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About Us:
Welcome to the S&W Environmental, Natural Resources, Oil and Gas Law Blog. This blog is a resource for the regulated community to stay current on new developments impacting the environmental, natural resources and energy sectors. It provides timely updates on a broad range of federal, state and local environmental topics — including proposed legislation and government rulemakings — that impact regulated industries throughout the southwest and the nation as a whole.
Topics
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Recent Posts
- Governor Ducey’s July Surprise for Key Sunsetting Arizona Environmental Programs
- Utah Division of Water Rights Announces New Tool to Track Status of Change Applications
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: AZ Drought Contingency Plan Stakeholders Recruited for Next Phase of Colorado River Work
- Wastewater Flows Can Predict COVID-19 Spread
- States Challenge EPA’s COVID-19 Enforcement Policy
Drought and Water Demand Continues in Spite of COVID-19 Pandemic
by Fred Breedlove The demands on government and private water providers to address the declining availability of water resources in the southwest did not get a reprieve, unfortunately, when the COVID-19 virus emerged in February. Last August, I wrote that … Continue reading
Tagged Arizona Department of Water Resources, Colorado River, coronavirus, COVID-19, water
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EPA Issues Guidance Concerning Coronavirus and Drinking Water
by L. William Staudenmaier The United Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued guidance (https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-drinking-water-and-wastewater#tapwater) regarding the status of public drinking water systems in light of the ongoing spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus across the country. In the guidance document, EPA … Continue reading
Tagged coronavirus, COVID-19, EPA, water
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Plaintiffs Seeking to Expand Scope of PFAS Actions
by Mitchell J. Klein Because proving who is responsible for introducing PFAS contamination into water supplies can be difficult and expensive, and pursuing government entities such as military bases, firefighting training facilities and airports is particularly problematic, the manufacturers of PFAS-containing … Continue reading
Pinal Active Management Area Stakeholders Address Projected Water Deficit
by L. William Staudenmaier In November 2019, the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) released the results of an updated groundwater model that projects a groundwater availability deficit over the next 100 years in the Pinal Active Management Area (AMA) … Continue reading
Tagged Active Management Area, ADWR, AMA, Arizona Department of Water Resources, Pinal County, water
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Federal Appeals Court to Determine Tribal Reserved Rights to Groundwater
by Christopher W. Payne The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will soon determine whether the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians has a federal reserved right to groundwater in a water rights case that could set a precedent for tribes … Continue reading
Tagged groundwater, water, water rights, Winters doctrine
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California Water Law Update
By Katherine A. McKitterick and Sean M. Sherlock To address the worsening drought, on April 1, 2015, Governor Brown issued Executive Order B-29-15 (“Executive Order”), mandating a 25% reduction in potable urban water consumption. In response, the State Water Resources … Continue reading
Tagged California, conservation, drought, Proposition 218, state water resources control board, tiered rate, water
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