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The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) is soliciting public comment on its Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims (“Green Guides”), as part of its analysis of whether to modify, retain, or rescind the Green Guides. The issues raised in the Green Guides potentially impact any company that...
On December 15, 2022, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) published the final amendment to the All Appropriate Inquiry Rule (40 CFR Part 312) (AAI Rule) that establishes the environmental due diligence needed to be eligible for liability protections under the federal superfund...
Two federal programs administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”) provide financial assistance in the form of grants and rebates to public and non-profit entities seeking to replace their existing buses and trucks into clean vehicles. The most recent program was...
October was National Cybersecurity Month. As part of its ongoing focus on HIPAA Security Rule awareness and compliance, the Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) within the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), published its HIPAA Security Rule Incident Procedures newsletter (the “Newsletter”)...
The Inflation Reduction Act (the “IRA”), signed into law on August 16, 2022, appropriates nearly $27 billion to provide financial assistance to certain entities in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. This “Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund” (the “Fund”) is available to a wide range of recipients...
On October 17, 2022, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) published interim soil remediation standards (Interim SRS) in the NJ Register (54 N.J.R. 1980(a)) for four per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) compounds: perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA); perfluorooctanoic acid...
The close of California’s legislative session on August 31 without amending the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) means that CCPA will soon apply to personal information that many businesses process concerning their employees, contractors, and applicants. CCPA had been amended in November of...
A spate of lawsuits across the country has targeted companies that use website tracking and analytics tools, claiming they are violating prohibitions against illegal wiretaps. In a recent precedential decision, the Third Circuit weighed in on this issue, suggesting that companies can indeed be...
The California Attorney General began exercising enforcement authority under the CCPA on January 1, 2020. Among the CCPA’s enumerated rights for consumers, the cornerstone of the CCPA, is the right to opt out of the collection of personal information. In Sephora’s case, the Attorney General...
On July 27, 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced legislative proposals and initiatives that would prevent State Board of Administration (SBA) fund managers from considering environmental social and governance (ESG) factors when investing the state’s money. Instead, the proposed legislation...
On July 15, 2022, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the resolution of eleven investigations as part of its Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Right of Access Initiative (the "Initiative"). OCR created...
On August 4, 2022, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (“NJDEP”) filed suit against Monsanto Co., Pharmacia LLC and Solutia, Inc., seeking to hold them liable for PCB contamination throughout New Jersey. ( Complaint ). While the suit also addresses contamination at Monsanto’s...
New Jersey’s landmark Environmental Justice Law, N.J.S.A. 13:1D-157 (“EJ Law”), signed by Governor Murphy in September 2020, authorizes the NJDEP to deny or condition certain permits based on an assessment of a “facility’s” contribution to environmental and public health impacts in the State’s...
On June 29, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights released two guidance documents addressing (1) disclosures under the HIPAA Privacy Rule relating to reproductive health care (“Disclosure Guidance”), and (2) the privacy and security of reproductive health...
On June 30th, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in West Virginia v. EPA . The Court concluded that the EPA had exceeded its authority under the Clean Air Act by establishing emission caps in the Clean Power Plan (CPP) that would have required a shift in electrical generation from...
On May 26th, the EPA released an update of its Legal Tools to Advance Environmental justice – a compilation of the legal authorities it relies upon to protect public health and the environment for all persons in EJ and all communities. The tool kit replaces the “Plan EJ 2014 Legal Tools” and...