Water Marks
-
Supreme Court Offers Comfort to Owners of Dams and Water Control Facilities
January 15, 2013In a ruling that has important implications for the hydropower industry, municipal water control systems, and dam owners everywhere, the U.S. Supreme Court strongly affirmed an earlier holding that a "discharge of a pollutant" as regulated by the Clean Water Act does not occur when polluted water flows from an improved, man-made portion of a navigable water way into an unimproved portion of the same waterway.
Read More » -
Michigan Passes Groundwater Well Dispute Statute – Again
December 14, 2012The hectic lame-duck session of the Michigan Legislature has resulted in the resurrection of the state's once-and-future groundwater dispute resolution process. Michigan had originally passed similar legislation in 2003, then repealed it in 2009 as a budget cutting measure. Pressure to revive the dispute resolution process mounted as complaints about failing wells increased under the past year's drought conditions, as water use for irrigation increased and water tables lowered.
Read More » -
EPA Pushes Back on Stormwater Discharges from Logging Roads
December 10, 2012The EPA has revised its Phase I stormwater regulations to say that a NPDES permit is not required for stormwater discharges from logging roads. The EPA says it did not intend for logging roads to be regulated as industrial facilities, and so in light of NEDC, it has revised its rules to clarify the Agency’s intent.
Read More » -
EPA Wants More From Enbridge on Kalamazoo River Cleanup
October 9, 2012EPA has proposed a new Order to require Enbridge to do further cleanup from its July 2010 pipeline spill on the Kalamazoo River in southwest Michigan. The Order, if finalized, would require installation of additional oil-containment devices at the following locations: upstream of Ceresco Dam, upstream of Kalamazoo Dam, upstream of the neck of Morrow Lake, and at other locations to be specified by U.S. EPA.
Read More » -
Coast Guard Proposes New Rule on Discharges in the Great Lakes
August 27, 2012The Coast Guard is proposing to replace its interim rule with a new rule to regulate the operation of U.S. and foreign vessels carrying bulk dry cargo (e.g., limestone, iron ore, coal) on U.S. waters of the Great Lakes, and the operation of U.S. bulk dry cargo vessels anywhere on the Great Lakes. The new requirements address the discharge of bulk dry cargo residue ("DCR").
Read More » -
Congress Requires Faster Corps Action on Asian Carp
July 9, 2012Congress has included the "Stop Invasive Species Act" as an amendment to the transportation bill it approved before the July 4th recess. The Act requires the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to speed up implementation of strategies to protect the Great Lakes from Asian carp.
Read More »