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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.
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Recent Posts
- New PFAS/PFOS Regulations May Reopen Sites
- EPA’s Clean Power Plan Struck Down by SCOTUS
- As Colorado River Conditions Continue to Deteriorate, the United States Warns that More Cuts will be Required and the Basin States Consider Options
- New Bureau of Land Management Guidance on Geologic Carbon Sequestration on Federal Public Lands Answers Some Questions, But Uncertainty Remains for Split-Estate Lands
- DOE Seeks Input on How to Spend $2.5 billion on Transmission Projects
The Geopolitics of Energy
by Raymond S. Heyman Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought to the forefront the key role that energy policy plays in international relations. Many countries sympathetic to Ukraine, but not wanting to escalate the conflict by sending troops, have discussed … Continue reading
Tagged energy policy, Russia, sanctions, Ukraine
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Who Will Climate Change Advocates Begin Suing Next?
by Mitchell J. Klein As most people are aware, various public and private entities have filed lawsuits against fossil fuel producers alleging a variety of claims that seek to enjoin behavior and obtain damages as a result of the defendants’ … Continue reading
Tagged American Petroleum Institute, climate change, climate change lawsuits, fossil fuels, FTC, gasoline, oil
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Ninth Circuit Wetlands Ruling Muddies the Waters for Development Nationwide
by John W. Andrews On Thursday, May 28, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit declined to stay on appeal a lower court ruling which has already had a nationwide impact on permitting of oil and gas … Continue reading
Tagged 404 Permits, nationwide permits, NWP 12, oil and gas, Waters of the United States
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Colorado Legislature Passes Sweeping Oil and Gas Reform
by Frances Folin Members of the Colorado State Senate, on a strictly party-line vote, approved amendments to SB-181 made by the State House. SB-181 will now make its way to the Governor’s desk, where it is all but certain to … Continue reading
Tagged Colorado, Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, SB-181
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Transportation Funding Via The Taxing of Alternative Fuel Vehicles
by Amanda A. Reeve Just as a state’s economic development and growth is impacted by its ability to build and maintain its highways and bridges and improve its transportation systems, so too is its air quality. After all, transportation conformity … Continue reading
Tagged AFVs, alternative fuel vehicles, Arizona, HB2536, NAAQS, tax, transportation funding
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Colorado Legislature Takes Aim at Oil and Gas
by Frances Folin Late on Friday, March 1st, Senate Bill 19-181 was introduced in the Colorado State Senate. The Bill would bring sweeping changes to oil and gas regulation in Colorado, less than 6 months after voters rejected Proposition 112 … Continue reading
Tagged Protect Public Welfare Oil & Gas Operations, Senate Bill 19-181
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The Future of Oil and Gas Development in Colorado After Martinez
by Frances Folin Coloradoans continue to see fights over oil and gas development in the news. Following last month’s Colorado Supreme Court decision in COGCC v. Martinez, mineral owners in the Wildgrass neighborhood of Broomfield, Colorado, with the help of … Continue reading
Tagged COGCC, COGCC v. Martinez, Colorado Oil and Gas Act, Wildgrass
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Colorado Oil and Gas Operators Breathe Sigh of Relief
by Frances Folin Yesterday, the Colorado Supreme Court handed down its much-anticipated decision in the COGCC v. Martinez case (2019 CO 3). To the relief of oil and gas companies operating in Colorado, the Colorado Supreme Court found in favor … Continue reading
Tagged COGCC v. Martinez, Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Colorado Supreme Court, rulemaking
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Voter Initiatives to Limit Mineral Development in Western States Fail
by John W. Andrews Voters in several western states on November 6th defeated citizen-initiated ballot initiatives that would have heavily regulated mineral and energy development. The highest profile failed initiative was Colorado’s Proposition 112, which would have prohibited new oil … Continue reading
Tagged Ballot Measure 1, hardrock mining, I-186 initiative, Proposition 112, Stand for Salmon
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Battle of the Ballot Initiatives
by Frances Folin On August 28, 2018, the Colorado Secretary of State certified the signatures collected for Initiative 108. The following day, the Colorado Secretary of State certified the signatures collected for Initiative 97. The certifications pave the way for … Continue reading
Tagged Initiative 108, Initiative 97
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