The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) have finalized their much-discussed joint “waters of the United States” definition and rule. This regulatory definition controls the scope and scale of these agencies’ regulatory authority under the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). It was slated…
DECEMBER 9, 2015 UPDATE: Today, the Central District Court its Order Granting Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss in Barber v. Nestle USA, Inc., et al., No. SACV 15-01364-CJC(AGRX), concluding that “Plaintiffs’ claims are barred by the safe harbor doctrine and therefore declines to reach the remainder of Nestlé’s arguments.” Nestlé successfully…
In Lacey Act Lessons from the Lumber Liquidators $13 Million Settlement, Pillsbury attorneys William Sullivan and Benjamin Cote explore the ramification of Lumber Liquidators’ agreement to plead guilty to five criminal charges, including one felony, stemming from its purchase and import of certain wood products through three separate Chinese suppliers. Among other things,…
Wondering if your company qualifies for a partial sales and use tax exemption on equipment purchases and leases? The California Contractors State License Board is inviting manufacturers, research & development companies, construction contractors, retailers of construction materials and everyone else to join it for a FREE webinar: Manufacturing and Research…
Some of the current Justices sitting on the U.S. Supreme Court have written that they are dissatisfied with the state of the law regarding the deference the courts must accord to a federal agency’s interpretation of its own regulations. A workplace safety case decided on October 13, 2015, by an…
The California Labor Commissioner now has more power to enforce minimum wage requirements and to collect payment for wage-related claims. California Governor Brown’s website confirmed Saturday that he has signed into law special provisions permitting the Labor Commissioner to, among other things, file a lien or levy on an employer’s property in order to assist…
States that require a person that engages in work requiring a contractor’s or specialty contractor’s license generally include within their licensing law an express provision making it unlawful to advertise for work requiring a contractor’s license unless the person, in fact, is property licensed. Many states’ licensing laws also require a licensed contractor to…
National Fire Prevention Week commemorates the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Over the course of two days, the fire reportedly killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. On June 1, the National Fire Protection Association announced “Hear the Beep…
The Washington State Building Code Council (SBCC) adopted an emergency rule, WAC 51-54A-3800, effective July 1, 2015, to specify requirements amending the International Fire Code dealing with marijuana processing and extraction facilities stemming from these facilities’ use of flammable and combustible liquids for the liquid extraction process. These rules, along with other…
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has identified common corrections required by electrical inspectors. It reported that out of the 185,878 inspections made for electrical contractors last year 18% required corrections and re-inspections and, in its own words, “remarkably” 20% of all electrical contractors were responsible for 80% of the…