February 2011

On February 24th-25th, water law attorneys, water experts, and economists from across the nation gathered in San Diego to attend the Annual Super Water Law Conference sponsored by the American Bar Association's section of Environment, Energy and Resources.  The conference began with a basic overview of riparian and prior appropriation law and went on to discuss issues currently facing both riparian and prior appropriation states.  Aside from water rights, the conference touched on cost-benefit analysis, water quality, watershed governance, floodplain safety, the Endangered Species Act, and Tribal water rights, among other other topics.  This annual conference provides a unique opportunity for lawyers and experts to engage in a broad discussion on water issues faced by local governments around the nation. read more

Earlier this month, on Valentine's Day to be exact, the Obama Administration unveiled its proposed FY 2012 budget, which reflects an approximate thirteen percent (13%) decrease in funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  As everyone keeping even moderately abreast of current events is painfully aware, President Obama is faced with the herculean task of producing a proposed budget that is not only fiscally sound in response to the financial devastation caused by the Great Recession, but also practically prudent in its ultimate application.  In the case of the EPA, the specific task at hand is to reasonably reduce operating overhead while still enabling the agency to effectively carry out its primary purpose of protecting human health and the environment. read more

SOLON Corporation, a Tucson-based subsidiary of the German company SOLON SE, announced Feb. 24 that it has been awarded a contract to design and construct a 15 MW power plant in California for Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), one of the largest utilities in the U.S.  SOLON is a manufacturer of turnkey power plants and crystalline silicon solar modules.  Construction on the PG&E project is slated to begin in April 2011 and end in October 2011. read more

On Monday, a trial court in Ecuador handed down what may be the largest environmental damages award in history: $8.6 billion against California-based Chevron Corp.  The lawsuit was filed in 1993 by local farmers and indigenous groups, alleging extensive contamination of surface waters in the Lago Agrio area of the Amazon rainforest.  Despite the award, it is far from certain that Chevron will ever legally be required to pay anything to the plaintiffs in this case. read more