Sat.Sep 12, 2015 - Fri.Sep 18, 2015

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Fifth Circuit Rejects EPA’s Overreaching on CAA and MBTA

The Energy Law Blog

Background The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently issued an opinion regarding criminal liability under environmental statutes. United States v. Citgo Petroleum Corp., et al., No. 14-40128, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 15865 (5th Cir. Sept. 4, 2015). In what may be considered a warning shot to overzealous federal prosecutors looking to obtain criminal convictions under the Clean Air Act (“CAA”) or the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (“MBTA”), the Court of Appeals reversed criminal convictions again

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Sounding the All (Nu)Clear: Restarting Japan’s Nuclear Plants Post-Fukushima Disaster

Vermont Law

Summary: The Fukushima Daiichi Disaster was a public health, environmental, and economic catastrophe, and Japan will feel its effects in those sectors for years to come. While Japan once had one of the world’s most diverse energy portfolios, the loss of its nuclear program has caused a sudden shift towards a fossil-fuel heavy generation industry. Subsequently, Japanese greenhouse gas emissions and electricity costs for industrial and residential consumers have skyrocketed.