Law Commons^™

Ohio House Bills 168 And 110: Just Another Drop In The Bucket For Brownfield Redevelopment?, Mia Petrucci

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

This article examines Ohio House Bills 168 and 110. These House Bills provide liability protection to purchasers of brownfield sites, allocate $500 million dollars to brownfield funding—with $350 million allotted for investigation, cleanup, and revitalization of brownfield sites and $150 million for demolition of vacant/abandoned buildings—and create a new Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program, for the revitalization of properties surrounding brownfield sites. In the first three Sections of this article, the concept of brownfield redevelopment is introduced, the associated challenges with brownfield projects are discussed, and attempts by federal and state governments to address brownfield remediation challenges in the …

Reclaiming The Navajo Range: Resolving The Conflict Between Grazing Rights And Development, Ezra Rosser

Articles in Law Reviews & Other Academic Journals

Grazing is fundamental to Navajo identity, yet management of the Navajo range remains highly problematic. This Essay connects the federal government's devastating livestock reduction effort of the 1930s with the inability of the Navajo Nation to place meaningful limits on grazing and the power of grazing permittees. It argues that the Navajo Nation should consider reasserting the tribe's traditional understanding that property rights depend on use as a way to create space for reservation development.

Take It To The Limit: The Illegal Regulation Prohibiting The Take Of Any Threatened Species Under The Endangered Species Act, Jonathan Wood

Jonathan Wood

The Endangered Species Act forbids the “take” – any activity that adversely affects – any member of an endangered species, but only endangered species. The statute also provides for the listing of threatened species, i.e. species that may become endangered, but protects them only by requiring agencies to consider the impacts of their projects on them. Shortly after the statute was adopted, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service reversed Congress’ policy choice by adopting a regulation that forbids the take of any threatened species. The regulation is not authorized by the Endangered Species Act, but …

Proposed Implementing Procedures For Restore Act Awards Under Nepa, Sara Mammarella

Sara Mammarella

On April 20, 2010, what has been described as “the worst oil spill in U.S. history,” the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, occurred off the Louisiana coast, affecting a five-state area in the Gulf region (Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas), dumping an estimated 4.9 billion barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. In response, Congress enacted the federal RESTORE Act to set up a mechanism for compensating the victims of the oils spill and to Repair the environmental harm caused by the oil spill.

This article will examine the effectiveness of the regulatory scheme in place that was …

A Primer: Air And Water Environmental Quality Standards In The United State, Jason J. Czarnezki, Siu Tip Lam, Nadia B. Ahmad

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Avoiding The Road To Ferc-Dom: The Supreme Court Affirms The Right To Contract In Morgan Stanley V. Snohomish, Jorge A. Mestre

Jorge A Mestre

No abstract provided.

Confidential Information And Governments: Balancing The Public's Right To Access Government Records And An Oil And Gas Company's Right To Protect Confidential Information, Stephen Burns, Todd Newhook, Sébastien Gittens

Dalhousie Law Journal

This paper explores the relationship between the public's right to access records in the custody or under the control of the government with the oil and gas industry's need to protect its confidential information from disclosure. Focusing on practical issues, the authors review the law of confidence, the structure of the access to information legislation and related case law, the public policy considerations supporting same, and some of the risks and pitfalls that organizations can avoid if they consider such legislation when interacting with public bodies.

Offshore Safety And Environmental Regimes: A Post-Macondo Comparative Analysis Of The United States And United Kingdom, Jeffery R. Ray

Jeffery R Ray

Abstract This paper uses a selected review of United States (US) laws resulting from the issues presented by the Deepwater Horizon, or Macondo, incident. Regulatory issues based on engineering concerns are analysed in the second half of the US Chapter. The analysis questions whether the US has truly dealt with Macondo issues or if the issues were effectively tabled. The current state of the US regime indicates that it is either in a transitional phase or it has failed to implement key measures to effectively utilize the post-Macondo regulations. The United Kingdom (UK) offshore safety regime followed by selected environmental …

Mining Contracts: How To Read And Understand Them, International Senior Lawyers Project, Openoil, Revenue Watch Institute-Natural Resource Governance Institue, Vale Columbia Center On Sustainable International Investment

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment Books

In December 2013, a diverse group of 14 experts from Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Europe worked together for five days to produce a user-friendly guide in English and in French on "Mining Contracts: How to Read and Understand Them," to help policy makers, civil society, citizens, and the media understand the often complex and opaque terms of mining contracts. With increasing calls for contract transparency – and the growing recognition of the importance of the terms of contracts for resource-rich countries – this book explains in layman’s terms the principal features of a contract, compares different approaches …

The Confidentiality Of Seismic Data, Michael P. Simms, Van Penick

Dalhousie Law Journal

The authors review the common law, common contractual language and statutory law relating to the confidentiality of seismic information. The extent of the rights of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Boards to receive, use and make seismic data public is considered in light of freedom of information and protection of privacy legislation. The authors discuss the different treatment of specified user and speculative seismic data, and explore copyright.

A Complete Property Right Amendment, John H. Ryskamp

ExpressO

The trend of the eminent domain reform and "Kelo plus" initiatives is toward a comprehensive Constitutional property right incorporating the elements of level of review, nature of government action, and extent of compensation. This article contains a draft amendment which reflects these concerns.

Bond Repudiation, Tax Codes, The Appropriations Process And Restitution Post-Eminent Domain Reform, John H. Ryskamp

ExpressO

This brief comment suggests where the anti-eminent domain movement might be heading next.

Breaking The Bank: Revisiting Central Bank Of Denver After Enron And Sarbanes-Oxley, Celia Taylor

ExpressO

No abstract provided.

Agenda: Introduction To The Legal Foundation Of Federal Land Management, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Introduction to the Legal Foundation of Federal Land Management (December 1-3)

Materials prepared for the course held at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado on December 1-3, 2004

Course instructors: Charles Wilkinson; Sarah Krakoff; Kathryn Mutz; Ann Morgan; Maggie Fox

Contents:

Introduction -- Agenda -- Summaries of laws -- Case studies. Travel management; Oil and gas development; Timber/fuels reduction -- How to influence agency decision makers -- Natural resource related legal and policy resources for the non-legal professional

Introduction To The Legal Foundation Of Federal Land Management, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Introduction to the Legal Foundation of Federal Land Management (December 1-3)

1 v. (various pagings) : ill., maps ; 28 cm

Materials prepared for the course held at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado on December 1-3, 2004

Course instructors: Charles Wilkinson; Sarah Krakoff; Kathryn Mutz; Ann Morgan; Maggie Fox

Contents:

Introduction -- Agenda -- Summaries of laws -- Case studies. Travel management; Oil and gas development; Timber/fuels reduction -- How to influence agency decision makers -- Natural resource related legal and policy resources for the non-legal professional

Fuel Efficiency: The Disconnect Between Environmental Policy And Tax Policy, John J. Marciano

ExpressO

The recent high gas prices in America have intensified the debate over oil and gas efficiency, use, and reserves. As the national average for a gallon tops $2.10, Congress and the President strive to find a common position to foster energy independence, protect the environment, and bolster the struggling economy.

President Bush’s energy policy and recent Senate and House bills have not contemplated their effects on the environmental state of our nation or its impact on the internal revenue code. In this time of uncertainty, energy independence and measured use of resources may be at odds, but must we stray …

Offshore Employment And Occupational Health And Safety Issues, John Macpherson

Dalhousie Law Journal

In Canada responsibility for regulating labour relations, employment and occupational health and safety matters is shared between the federal and provincial governments. In this paper the author describes the complexities of the legislative regime governing the Nova Scotia offshore. Specifically, he looks at section 157 of the Nova Scotia Accord Act (Canada), certification of workers offshore, and occupational health and safety legislation.

Key Issues In The New Regime Of Occupational Health And Safety: The Right To Refuse Work And Directors' And Officers' Liability, Jim Thistle, Matthew Clarke, Joshua Martin

Dalhousie Law Journal

This article examines the existing and proposed occupational health and safety regulatory regimes for oil and gas operations offshore Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador The article provides historical context for both the existing and the proposed regimes. Two specific areas of concern are analysed: the right to refuse work and directors' and officers' liability. For each issue, the author offers observations on the potential impacts that the implementation of proposed legislation will have on offshore oil and gas operations in these jurisdictions

Union Certification On Offshore Production Installations, Gregory Anthony

Dalhousie Law Journal

The author describes the jurisdictional and legislative regimes governing labour relations in the Newfoundland and Labrador offshore. After providing an overview of the provincial certification process, he recounts the process of certification of the Hibernia platform and reviews some of the legal issues raised therefrom.

Effective And Efficient Regulation In Nova Scotia, J Marshall Burgess

Dalhousie Law Journal

Effective and efficient regulation of the oil and gas industry on the East Coast of Canada is a top priority of the federal and provincial governments. Ever since oil and gas exploration and development began in this region, stakeholders and others have urged regulators to address and remedy this issue. This paper reviews how governments have responded first in the onshore context, and then in the offshore. Issues that regulators need to address are identified and legislative, regulatory, and administrative changes which have been made and are proposed are reviewed. Finally, the author reflects on possible future developments and the …

Keynote Address, Rebecca Watson

Coalbed Methane Development in the Intermountain West (April 4-5)

6 pages.

Oceans Act: Uncharted Seas For Offshore Development In Atlantic Canada?, Aldo Chircop, Bruce A. Marchand

Dalhousie Law Journal

Canada's Oceans Act, now five years old, is a ground-breaking piece of legislation in marine law which provides a framework for the development of a national oceans strategy, integrated planning and management, and institutional responsibilities. In this article, the authors review the Act and its issues and argue that the uncertainties found there provide opportunities for participants in the Atlantic Canada offshore oil and gas industry to influence the development of an oceans policy, legal and institutional framework that accommodates all interests.

Heci V. Neel: Application Of The Discovery Rule To Damages Arising Out Of Oil And Gas Leases., L. Melanie Martin

St. Mary's Law Journal

Texas landowners face a heavy burden in bringing claims for damages arising out of inherently undiscoverable damages to mineral estates because the statute of limitations starts at the time of injury rather than the time of discovery. Previously, courts adopted the discovery rule as an exception to the statute of limitations, effectively stalling the starting point of the statute of limitations. A two-pronged threshold inquiry is held before the application of the discovery rule. First, the court must determine if the injury is inherently undiscoverable or not detected despite the use of due diligence. Secondly, there must be objectively verifiable …

The Lautenberg Amendment: Congress Hit The Mark By Banning Firearms From Domestic Violence Offenders Comment., Polly Mccann Pruneda

St. Mary's Law Journal

Immediate action is critical to preserve the goals of the Lautenberg Amendment to protect victims of domestic violence from future abuse and their abusers. Incidents of gun-related domestic violence are not uncommon in the United States. Statistics show that domestic violence takes one life every three days and the combination of guns and domestic violence cause more deaths than incidents which are not associated with guns. In 1996, Congress attempted to find a solution to this problem. The Lautenberg Amendment, enacted pursuant to Congress’ Commerce Clause power, seeks to protect individuals from gun related injury or death occurring within domestic …

Environmental Regulation Of Oil And Gas Development On Tribal Lands: Who Has The Authority?, Richard B. Collins, Tom Shipps, Marla Williams, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Environmental Regulation of Oil and Gas Development on Tribal Lands: Who Has the Authority? (November 1)

14 pages.

Collection of 3 papers presented at the Hot Topics in Natural Resources Law program held on Nov. 1, 1995.

Includes bibliographical references.

Contents:

Environmental regulation of oil and gas development on tribal lands : who has authority? / Richard Collins -- Environmental regulation of energy resource development on Indian reservation land / Tom Shipps -- Colorado Oil and Gas [Conservation] Commission jurisdiction over environmental matters on Indian lands / Marla Williams

Jurisdiction to regulate the environmental impacts of oil and gas development on the reservation has been contested by tribes, the state, private land owners and federal agencies. …

Deregulation Of The Natural Gas Industry, Elisabeth Pendley

Implications of FERC Order No. 636 for the Natural Gas Industry (March 13)

4 pages.

Hot Topic: Implications of FERC Order No. 636 for the Natural Gas Industry.

After one year of natural gas pipeline deregulation, what impact has Order No. 636, issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 1992, had on the natural gas industry - specifically, pipeline and local distribution companies? What additional changes might occur? Elisabeth Pendley, of KN Energy and the NRLC 1995 El Paso Natural Gas Law Fellow, will discuss the dramatic changes to the natural gas industry caused by FERC Order No. 636.

Comparison Of Coalbed Methane Statutes In The Federal, Virginia And West Virginia Jurisdictions, Elizabeth A. Mcclanahan, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Books, Reports, and Studies

20 p. ; 28 cm

Deregulation Of The Energy Industry, Elisabeth Pendley, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Books, Reports, and Studies

43 p. ; 28 cm

Capital Punishment: A Critique Of The Political And Philosophical Thought Supporting The Justices' Positions., Samuel J.M. Donnelly

St. Mary's Law Journal

Since Gregg v. Georgia, the Supreme Court has developed what could be described as a subparadigm for capital punishment. This subparadigm is now at a point of crisis for two enduring and mutually supporting reasons. The dissents by Justice Brennan and Justice Marshall represent the convergence of the better modern thought in regard to capital punishment. Even with the retirement of both Justices, the criticism found in their dissenting opinions presents a continuing challenge to the plurality’s position. Those using the plurality’s rhetoric are now split into two groups. Justices Blackmun and Stevens regularly vote against capital punishment, while focusing …

Uncertainty, Politics, And Outer Continental Shelf Development, Robert B. Wiygul, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Books, Reports, and Studies

15 p. ; 28 cm