Water
Earthrise secures improvements to industrial stormwater discharge permits
Earthrise Law Center, on behalf of our clients Columbia Riverkeeper and Northwest Environmental Defense Center (NEDC), today successfully resolved a lawsuit challenging Oregon’s general permit for discharges of industrial stormwater
Thank You Rose Foundation
Thank you to the Rose Foundation for their grant to fund Earthrise’s Puget Sound work.
Wild Fish Conservancy Sues Cooke Aquaculture Over CWA Violations Related to its Atlantic Salmon Farming Facilities in Puget Sound
On behalf of Wild Fish Conservancy, on Monday, November 13th, Earthrise filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Washington against Cooke Aquaculture for Clean Water Act violations related to the near-complete structural failure of its Atlantic salmon farming facility in Deepwater Bay off of Cypress Island in late August.
Earthrise files brief with US Supreme Court over WOTUS
On behalf of our clients Waterkeeper Alliance, Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Food Safety, and several other organizations (“Waterkeeper”), Earthrise filed their opening merits brief in the U.S. Supreme Court on April 27, 2017, in the case captioned as National Association of Manufacturers v. Department of Defense, et al.
Court Ousts Oregon’s Water Pollution Clean-up Plans, Too Hot for Salmon
Yesterday, Earthrise and its co-counsel, on behalf of Northwest Environmental Advocates (NWEA), won a challenge against Oregon’s illegal water temperature standards, which change goals from cold temperatures to hot—and sometimes even lethal for salmon and other imperiled cold-water species.
Earthrise Files Petition to Address “Zombie Permits”
Earthrise filed a petition today on behalf of the Northwest Environmental Advocates (NWEA), the Northwest Environmental Defense Center (NEDC), and fish advocate, Bill Bakke, seeking to force Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to address the enormous backlog of administratively continued Clean Water Act permits, known as “Zombie Permits.”
Trump Instructs EPA to “Review and Rescind or Revise” Waters of the U.S. Rule
On February 28, 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) instructing the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers (the “Agencies”) to begin a rulemaking to rescind or revise the Clean Water Rule, a 2015 regulation that defined the phrase “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) as used in the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), thereby identifying those waters protected by the Act’s restrictions on pollutant discharges.
Lawsuit Seeks New Toxic Standards for Washington State Waters
Today Earthrise filed a lawsuit on behalf of Oregon-based Northwest Environmental Advocates (NWEA) challenging EPA’s failure to respond to an 88-page petition submitted to the federal agency over three years ago, in October 2013. The petition seeks EPA’s action to update Washington’s water quality standards for toxics, primarily for the protection of aquatic life, such as salmon and steelhead.
Green River Trial Final Stages- Earthrise Seeks Cleanup
Last week, Earthrise brought the Green River in Illinois one step closer to being restored after decades of concrete dumping along its banks by an adjacent landowner and owner of a demolition and trucking company. In federal court in Rock Island, Illinois, on behalf of Quad Cities Waterkeeper and Prairie Rivers Network, Earthrise attorneys Kevin Cassidy and Lia Comerford presented evidence about the harm the unauthorized concrete dumping has caused to their clients and the Green River and urged federal judge Sara Darrow to order and oversee a comprehensive restoration plan.
Washington’s Refusal to Operate under Coastal Protection Law Could Lose the State Federal Funding
Longtime partners, Northwest Environmental Advocates (NWEA), represented by Earthrise attorney Allison LaPlante and Seattle attorney Paul Kampmeier of Kampmeier & Knutsen filed a lawsuit today against the EPA and NOAA for their failure to force Washington State to control polluted runoff in the state’s coastal watersheds, including Puget Sound. The lawsuit aims to force the agencies to impose Congressionally-mandated funding cuts on the State of Washington for failing to comply with a law that requires the state to protect coastal water quality.
EPA on Notice for Violations of the Endangered Species Act in New England
The Center for Biological Diversity and Northwest Environmental Advocates notified the Environmental Protection Agency last week that they plan to sue the agency for failing to consider the needs of endangered salmon and sturgeon when approving state water-quality standards in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Connecticut.
Magistrate Recommends NWEA Wins Suit Over Oregon Water Temperature Standards
Earthrise, along with co-counsel, Bryan Telegin, received a ruling from a federal magistrate judge this week recommending that our client, Northwest Environmental Advocates (NWEA), should win its suit challenging Oregon’s plans to clean up temperature and mercury pollution in Oregon’s rivers.
Earthrise Victory in Illinois: Concrete Dumping Violated Clean Water Act
In a precedent setting case, United States District Judge Sara Darrow, of the Central District of Illinois, ruled on September 29 that maintenance of an otherwise unpermitted levee is not exempt from the federal Clean Water Act.
Earthrise and NWEA Threaten Federal Lawsuit to Protect Puget Sound from Polluted Runoff
Earthrise attorney Allison LaPlante, representing Northwest Environmental Advocates (NWEA) is threatening the EPA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with a lawsuit in 60 days over their failure to protected coasted threatened and endangered species in Washington State.
Public Nuisance PCB Suits Against Monsanto Could Have Far-Reaching Impact
“A recent flurry of suits by West Coast cities—seeking to hold Monsanto liable for allegedly polluting public waterways with PCBs it made decades ago—represents an intersection of hazardous waste and product liability law that could have a far-reaching impact on industrial product manufacturers, attorneys and scholars tell Bloomberg BNA.” Professor Craig Johnston spoke to Bloomberg BNA on what this could mean for hazardous waste law.
FEMA Gets Legal Wake Up Call, Must Consider Salmon Habitat: Interview with Attorney Dan Rohlf
Dan Rohlf, Professor of Law and a Founding Member of Earthrise Law Center at Lewis & Clark Law School, discusses the changes FEMA must make to its flood insurance program to protect riparian areas crucial for wildlife – especially salmon.
EPA Must Update Toxic Pollutant Water Quality Standards for Oregon
On behalf of Northwest Environmental Advocates (NWEA), Earthrise has successfully resolved a lawsuit compelling the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate new water quality standards for the State of Oregon.
NWEA Win Forces EPA to Establish Safer Arsenic Standard for Idaho Rivers
In a federal court-signed order today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agreed to retract its 2010 approval of Idaho’s water quality standard for arsenic.
Earthrise Reaches Settlement to Protect the Connecticut River
Earthrise protects another river from polluters! Yesterday, the District of Massachusetts federal court approved a settlement that will require Chang Farms to comply with its Clean Water Act permit and cease its illegal discharges into the Connecticut River.
Earthrise Wins Huge Case Against EPA Over Ballast Water
Today, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Vessel General Permit (VGP) that governs the discharge of 21 billion gallons annually of ballast water—laden with invasive species—to the nation’s waters.
Rising Issues #11 Victories on Land AND Water
Read about our victories in the Snow Basin Timber Sale and Buffalo River cases.
Earthrise working to stop long-running pollution of the Connecticut River in Massachusetts
Earthrise working to stop long-running pollution of the Connecticut River in Massachusetts, sending notice of intent to sue letter to Chang Farms in Whately, Massachusetts.
Rising Issues #10, Spring 2015, Earthrise Wins Major Clean Water Act Case
Earthrise settled a major case against Magic Mountain theme park in California. Read, and hear, all about it in our recent newsletter!
Hogs and the Buffalo River
Earthrise’s client, the National Park Conservation Association, has put out a great new video about the threat of waste from a hog farm near the Buffalo River and the reasons we are working with our clients in the fight to protect this national treasure. Please take a couple minutes to check it out!
Earthrise deals blow to nuclear power plant in Massachusetts
Judge’s ruling on standing prevents spent nuclear fuel from endangering community
Victory that will slash toxic pollution in Columbia and Snake Rivers
Earthrise Director Craig Johnston recently spoke on Oregon Public Broadcasting about the historic victory against the Army Corps of Engineers regarding oil pollution from Pacific Northwest dams.
Rising Issues #7 Spring 2014
Spring Newsletter: Update on Chesapeake Bay TMDL Case, Alumni Highlight, Craig Johnston runs the Boston Marathon and Staff Transitions.
Rising Issues #6 Winter 2014
The winter edition of Rising Issues: CRC, VGP, Dan Mensher, and more!
Arkansas DEQ Misrepresented Hog Waste Water Monitoring
2/12/14 - A press release issued today reports on a letter sent on behalf of Earthrise’s clients, charging the Arkansas DEQ with monitoring water for hog waste contamination in the wrong fields.
Rising Issues #5 Fall 2013
10/30/13 - Federal laws are for the birds…and the national rivers! Read about our work protecting national treasures in our latest newsletter.