In today’s legal and environmental landscapes, there is a growing focus on water resource management, highlighted starkly by the American Water Works Association’s social media campaign, ‘Value of Water’. This initiative makes use of an impactful slogan, ‘No Water No Beer’, which is more than just a catchy phrase, it brings to the forefront a…
In a bid toward sustainable housing, the City of Los Angeles’s Planning Department is proposing an expansion of the city’s adaptive reuse policies. The proposal is a revision and an expansion of Sections 12.03, 12.22 A.26, 12.24 X and 16.05 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) and the Adaptive Reuse Incentive Areas Specific Plan…
In a sustained effort to reduce pollution and protect both human health and natural ecosystems, the European Parliament has proposed amendments to existing legislation that governs Europe’s various water bodies. These bodies include inland, transitional, and coastal surface waters, as well as groundwater. This move is seen as part of furthering the European Commission’s Zero…
The Arkansas Department of Energy & Environment – Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the United States Army, Pine Bluff Arsenal (U.S.) have reportedly entered into a Consent Administrative Order (CAO) as of July 13. This action is specifically in response to issues arising from dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) contamination. The Consent Administrative Order…
Protests erupted in Belém, Brazil this past Sunday, coinciding with a Brazilian government environmental conference titled The Amazonian Dialogues. The focal point of the demonstrations were against Petrobras, the Brazilian state oil company’s proposal to begin offshore drilling near the mouth of the Amazon River. This proposed project would be in the deep waters off…
The recent Mining Reform in Mexico has placed new obligations on mining concessionaires. Among these obligations, one of the most significant is the requirement to request a change of water use from the National Water Commission. This change in the Titles of Concession of National Waters must go from “industrial” to “industrial in mining”. Notably,…
In a recent development, the U.S. Geological Survey has raised alarms over the quality and sustainability of tap water in the United States. This study mentions that up to 45 percent of the water supply could possibly be contaminated with Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS. Motivations behind the research include rising domestic…
Thousands of indigenous individuals from Jujuy, a northwestern Argentine province, arrived in Buenos Aires recently. Their long cross-country journey culminated in a large protest against a provincial constitutional reform that expands lithium mining on the lands they call home. The protest was staged due to concerns that the increased extraction of lithium may lead to…