly note that Decree No. 221, of the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security, was published today, extending the validity of Supreme Decree No. 102, of 2020, of the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security, which provides for the temporary closure of places authorized for the entry and exit of foreigners, due to public health emergency of international importance given the outbreak of the new Coronavirus (2019-NCOV) , until September 30, 2021 ...
Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has announced details of requirements for fund managers to address climate change in their investment and risk management processes and make appropriate disclosures. Where are the requirements set out? On 20 August 2021, the SFC issued: Consultation Conclusions on the Management and Disclosure of Climate-related Risks by Fund Managers with amendments to the Fund Manager Code of Conduct (FMCC) set out in Appendix B and C ...
The objectives in brief The Government would like to see the aquaculture industry grow, provided that it can do so in a sustainable manner. Statistics produced by the Directorate of Fisheries show that Norway produced and sold a total of just under 1.5 million tonnes of rainbow trout, trout and Atlantic salmon in 2020 ...
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when hospitals have increasingly experienced a shortage of beds and medical staff to take care of patients, telepharmacy has emerged as one of the most effective ways to reduce the number of people visiting not only the hospitals themselves but also pharmacies and health clinics. Telepharmacy is the provision of pharmaceutical care to patients remotely by registered pharmacists and pharmacies using telecommunications ...
Key Points Ninth Circuit reaffirms the “significant nexus” test for determining whether filling certain wetlands in 2007 violates the Clean Water Act The narrower test for determining the Clean Water Act’s jurisdiction under the 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule did not apply since it postdated the 2007 filling of the wetlands ...
Telemedicine and telehealth are newer and ever-expanding components of health care.[1] There are many viable arrangements for companies who wish to engage in telemedicine and/or telehealth and these arrangements can offer many benefits to the patients they serve. However, companies and licensed individuals who provide services should be careful to understand the state and federal regulatory framework under which they operate ...
Water Law On August 20, 2021, the Deputy Director of the Division of Water Rights (Deputy Director) of the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) issued water curtailment orders for the remainder of August and for all of September to approximately 4,500 water right holders in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed (Delta Watershed). These curtailment orders affect post-1914, pre-1914, and riparian rights, though in different ways, as described further below ...
The Green and Sustainable Finance Cross-Agency Steering Group co-chaired by the HKMA and the SFC (Steering Group) announced on 15 July 2021 the next steps to advance its strategy to bolster Hong Kong’s position as a leader in green and sustainable finance and help transition the financial ecosystem towards carbon neutrality ...
As we approach COP26 in Glasgow in November, a vast amount of policy development is underway to help develop the strategies we need to address the global climate crisis. A central challenge is changing consumer behaviour, which is a complex and multi-faceted issue. It raises questions around affordability, such as changing heating systems, purchasing zero emissions vehicles and better insulating our homes ...
“We have to hurry, we have to get faster in the fight against climate change.” Those were the words of Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, after surveying the devastation caused by record floods in western Germany in early July. Private transport is one of the world’s biggest sources of greenhouse gases, with emissions rising every year, and the transition to electric vehicles is fundamental in the fight against climate change ...
The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury, and the Office of Personnel Management recently issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR) implementing portions of the No Surprises Act enacted in December 2020 ...
The manufacturer of the official facemask for the Brazilian Football Confederation filed a court action against an e-commerce company, accusing it of offering similar items allegedly manufactured by third parties. The manufacturer of the official facemask for the men’s and women’s teams of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) filed a court action against an e-commerce company, accusing it of offering similar items allegedly manufactured by third parties ...
The cornerstone of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is access to information. CEQA generally requires local and state government agencies ("lead agencies") overseeing proposed projects to prepare project-related documents assessing potential environmental impacts. These documents inform decision-makers and the public of the project's potential environmental impacts ...
One issue which many employers are currently grappling with is whether to make vaccination against COVID-19 compulsory for employees returning to the workplace. In a 2-part article we consider this issue in the context of care homes and other workplaces. Care home employers In Part 1 of this article, we look at the situation for care home employers ...
Update: On July 28, 2021, an Interim Final Rule on COVID-19 Revenue Reduction Score, Direct Borrower Forgiveness Process, and Appeals Deferment was posted. That Interim Final Rule conforms the applicable PPP rules to provide that a timely appeal by the PPP borrower of a final SBA loan review decision extends the deferment period of the PPP loan until the Office of Hearings and Appeals’ decision becomes final. See below: “Consequences of an Appeal ...
In Thailand, each year, there are many projects developed by project developers, both governmental authorities and private entities. Before starting to develop a project, each project developer should not only be aware of commercial factors, but also be aware of the environmental factors of the project. One of the main environmental factors to be considered before starting the construction or operation of a project is the completion of an environmental impact assessment (“EIA“) ...