California City Succeeds in Establishing Joint and Several Liability Under CERCLA – Court Rejects Defendants’ Divisibility Defense
- September 17, 2020
- By: Paladin Law Group® LLP
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By Bret Stone The City of West Sacramento filed a lawsuit under RCRA, CERCLA, the Gatto Act, and several other state law causes of action to address toxic levels of soil and groundwater contamination resulting from the release of hazardous...
Read MoreCalifornia Supreme Court Ruling Will Allow Policyholders Easier Access to Excess Insurance
- April 8, 2020
- By: Paladin Law Group® LLP
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By Brian Paget Earlier this week, the California Supreme Court finally settled an important insurance law issue that had engendered conflicting decisions among the state’s lower courts. On Monday, April 6, 2020, in Montrose Chemical Corp. v. Superior Court, No....
Read MoreHow to Survive the PFAS Apocalypse
- November 15, 2019
- By: Paladin Law Group® LLP
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By Bret Stone and John Till The metal finishing industry is under intense regulatory scrutiny over a new chemical of concern that has been making headlines all over the country. It’s actually not just one chemical, it’s a family of...
Read MoreBeware of New Environmental Screening Levels
- April 19, 2019
- By: Paladin Law Group® LLP
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By Kirk Tracy In January (2019), the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Board (“Water Board”) published new Environmental Screening Levels (“ESLs”) for over 100 chemicals found at sites with contaminated soil and groundwater, an update from the prior ESLs published...
Read MoreAn Expanded Interpretation of Clean Water Act Jurisdiction
- May 7, 2018
- By: Paladin Law Group® LLP
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By Kirk Tracy The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, in Upstate Forever v. Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P., recently held that “an alleged discharge of pollutants, reaching navigable waters located 1000 feet or less from the point source by...
Read MoreSan Diego Storm Water Update
- May 3, 2018
- By: Paladin Law Group® LLP
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By Jon Lycett In July 2013, I wrote about the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board’s order updating the NPDES general permit for municipal separate storm sewer systems (“MS4s”). See San Diego Water Board Issues Updated Permit for Municipal...
Read MoreAftermath of the Montecito Mudslides – Determining Insurance Coverage and Navigating Policy Exclusions
- April 27, 2018
- By: Paladin Law Group® LLP
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By Cory Baker Post-Wildfire “Perils” and Property Damage Wildfires dramatically change the landscape and ground conditions, which can lead to the increased risk of flooding even with light rains. Natural, unburned vegetation and soil normally act as a sponge during...
Read MoreRegulation of Marijuana under AUMA
By Kelli Johnson Overview: Proposition 64, also known as the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA), was passed into law by the California electorate in November 2016. This article provides a basic overview of the regulation of marijuana under AUMA,...
Read MoreCourt holds that insurer has duty to defend in Rev 973 case
By Brian Paget Paladin Law Group and one its clients had a victory recently: the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California held that Wilshire Insurance Company has a duty to defend its insured in a lawsuit entitled,...
Read MoreBona Fide Prospective Tenants – An Expanded Reading of CERCLA’s Brownfields Amendments
By Bret Stone CERCLA[1] has long been the tool of choice for federal regulators to use as a means of forcing cleanup of contaminated properties and is rightly feared by commercial property owners due to the strict, joint and several...
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