On November 15, 2016, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) formally sought stakeholder comments regarding – among other things – the potential health and safety impact of chemicals in nail products (i.e., hazard traits and exposure potential of candidate chemicals as well as alternative “green” chemicals, product formulation differences and how such differences affect both small scale and large scale manufacturers, and manufacturer initiatives to improve nail product […]

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On December 16, 2016, President Obama signed the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act into law, evidencing the Administration’s clear intent to help augment funding for various state and local water projects across the country, and – of particular note to California environmental attorneys and relevant water stakeholders – to push long-term solutions to California’s continuing drought. Goals of the WIIN Act Though the WIIN Act is intended […]

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On December 20, 2016, in a Presidential Memorandum to the Secretary of the Interior, President Obama withdrew certain areas off the Atlantic Coast on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) from mineral and oil and gas leasing:  Consistent with principles of responsible public stewardship entrusted to this office, with due consideration of the critical importance of canyons along the edge of the Atlantic continental shelf for marine mammals, deep water corals, […]

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The American Farm Bureau Federation and other industry groups have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Sixth Circuit decision to assert exclusive jurisdiction to review the controversial Clean Water Rule concerning the new definition of “waters of the United States.”  On Friday, October 8, 2016, the AFB filed a brief in the following case petitioning for writ of certiorari. In its brief, the AFB argue that the Clean […]

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