Section Newsletters

Articles on Environmental Law

Superfund liability changes By Raymond T. Reott Environmental and Natural Resources Law, June 2003 Last year saw a major revision of the federal Superfund Program with several important changes in the liability standards. Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, P.L. 107 ­ 118 (2002).
Environmental alert—Can you handle basic emergency calls from your client company? By Eric E. Boyd Corporate Law Departments, March 2003 It's almost five o'clock, and you receive a call from your client with a Clean Air Act question.
The Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) revised rule By Michael R. Berman Environmental and Natural Resources Law, February 2003 On December 16, 2002, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) announced a final rule that will require all large Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) to obtain permits that will ensure they protect America's waters from wastewater and manure.
LUST in the Legislature By Kyle Rominger Environmental and Natural Resources Law, February 2003 Among the legislation signed into law in 2002 were two Public Acts amending the Illinois Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Program.
The pros & cons of environmental auditing By David B. Wilcoxen Environmental and Natural Resources Law, February 2003 Do you counsel a large company or public organization that maintains numerous facilities engaged in a variety of industrial, commercial, and research operations?
U.S. EPA underground storage tank program: The new millenium, MTBE, and the future By Thomas J. Kenney Environmental and Natural Resources Law, February 2003 When Congress amended the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA)2 in 1984, it created the statutory authority for the federal regulation of underground storage tanks (USTs).
City of Springfield v. Hashman: 4th District says close enough is good enough By Gene Schmittgens & Anna Chesser Smith Environmental and Natural Resources Law, December 2002 In City of Springfield v. Hashman, 774 N.E.2d 427, 266 Ill.Dec. 321 (July 29, 2002), the appellate court for the Fourth District enjoined the development of a 22.408-acre parcel of land located outside the limits of the City of Springfield but within 200 feet of Lake Springfield, the primary water supply of the City and Sangamon County.
Clerk’s Office On-Line: Illinois Pollution Control Board’s “COOL” By Claire A. Manning & Richard R. McGill Environmental and Natural Resources Law, December 2002 Ever since its introduction at the Illinois Pollution Control Board's 25th anniversary in Chicago in 1995, the Board's Web site has become a widely-used resource.
Enviro-Science e-Print Service offers help in environmental research Environmental and Natural Resources Law, December 2002 The Enviro-Science e-Print Service is a multi-agency project of DOE's Environmental Management Science Program (EMSP), the U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development, content partners, and sponsors.
“Up the ladder” or “up the creek”? Environmental counsel and the strange new world of Sarbanes-Oxley By Phillip R. Van Ness Environmental and Natural Resources Law, December 2002 In an earlier edition of this newsletter, we advised readers that the environmental practitioner may find himself/herself entangled in the attorney regulatory rules to be promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in response to the so-called Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Public Law No. 107-204) (the Act).
The confusing rules of natural resource damage assessments By Christine A. Picker Environmental and Natural Resources Law, November 2002 The natural resource damage assessment rules provide for the conduct of natural resource damage assessments under CERCLA and the Clean Water Act. 43 C.F.R. part 11.
Electronic waste: A growing problem By Raymond T. Reott Environmental and Natural Resources Law, November 2002 In the early 1970s, as businesses installed scrubbers and other air pollution control devices to meet Clean Air Act requirements and water treatment facilities to meet new Clean Water Act requirements, the result was to shift captured contaminants from air emissions and water discharges to landfills.
Novel settlement: A new trend? By Raymond T. Reott Environmental and Natural Resources Law, November 2002 In an election year, the historic practice in Illinois was for environmental enforcement to increase and for penalty demands in negotiated settlements to rise proportionately.
A quick look at enforcement provisions of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act By Lisle A. Stalter Environmental and Natural Resources Law, November 2002 The purpose of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act is "to establish a unified, statewide program supplemented by private remedies, to restore, protect and enhance the quality of the environment, and to assure the adverse effects upon the environment are fully considered and borne by those who cause them," 415 ILCS 5/2(b).
Donaldson v. CIPS: a case of pennywise, pound foolish? By James K. Weston, Sr. Environmental and Natural Resources Law, October 2002 The Illinois Supreme Court recently decided the case of Zachary Donaldson, et al., v. Central Illinois Public Service Company, et al., Docket No. 89679, opinion filed February 22, 2002.
Environmental attorneys may catch chill from new corporate ethics legislation By Phillip R. Van Ness Environmental and Natural Resources Law, October 2002 They say an ill wind blows no good, and environmental practitioners may find themselves in the midst of a gale.
IERRC scores first “win” in drive to update the Illinois Environmental Protection Act By Phillip R. Van Ness Environmental and Natural Resources Law, October 2002 As most readers of this newsletter know, Governor Ryan created the Illinois Environmental Regulatory Review Commission (IERRC) by Executive Order #18 in December of 1999.
In this issue Environmental and Natural Resources Law, October 2002 This month's newsletter covers current developments in the courts, in Congress and in the Illinois Statehouse.
Of peekaboo bonds and offers of proof: Court affirms Pollution Control Board holding that EPA not barred from denying landfill permit due to dropped surety By Phillip R. Van Ness Environmental and Natural Resources Law, October 2002 Sometimes a company's environmental problems aren't related to the environment at all. Witness a recent (May 15, 2002) Third District case, Community Landfill Company v. Pollution Control Board.
2002 Illinois Environmental Conference Young Lawyers Division, August 2002 Whether your practice requires knowledge of environmental regulations, or you just want to learn more about the ecological system in which we live, the 2002 Illinois Environmental Conference has what you're looking for.
In This Issue Environmental and Natural Resources Law, April 2002 As many attorneys in Illinois know, practicing in the area of environmental law means handling matters before the Pollution Control Board.
An overview of the Illinois Pollution Control Board By Elaine Agnew Environmental and Natural Resources Law, April 2002 The Illinois Pollution Control Board was given the duties of determining, defining, and implementing the environmental control standards applicable in the State of Illinois and adopting rules and regulations in accordance with Title VII of the Environmental Protection Act by the Illinois General Assembly through the adoption of the Environmental Protection Act in 1970.
A chip off the ole’ block—a comparative analysis of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act and CERCLA By Matthew J. Cozzi Environmental and Natural Resources Law, March 2002 Many landowners, former owners, prospective purchasers and operators of potentially contaminated property in Illinois tread lightly (or, perhaps, should) in fear of liability under the broad umbrella of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act , commonly known as CERCLA.
New federal law continues trend towards relaxing requirements for small businesses and facilitating brownfields remediation By Phillip R. Van Ness Environmental and Natural Resources Law, March 2002 Now and then one encounters a piece of legislation that has surprising support across the political spectrum.
Practice tip: lead and toxic release inventory reporting Environmental and Natural Resources Law, March 2002 If a company you represent is required to submit a Toxic Chemical Release Inventory ("TRI") Form, also known as "Form R", check the recently lowered threshold for reporting lead.
Shifting responsibility under the new antidegradation rule By Margaret P. Howard Environmental and Natural Resources Law, March 2002 On February 21, 2002 the Illinois Pollution Control Board ("Board") adopted amendments to its "nondegradation" rule found at 35 Ill. Adm. Code 302.105.
First District pulls the “continuing trigger” on vertical exhaustion of pollution insurance coverage By Phillip R. Van Ness Environmental and Natural Resources Law, January 2002 In a somewhat strangely crafted opinion involving a case over which "difficulty of proof hovers ... like a dark cloud," an Illinois appellate court has apparently put to rest the concept of "Vertical Exhaustion" of insurance coverage for ongoing environmental damages.
In this issue Environmental and Natural Resources Law, January 2002 This month's newsletter covers environmental issues ranging from leaves to LUSTs.
A LUST for money; re-discovering the indemnification provisions of the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Program By Phillip R. Van Ness Environmental and Natural Resources Law, January 2002 Throughout its 15-year history, the Illinois Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Program has been subject to administrative buffoonery, extensive legislative tinkering1 and chronic underfunding.
Peoria County Board may seek permission to allow yard waste to be added to municipal landfills By Phillip R. Van Ness Environmental and Natural Resources Law, January 2002 It looks like the change of seasons is triggering more than falling leaves. A proposal before the Peoria County Board may have repercussions throughout the state.

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