August 18, 2022 By: Peter McGaw and John Epperson By now, readers likely are familiar with the series of “retail hazardous waste” enforcement actions being brought across the state of California. For several years, various retailers have been targeted for coordinated, state-wide enforcement by local District Attorneys based on undisclosed, behind-the-scenes “dumpster audits.” These businesses are then accused of disposing of hazardous waste in their trash ...
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Industrial Revolution produced radical transformations not only in technology, including an ever increasing use of fossil fuels, but also in economic policies and social structure ...
With the spotlight recently cast upon it by the burgeoning Marcellus and other shale reserve developments, the oil and gas (“O&G”) industry has found itself increasingly the object of regulatory scrutiny. While the majority of commentary and new regulation has focused on the O&G industry’s fracking activities, the heightened regulatory attention has led to new levels of exposure in areas which the industry has traditionally not had extensive entanglement ...
With the spotlight recently cast upon it by the burgeoning Marcellus and other shale reserve developments, the oil and gas (“O&G”) industry has found itself increasingly the object of regulatory scrutiny ...
Join Schwabe for an exclusive screening of The West Is Burning, followed by a panel discussion with the creators of the film. Schwabe Natural Resources attorneys Greg Fullem and Janna Davydova are excited to introduce you to the filmmakers of the documentary. After a private screening, there will be an opportunity to connect with the creators of the film, ask questions, and learn about what comes next for the forests that shape the landscape of the West Coast ...
If 2015 is considered to be the “Year to Amend and Extend,” then 2016 is setting up to be the “Year of Reckoning.” Last year began with high hopes for a reset to the oilfield activity levels of mid-2014, which did not materialize. Market conditions appeared to stabilize in the middle of 2015 at an activity level to support an oil price of $60 per barrel, but that stability did not last long since 2015 concluded with oil below $40 per barrel ...
2011 saw steady increases of production throughout the Marcellus Shale play, a heavy emphasis on strengthening and expanding pipeline infrastructure, and a boom in the level of activity in the Utica Shale play ...
In the 2012 regular session of the West Virginia Legislature, several resolutions were passed with potential future impact on the shale gas industry. Below is a summary of those significant resolutions. Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 52 This resolution requests the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study the viability of increasing severance tax rates on shale gas ...
In a country with a significant number of mature fields and few discoveries made and/or developed in the last years, the Romanian National Authority for Mineral Resources has recently launched a public call for tender for the concession of 28 exploration, development and exploitation petroleum blocks, both onshore and offshore (Licensing Round XI/2019) ...
This year it may be easier to predict developments in environmental law and policy than in 2020. The main reason for that is that there are several key developments that should have happened in 2020 but didn’t because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Here are our top five predictions. 1. The Environment Bill The Environment Bill is a key piece of legislation that establishes a post-Brexit environmental governance framework for England ...
After the highlights of the Environment Act 2021 and COP26 in 2021, what does this year hold for environmental law and policy? Here are our top five predictions. 1. The Office for Environmental Protection gets down to work The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) is a new independent body, established by the Environment Act 2021 (EA 2021), tasked with holding public bodies to account for the environment ...
With climate change continuing to be a topic of concern across the international community, Canada has recently taken another step to support the development of renewable energies and technologies. In the 2023 budget tabled on March 28, 2023, the Canadian federal government unveiled new tax incentives aimed at supporting investments in both renewable energies and certain clean technologies. These incentives can be grouped into five main Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) ...
“With the energy crisis likely to continue throughout 2023 and pressures on governments, businesses and individuals to take action to tackle climate change, I expect that, whilst government funding may be limited, there will be no shortage of capital for investment in clean energy projects ...
Having experienced unprecedented levels of M&A activity in 2021 and the first half of 2022, followed by the market uncertainty of Q3 and Q4 of 2022, what can we expect from the M&A landscape in 2023? Here are some of our key predictions ...
In some ways, the 2023 proxy season might be met with a sigh of relief as some extraneous factors impacting United States capital markets—such as the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict—have stabilized in terms of their increased effect. In that same vein, some changes that may have once been viewed as “trends” in disclosure are very much here to stay ...
James Wood-Robertson, head of the energy & infrastructure sector at Shoosmiths, comments on some of the upcoming trends and developments to expect in 2024 for the sector. Corporate Power Purchase Agreements ("PPAs") Before the conclusion of 2023, the European PPA market had already achieved a ground-breaking record, thanks to a market-driven procurement strategy that played a pivotal role in fostering the much-needed expansion of renewable energy capacity in the region ...
After a disappointing outcome at COP28 and a weakening of several key net zero policies by the government in 2023, what does 2024 hold for environmental law and regulation? Here are our top 10 things to watch out for. 1. Extended producer responsibility for packaging 2023 saw the introduction of packaging waste data reporting regulations in England, Scotland and Wales ...
1. How do you foresee the evolving regulatory landscape in offshore jurisdictions impacting Asia-based clients in 2024, and what strategies is your firm considering to navigate these changes effectively? Anthony McKenzie (AM): Asia is the world's largest and most populated continent, comprised of many different economies, cultures and laws. The use of Cayman, BVI and Bermuda structures has a long track record throughout Asia and it is this familiarity which has contributed to their popularity ...
On Oct. 22, 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) violated the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by granting a right of way for the Ruby Pipeline project. Center for Biological Diversity v. Bureau of Land Management, No. 10-72356 (9th Cir. Oct. 22, 2012) ...
BackgroundIndustrial activities are of great importance to Europe’s financial wealth. Industrial emissions, however, cause environmental pollution and industrial emissions constitute a major part of Europe’s total emissions to air, water and soil. Consequently, there is a need for regulation of industrial operations at an EU level.In view hereof the so-called IPPC Directive (Integrated Pollution Prevention Control) was adopted in 1996 ...
On December 24, 2015 Mexico’s Energy Transition Act was published in the Federal Gazette. The Act’s purpose is to regulate: The sustainable use of energy,The obligations of power companies in the area of clean energies, andThe reductions of the polluting emissions of the electric power industry, ensuring the competitiveness of the productive sectors. To read the full alert, click here ...
With the COP26 climate summit taking place in Glasgow this week, we thought it would be timely to look at the practical challenges facing businesses wishing to reduce their emissions and become sustainable in alignment with the government’s net zero strategy. Setting targets is crucial for companies with complexity across sectors, technologies and business structures ...
