Tag Archives: environmental law

An Outpour of Violations

Preserving the Earth

Given the mission to protect wildlife and preserve the natural order of the environment, nation-wide organizations, such as National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, and Greenpeace, have served communities and continue to heal the Earth. Although conservationists may aim to reach, influence, and safeguard all areas of the country, circumstances may arise that trigger the attention of environmental agencies only after the brunt of damage has occurred. One town in Tennessee, for example, has not only damaged a critical waterway, including its marine life, but is also blatantly breaking the law. Continue reading →

Pickup a Dismissal

Trucking along

A federal judge has recently dismissed a class action lawsuit that exposed the existence of emissions defeat devices in Ford Super Duty pickup trucks. Originally filed in 2018, the “cheat” devices, which were apparently embedded in the engine control module software of 2011–2017 F-250 and F-350 pickups with the 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8, have allowed the trucks to pass emissions tests. About 500,000 trucks were impacted and the original lawsuit sought $4.2 billion. Since 2018, over 25 claimants have dropped claims, which likely contributed to the judge’s decision. Continue reading →

In the Market to Settle

Risky business

As customers peruse the endless gift options available on Amazon for the upcoming Holiday season, they may come across items that should not be purchased by the average shopper. For example, industrial-grade pesticides have remained the topic of a dispute with Amazon and the Attorney General’s Office in Washington State. According to a lawsuit filed in 2018, Amazon granted thousands of transactions of agricultural and industrial-use pesticides to customers, without presenting a clear representation that the pesticides should not be used for average home garden use. In fact, these higher-grade pesticides differed considerably from widely available products that might be found at Home Depot or Lowe’s. Continue reading →

Breaching a Natural Contract

Save the salmon

As the war on climate change continues to heat up, some conservationists are perpetuating their opposition against the presence of dams and the seemingly negative effects these structures impose on natural wildlife and food sources. Those who are in favor of dams, however, are adamant that external factors serve as the likely causes of natural species shifts and value the important benefits offered by dams, including hydropower, river navigation, and irrigation. As part of a battle that has spanned the course of over 20 years, conservationists in the North West are now seeking to stay, or pause litigation, which would allow time for parties to develop adequate solutions to protect the local salmon. Continue reading →

Legal Matter Finally Extinguished

California fire stamped out

Wildfires may cause debilitating effects on the environmental landscape. Despite the deadly risks of playing with fire, homes may be burned to the ground, wildlife may lose its habitat, pollution may permeate clean air, and carbon dioxide may be released into the earth’s atmosphere. Given the negative consequences of large fires, the United States has routinely investigated the source of wildfires and has held certain individuals responsible for starting them. In this most recent wildfire settlement, a Mariposa County, California resident agreed to pay $950,000 to compensate for his part in initiating a 2016 blaze, known as the “Old Fire.” Continue reading →