Capitol Hill Calendar: January 9-10, 2014

Capitol_Hill

 
Hearings on Energy and Environment Issues and Legislation

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2014


HOUSE ENERGY AND COMMERCE
Subcommittee on Health
10:00 a.m. 2123 Rayburn
Hearing entitled "The Extenders Policies: What Are They and How Should They Continue Under a Permanent SGR Repeal Landscape?"

HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES
10:00 a.m. 1324 Longworth
Hearing entitled "Obama Administration’s War on Coal: The Recent Report by the Office of the Inspector General"


FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2014


HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
9:30 a.m. 1324 Longworth 202-225-9297
Hearing entitled "The Science behind Discovery: Seismic Exploration and the Future of the Atlantic OCS", 9:30 a.m., 1324 Longworth.







Capitol Hill Calendar: January 9-10, 2014 Read More »

Buchanan Ingersoll talking merger with Florida law firm

Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, a Pittsburgh-based law firm with more than 80 lawyers in Philadelphia and offices in 15 locations including Harrisburg, Pa., Newark and Princeton, NJ and Wilmington DE, is in merger talks with Tampa, Florida’s Fowler White Boggs, according to reports in the Philadelphia Business Journal and the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

Buchanan Ingersoll provides legal services to a wide variety of industries, including chemicals, coal, energy and real estate. The firm already has Florida locations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa. Fowler White has almost 100 lawyers in five Florida sites, so the combined firm would have 550 lawyers.
"We have had inquiries from a number of firms wishing to expand into Florida recently," Fowler White chair and CEO Rhea Law told the Tampa Bay Business Journal. "Our discussions with Buchanan have pointed out a number of similarities between our firms – our reputation, commitment to clients, culture as well as the desire to grow in Florida."
There’s no definitive agreement, she said.

Buchanan Ingersoll talking merger with Florida law firm Read More »

NJ enviros get their day in court over RGGI withdrawal


New Jersey Superior Court’s Appellate Division will hear arguments tomorrow morning in Trenton on whether
the Christie Administration illegally repealed the rules implementing the
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a pioneering regional agreement to
limit carbon pollution from power plants. 

The
program was developed by New Jersey and nine other northeastern states in 2005
and first implemented in 2009. In May 2011, Gov. Christie unilaterally
withdrew New Jersey from the program–the only state to leave the regional
collaboration. 


Environment New Jersey and the Natural Resources Defense Council filed the lawsuit 20 months ago, claiming that the Christie Administration never gave the public an official
opportunity to voice their opinion on the repeal of the rules implementing the
landmark program.
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The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, is a cap-and-trade program adopted by nine Eastern states in which power companies must purchase credits through public auctions for every ton of carbon their plants emit while generating electricity. Revenue from the sale of credits goes to the states to invest in renewable energy programs. 

The January 8 hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. in the 5th Floor Appellate
Court Chambers of the Hughes Justice Complex in Trenton.
Related environmental news story:
Can climate hawks beat Chris Christie to let New Jersey rejoin RGGI?

Recent posts: 

Hundreds of water complaints filed in fracking states


NJ enviros get their day in court over RGGI withdrawal Read More »

Environmental attorney Todd Terhune gains promotion

Todd W. Terhune
The Wolff and Samson law firm has announced that Todd W. Terhune has become a Member of the Firm.

Terhune practices in the
firm’s Environmental and Real Estate, Development and Land Use Groups where he advises clients on a wide range of environmental transactional and regulatory
compliance matters that arise in connection with real estate and business transactions,
or as a result of regulatory action. 

Specifically, Todd’s
practice focuses on brownfield development projects, environmental due
diligence, site remediation, ISRA compliance and environmental permitting. He
appears regularly before the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. 


Prior to becoming an attorney, Todd was an environmental engineering consultant and focused on environmental due diligence, soil and groundwater contamination assessment, environmental permitting, and landfill gas assessment and control. Todd’s technical background has proven to be an added asset when negotiating technically-driven legal issues with environmental consultants, LSRP’s, regulators and adversaries. During law school, Todd served as a law clerk to the USEPA.
Wolff and Samson, a 120-member firm, has its headquarters in West Orange, NJ and also has offices in Trenton and New York City
Recent posts: 

Hundreds of water complaints filed in fracking states

Environmental attorney Todd Terhune gains promotion Read More »

Hundreds of water complaints filed in fracking states

"In at least four states that have nurtured the nation’s energy boom, hundreds of complaints have been made about well-water contamination from oil or gas drilling, and pollution was confirmed in a number of them, according to a review that casts doubt on industry suggestions that such problems rarely happen, the Associated Press reported today.
The news agency said it had “requested data on drilling-related complaints in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Texas and found major differences in how the states report such problems.”
“Texas provided the most detail, while the other states provided only general outlines. And while the confirmed problems represent only a tiny portion of the thousands of oil and gas wells drilled each year in the U.S., the lack of detail in some state reports could help fuel public confusion and mistrust.
"The AP found that Pennsylvania received 398 complaints in 2013 alleging that oil or natural gas drilling polluted or otherwise affected private water wells, compared with 499 in 2012. The Pennsylvania complaints can include allegations of short-term diminished water flow, as well as pollution from stray gas or other substances. More than 100 cases of pollution were confirmed over the past five years."

Read the full story here

Recent blog posts:
Get your New Year rolling down the right track
Pa Supreme Court delivers big setback to shale drillers
The Pinelands gas pipeline controversy gets interesting 
Here’s your complimentary copy of today’s EnviroPolitics
Highlands Council seeking consultant for fiscal analysis  
 
 

Hundreds of water complaints filed in fracking states Read More »