August 26, 2010
The Coalition for Buzzards Bay and the Conservation Law Foundation have filed suit in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts against the Environmental Protection Agency for failure to properly regulate sources of nitrogen pollution on Cape Cod, including septic systems, stormwater, and wastewater treatment plant discharges.
SPR represents the Coalition for Buzzards Bay in the suit, which has been widely reported in the news media. Read more on the suit from the Associated Press, Washington Post, and Boston Globe. A copy of the Complaint can be accessed here (pdf). For more information, contact Steven Russo.
June 18, 2010
For the seventh consecutive year, Chambers and Partners, an independent ranking organization, has ranked SPR in the highest category of New York State environmental law firms. The 2010 report highlights the firm’s expertise in project development, environmental enforcement and litigation, and brownfield remediation. Noting the firm’s reputation as a “one of the best environmental boutiques in New York,” the report cites clients’ praise for six SPR partners:
- David Paget, described as “without question one of the preeminent experts on environmental law in the USA,” with special expertise in the Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA);
- Daniel Riesel, commended for his “vast trial experience and presence” in matters involving toxic torts, civil suits, and white-collar criminal cases;
- Mark Chertok, lauded as “the go-to person for any large project that needs a lot of expertise,” with “vast knowledge” of issues involving brownfields, NEPA, CWA, CAA, the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA);
- Jeffrey Gracer, esteemed for his “outstanding . . . technical ability, communication skills and client relations” in matters including regulatory issues, environmental disputes, waste, brownfield redevelopment, environmental insurance, and international transactions;
- Michael Bogin, described as a “an excellent problem-solver” with expertise in environmental litigation and experience working with municipalities and school districts; and
- Steven Russo; described as a “terrific litigator” with “excellent judgment” and experience with complex Superfund cases, toxic tort claims, oil spill litigation, CWA matters, and issues involving the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
Read the full report here.
Read more about SPR’s practice areas, and see examples of our work.
June 1, 2010
On May 27, 2010, Mayor Bloomberg announced the release of a landmark report analyzing climate change adaptation needs and strategies in New York City. The report was compiled by the New York City Panel on Climate Change, an expert panel convened by the Mayor to provide climate change-related advice to the New York City Climate Change Adaptation Task Force. Described in a City press release as “one of the most comprehensive studies on climate change adaptation undertaken by a municipality,” the report addresses the following issues:
- Predicted changes to New York City’s climate;
- Effects of such changes on the City’s energy, transportation, water, waste, and communications infrastructure;
- Models for mitigating harm to City infrastructure;
- Impact of federal, state, and local environmental laws on current and potential climate change adaptation efforts in New York City;
- Role of the insurance industry in developing climate change adaptation strategies based on risk assessment; and
- Strategies for monitoring climate change.
Pamela Esterman, an SPR principal, was a contributing author of the report; she co-authored Section 5.3, which discusses how the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), and the New York City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) may provide useful legal frameworks for the identification of climate change adaptation needs.
May 12, 2010
SPR partner Dan Riesel will be chairing and lecturing at the 35th Annual American Law Institute-American Bar Association (“ALI-ABA”) Environmental Litigation course in Boulder, Colorado June 16-18th, 2010. Our partner Mark Chertok will also be lecturing at Boulder. This is an essential course for all that litigate environmental matters.
The course thoroughly covers the new enforcement initiatives, evidentiary and discovery problems, and trial skills, as well as the “hot topics” such as global warming litigation. This three-day course is unique in that it integrates extensive written materials with lectures and simulations of environmental hearings and trials.
If you are unable to attend in person, this CLE is available 8 ways: on-site, live webcast, group webcasts, online CLE, DVD, audio MP3, CD-ROM, and through course materials. For more detailed information please visit ALI-ABA’s website or download the brochure here (pdf).
April 29, 2010
SPR principal Jeff Gracer will moderate a program on climate change law and litigation on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 6:00pm in the Great Hall of the New York City Bar Association. The program has been organized by the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on Environmental Law, and is being co-sponsored by the Association’s Committees on International Environmental Law, Energy Law, and Project Finance, as well as the Environmental Law Institute. It will address the status of international negotiations, Congressional deliberations, EPA’s greenhouse gas rulemakings, and climate change litigation.
A keynote address will be given by Peter Lehner, Executive Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council. For registration information, please visit the City Bar’s website, or contact Jeff Gracer.
January 25, 2010
SPR principals Pamela Esterman and Daniel Riesel will serve as co-chairpersons of the upcoming Environmental Law Conference, to be held on February 4-6, 2010 in Washington, DC. The program is co-sponsored by ALI-ABA, the Environmental Law Institute and the Smithsonian Institute. A diverse faculty from government, universities, private practice and advocacy organizations will focus on recent legal developments in the areas of air, energy, water, hazardous materials, environmental review and endangered species.
The keynote address will be given by Scott Fulton, General Counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Panels will also discuss what to expect from the Supreme Court and the Obama administration in the days to come. For more information, please visit ALI-ABA’s website.
January 4, 2010
On December 30, Sive, Paget & Riesel (“SPR”) submitted a comment letter on behalf of the Natural Resources Defense Council (“NRDC”) addressing deficiencies in the Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (“DSGEIS”) prepared by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (“NYSDEC”) regarding proposed natural gas extraction from the Marcellus Shale formation in the Southern Tier of New York State. SPR’s comment letter, prepared by Steven Barshov and Jessica Steinberg, focused principally on matters of concern to towns and other units of local government within whose territory such proposed natural gas drilling would occur.
SPR’s comment letter identified multiple deficiencies in the DSGEIS related to potential impacts of concern to units of local government, including traffic, noise, visual, community character and land use impacts. SPR’s comment letter also encouraged DEC to adopt regulations that would provide units of local government with meaningful advisory input to NYSDEC during well permitting. Access a complete copy of SPR’s comment letter—which is attached to NRDC’s comment letter—here (pdf).
Older Posts »
|
| |
