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Governor Signs Permit Extension Bill into Law

On July 1, 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law the “Permit Extension Act of 2020” (Assembly Bill No. 3919). The new law extends many governmental permits, approvals and deadlines to address delays caused by the COVID-19 crisis, as explained below. 

The statute ...

NJDEP Modifies Public Notice Language for Certain Permits Due to COVID-19

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has temporarily changed its standard public notice language for permits issued pursuant to the Coastal Zone Management Rules, the Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act Rules, and the Flood Hazard Area Control Act Rules. 

NJ Publishes Formal Drinking Water and Ground Water Quality Standards for PFOA and PFOS

Under rules published this week in the New Jersey Register, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has formally established maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) of 14 ppt for perfluorooctoanic acid (PFOA) and 13 ppt for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). The rules ...

Governor Murphy Extends Deadlines of Various Environmental Statutes; Permit Delays Expected

On May 2, 2020, Governor Murphy signed Executive Order No. 136 (EO 136), which extends the deadlines of certain State environmental statutes for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency, tolling current permitting approval timeframes such that it is expected to cause ...

NJDEP Modifies Certain Site Remediation Rules Due to COVID-19

On April 24, 2020, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) adopted a Temporary Rule Modification (the Modification) affecting its Administrative Requirements for the Remediation of Contaminated Sites (ARRCS) and its Technical Requirements for Site ...

U.S. Supreme Court Rules That the Clean Water Act May Regulate Pollution Traveling Through Groundwater

On April 23, 2020, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision in the County of Maui, Hawaii v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund et al. matter, finding that the Clean Water Act may regulate pollution traveling through groundwater. The Court also found that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals applied ...

U.S. Supreme Court Rules CERCLA Does Not Preclude State Law Claims 

On April 20, 2020, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision in the Atlantic Richfield Co. v. Christian et al. matter, finding that federal law under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) does not preempt suits under state law for ...

EPA Issues Interim Guidance Regarding Cleanups During COVID-19 Crisis

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued interim guidance late last week to its regional offices regarding environmental cleanups being conducted during the COVID-19 crisis. The EPA has indicated that this cleanup work is considered "essential" and must be continued in ...

Guidance for Employers on ADA- and OSHA-Compliant COVID-19 Screenings and Protections

If you asked a month ago what lawful precautions an employer can take to protect its workers against the threat of COVID-19, the answer would have been significantly different than it is today. In that short period, confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States have increased ...

EPA Finalizes Navigable Waters Protection Rule

UPDATE:  The Final Navigable Waters Protection Rule was published in the Federal Register on April 21, 2020, and will become effective on June 22, 2020.

Original post:  The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, adopting a new definition for ...

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