It can be difficult to reduce your company’s environmental impact, but it is possible. Often, the key lies not in taking one drastic step, but in using many smaller tactics to cumulatively reduce that impact in the long run. Exactly what steps you need to take will...
Environmental Due Diligence
What’s an environmental impact statement?
In a nutshell, an environmental impact statement (EIS) is a document that assesses the potential environmental effects of a proposed project or action. An EIS evaluates the anticipated impacts that a project might have on the environment, the viable alternatives, and...
Tips for making your business more environmentally sustainable
Sustainability has become increasingly important for businesses. Not only can a more sustainable business benefit the environment, but sustainability directly influences customers. Studies suggest that 1 in 3 US consumers prefer environmentally friendly companies. In...
Environmental liability is a risk many modern businesses face
In today's world, all types of businesses, from small to large, face increasing scrutiny over their effect on the environment. Some of the reasons for this scrutiny include: Greater awareness of the environmental impact of business activities Increasingly strict...
Environmental protection tips for your construction project
Construction is a booming industry. However, despite most developers labeling their construction projects as “green,” the impact of any construction project on the environment cannot be overlooked. This explains why federal and state governments have put regulations...
3 tips for training your employees about hazardous waste
A significant percentage of businesses produce hazardous waste. Those in the drycleaning industry produce unused perchloroethylene, while those in construction produce acids/bases, paint waste and ignitable waste. Further, agricultural businesses release unabsorbed...
New York & Connecticut to EPA: Curb Smog Pollution from Other States ASAP
When the federal government's failure to regulate air pollution on time (as required by Congress) leads to environmental exposure of a state's residents, what remedies are there to protect the populace? Answer: the affected states can sue. That's exactly what happened...
What Is Required to Retain the Bona Fide Prospective Purchaser Exemption from CERCLA Liability?
Have you been in the market to buy property, but learned that the property was contaminated? There are steps that you can take to avoid opening yourself up to liability.As you may remember, we recently discussed EPA's proposed and direct final rules on Amendment to...
When Does the Discovery of Historic Contamination Qualify as a “Sudden and Accidental” Release?
Many insurance policies contain a "pollution exclusion" which seeks to exclude coverage for losses arising from pollution, except in the case of a "sudden and accidental" release. "Sudden and accidental" may bring to mind a burst pipe or overturned tanker truck, but a...
Migration of Contamination Does Not Automatically Create a Single “Facility” Under CERCLA
A federal court in New York recently decided that the migration of subterranean contamination onto a neighboring property was not, by itself, a sufficient basis to hold a neighboring landowner jointly liable for remediation costs under the federal Comprehensive...