Following her curiosity: Chief Environmental Law Judge Davidsen preparing for retirement after 20 years
The path to judgeship wasn’t a straight shot for Chief Environmental Law Judge Mary Davidsen, but she let her curiosity lead her along the way.
Environmental Issues
Articles
Alcoa facing legal action over allegations of illegal dumping
A pair of environmental groups is preparing to file a lawsuit against Pittsburgh-based Alcoa Corp. over alleged violations of the Clear Water Act at the company’s Warrick Operations in Newburgh.
EPA delays new ozone pollution standards until after 2024 election
The Environmental Protection Agency is delaying plans to tighten air quality standards for ground-level ozone—better known as smog—despite a recommendation by a scientific advisory panel to lower air pollution limits to protect public health.
Law firms see growing demand for advice on environmental, social investing issues
Law firms in Indiana and across the globe are seeing increasing demand for legal advice on initiatives that measure corporate responsibility in the areas of environmental impact, social concerns and corporate governance.
Inflation is down, but Inflation Reduction Act doesn’t deserve credit, experts say
Even President Joe Biden has some regrets about the name of the Inflation Reduction Act: As the giant law turns a year old on Wednesday, it’s increasingly clear that immediately curbing prices wasn’t the point.
Biden goes west to talk about his administration’s efforts to combat climate change
President Joe Biden will travel to Arizona, New Mexico and Utah next week and is expected to talk about his administration’s efforts to combat climate change as the region endures a brutally hot summer with soaring temperatures, the White House said Monday.
US Supreme Court asked to set aside ruling that blocks construction on Mountain Valley Pipeline
The fate of a controversial natural gas pipeline in West Virginia may rest with the U.S. Supreme Court, as the state appealed a lower court’s ruling that temporarily blocked construction despite a Congressional order clearing the way for the project.
Deep sea mining permits may be coming soon. What are they and what might happen?
The International Seabed Authority — the United Nations body that regulates the world’s ocean floor — is preparing to resume negotiations that could open the international seabed for mining, including for materials critical for the green energy transition.
Supreme Court rules against Navajo Nation in Colorado River water rights case
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the Navajo Nation on Thursday in a dispute involving water from the drought-stricken Colorado River.
Draft EPA rule could impact nearly 50 Indiana coal ash dumps
Draft federal regulations for toxic coal byproducts could cover nearly 50 exempted dumps spread across 14 locations in Indiana.
More than two dozen cities and states are suing Big Oil over climate change — they just got a boost from the US Supreme Court
Local and state governments that are suing major oil companies want to hold them responsible for the costs of responding to disasters that scientists are increasingly able to attribute to climate disruption and tie back to the fossil fuel industry.
Gary group files complaint over IDEM’s approval of waste processing facility
A group of Gary residents is asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to make the Indiana Department of Environmental Management revoke a permit for a waste processing facility and conduct an environmental justice analysis of the site.
BP subsidiary agrees to record $40M penalty and pollution-cutting steps at Lake Michigan refinery
A BP subsidiary will pay a $40 million penalty and install technology to control releases of benzene and other contaminants at its Whiting oil refinery on the Indiana shoreline of Lake Michigan, Biden administration officials said Wednesday.
State is letting AES Indiana discharge toxic water into White River, group says
An Indiana environmental group says the state is allowing AES Indiana to release more than 1 million gallons of contaminated water a day into the White River from coal ash ponds at its Eagle Valley Generating Station.
Justice Department sues Norfolk Southern over derailment
The federal government filed a lawsuit against railroad Norfolk Southern over environmental damage caused by a train derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border that spilled hazardous chemicals into nearby creeks and rivers.
Bill that would change wetlands definition passes Indiana House committee
Democrats, environmental groups and business leaders are denouncing a bill that they say would further erode protections for Indiana’s already shrinking wetlands.
Holcomb orders inspection of toxic material from Ohio
Gov. Eric Holcomb said Thursday he is ordering third-party testing of hazardous materials being transported from the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment to a landfill in Putnam County.
Holcomb objects to decision to ship toxic materials to Indiana landfill
Gov. Eric Holcomb said Tuesday that he strongly objects to the EPA’s decision to transport hazardous materials from the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment to a facility in western Indiana, a nearly 400-mile journey.
Manufacturer to pay $9.8M for environmental cleanup at Elkhart Superfund site
A furniture manufacturer has agreed to pay $9.8 million to fund cleanup efforts at an Elkhart federal Superfund site.
District court rules against CAFO, Corps
A ditch system dug nearly 100 years ago to drain Beaver Lake, formerly the largest natural lake in Indiana, is at the center of a legal battle between a 4,350-dairy cow CAFO and the neighboring Newton County residents.