Dear Section Members, Here is the news roundup. From Law360: Tesla Botches Hazardous Waste Handling In Calif., DAs Say<https://www.law360.com/california/articles/1792657?nl_pk=c1ac137c-fd3d-4f5c-897e-67d5936e731c&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=california&utm_content=2024-02-01&read_main=1&nlsidx=0&nlaidx=2> For years, Tesla has mishandled the storage and disposal of hazardous waste at more than a hundred of its facilities throughout California, dozens of the state's district attorneys alleged in a suit Wednesday, pointing to a laundry list of alleged violations of the Golden State's environmental laws. Fluoride Risk Trial Opens With Claim Exposure Drops Kids' IQ<https://www.law360.com/california/articles/1792295?nl_pk=c1ac137c-fd3d-4f5c-897e-67d5936e731c&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=california&utm_content=2024-02-01&read_main=1&nlsidx=0&nlaidx=6> Environmental groups told a California federal judge during bench trial openings Wednesday that new studies show clear links between prenatal fluoride exposure and children's lower IQ levels, while the EPA defended current regulations allowing low levels of fluoride in drinking water and underscored that "the dose makes the poison." Solvay Will Pay $1.4M To Settle NJ 'Forever Chemical' Claims<https://www.law360.com/environmental/articles/1791461/solvay-will-pay-1-4m-to-settle-nj-forever-chemical-claims> Solvay and another chemical manufacturer accused of polluting the Garden State with "forever chemicals" over decades have agreed to pay almost $1.4 million to three proposed classes of residents and property owners, according to a Monday filing in New Jersey federal court. Feds Lodge Decree, CWA Claims Against Idaho Sawmill<https://www.law360.com/articles/1789854/feds-lodge-decree-cwa-claims-against-idaho-sawmill> A PotlatchDeltic Corp. unit will pay $225,000 to resolve a dozen Clean Water Act claims stemming from permit violations at an Idaho sawmill and lumberyard, involving discharges of stormwater pollutants into designated bull trout habitat and waters of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, according to a federal complaint and proposed consent decree. Calif. Judge Says States' Trump Water Rule Challenge Is Moot<https://www.law360.com/articles/1789973/calif-judge-says-states-trump-water-rule-challenge-is-moot-> A California federal judge dismissed Democrat-led states' challenge to a Trump-era Clean Water Act rule the Biden administration has since replaced, saying because there is no present controversy, the case is moot. Farm Bill Gives Congress 2024's Biggest Enviro Opportunity<https://www.law360.com/articles/1788467/farm-bill-gives-congress-2024-s-biggest-enviro-opportunity> The Farm Bill is the most important environmental bill Congress will address this year. Usually largely ignored by all but large-scale farmers and ranchers, agrochemical companies and food manufacturers — and their lawyers — it actually profoundly affects us all. Construction Co. To Pay $2.3M Over Solar Farm CWA Claims<https://www.law360.com/articles/1786898/construction-co-to-pay-2-3m-over-solar-farm-cwa-claims> Swinerton Builders will pay $2.3 million to settle claims it breached the Clean Water Act and the environmental protection laws of Illinois and Alabama when it illegally expelled stormwater into waterways while constructing renewable energy project sites throughout the U.S. over five years, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday. Growing Green Tech Demand Spells Trouble For Groundwater<https://www.law360.com/articles/1782442/growing-green-tech-demand-spells-trouble-for-groundwater> As the Biden administration pushes to transition the country away from fossil fuels to green energy sources, we face the reality that demand for these necessary green energy mineral sources could outpace supply in the near future. Fla. Says Tribe Misreads 'Indian Lands' In Water Permit Suit<https://www.law360.com/articles/1780925/fla-says-tribe-misreads-indian-lands-in-water-permit-suit> Florida has once again urged a federal judge to hand it a win in a tribe's lawsuit challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's approval of the state's effort to take over a Clean Water Act permitting program, arguing that the tribe's theory of "Indian lands" is wrong. Biggest Environmental Regulations To Watch In 2024<https://www.law360.com/articles/1774107/biggest-environmental-regulations-to-watch-in-2024> As President Joe Biden's term draws to a close in 2024, executive branch agencies won't slow down their efforts to finalize important environmental regulations, from new controls on greenhouse gas emissions at power plants to stricter Endangered Species Act protections and chemical standards. On Law.com: Managing PFAS Chemicals: A Challenge for Courts and Agencies<https://www.law.com/thelegalintelligencer/2024/01/26/managing-pfas-chemicals-a-challenge-for-courts-and-agencies/> Media reports on the dangers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have catapulted these compounds into the public discourse. Even people unfamiliar with the technical names for PFAS have purchased products in which they are contained. Teflon nonstick cookware, stain resistant carpeting, food packaging, cosmetics, firefighting foams, and water repellant clothing constitute a sampling of the goods containing this family of chemicals. Wendy Wang Partner wendy.wang@bbklaw.com T: (213) 787-2554 bbklaw.com|