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The Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, No. 21–454, 598 U.S. ___ (2023) (“Sackett”) may create some immediate opportunities for landowners and operators, likely leaves certain obligations unchanged, but certainly reverses course on seventeen years of defining the scope of federal control over water. Immediate Considerations for Landowners The most immediate opportunities…

On December 30, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of the Army (the Agencies) announced the final “Revised Definition of ‘Waters of the United States’” rule which will be effective 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register (see here). The rule is highly consistent with the proposed rule…

Please click here to read the Governor’s office press release titled, “Gov. Kemp, Former Gov. Deal, & EPD Director Dunn Announce Historic Lake Lanier Water Agreement.”

On June 15th, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) updated its drinking water lifetime Health Advisory Levels to include substantially lower levels of PFOA, PFOS, PFBS, and GenX chemicals.  The updated health advisory levels include: PFOA at 0.004 parts per trillion (ppt), PFOS at 0.02 ppt, PFBS at 2,000 ppt, and GenX Chemicals at…

In January of 2021, shortly after his inauguration, President Biden issued Executive Order 13985, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, emphasizing Environmental Justice or “EJ,” and requesting “comprehensive attention” to EJ issues by various federal agencies. In response to this Executive Order, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and the U.S. Department of Justice…

Client Alert: EPA’s Renewed Enforcement Focus on Lead-Based Paint               Within a week of taking office, President Biden established environmental justice as a priority for his administration.[1]  This momentum has continued with the Biden administration consistently pushing environmental justice at the center of the federal government’s work.  Part of the Biden administration’s environmental justice goal…

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed a sweeping new climate-driven financial risk reporting rule titled “The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors.” The SEC unveiled the 510-page proposal on March 21, 2022. Comments are due thirty (30) days after the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register, or May 20,…

KMCL is pleased to announce the addition of more top talent to our ranks—our newest member, Kate Hopkins, joined the firm as a Senior Associate in our Atlanta office last month. Kate comes to us from a major law firm where she focused her practice on environmental litigation and environmental issues in property transactions. She…

The new initiative at Emory will provide annual scholarships and summer stipends to students who will bring diversity to the environmental bar. The program will also provide these students with opportunities to engage with prominent environmental attorneys, community and business leaders, government officials, and scholars through conferences, workshops, or other formal and informal convenings. For…

  PFAS Symposium   Tuesday, March 29, 2022  |  8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.   Georgia State University College of Law85 Park Place NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30303      Register now ( PFAS Symposium (touchnet.com ) for a symposium on PFAS Dangers, Requirements, and Strategies, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29 at Georgia State University…