The details of services provided by a utility lawyer are less well understood than the details of the legal profession in general. Utilities law is an area of practice that encompasses regulation of public utilities: suppliers of electricity, telecommunications services, natural gas, water and sewer services, cable television, motor carriers, and ferry services. The regulations covering these services are implemented…
Looking into the query of what is environmental law and policy, one must start with a definition: these laws and policies are measures implemented and enforced with the goals of: Protecting and/or preserving natural resources; Regulating human activities that may negatively impact natural resources, and; Management of natural resources. The measures are most often undertake by a government entity, but…
The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is made up of two different bodies that work together to meet the directives contained in its enabling legislation. The PUC serves as a quasi-judicial tribunal with jurisdiction, powers, and duties to implement and enforce statutory standards of conduct. Under RIGL §39-1-1, the Public Utilities Commission is mandated to: “supervise, regulate, and make orders governing…
Owners of real property, or folks looking to purchase real property, often have a need for legal representation. This representation can take many forms – a qualified land attorney assists with due diligence processes, determining how property can be used, assisting with property disputes, to name a few. A land attorney deals with land law, a form of law related…
If you are an entity subject to stormwater regulation, you should be aware of an update to one of the state’s environmental regulatory compliance initiatives, the Rhode Island Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP). The 2019 Rhode Island Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) became effective on May 3, 2019. This means that even those entities covered by the existing permit, who wish to…
In Rhode Island, activities along the coast are regulated by a state agency called the Coastal Resources Management Council. That’s “CRMC” for short. The CRMC is tasked with preserving and protecting coastal areas through management plans and by the issuance of approvals for work in the council’s jurisdictional area. That area of jurisdiction is as follows: “[T]he area extending from…
Desautel Law’s Managing Attorney Marisa Desautel was recently nominated by fellow Rhode Island attorneys for Professional Excellence in Law in the June edition of Rhode Island Monthly magazine, as an environmental lawyer. This distinction is the result of a voting process by only licensed Rhode Island attorneys in the state. Marisa was selected for professional excellence in “Environmental and Land…
Importantly, environmental policies are reviewed and changed often. This means that your business may be impacted often, without you even knowing it! Having knowledge of what types of permits or approvals you need is critical. As a business owner, you first need to know if your practices trigger the requirements of any environmental laws for businesses. If you are not…
The corporate world faces all types of legal issues on a regular basis, from employment law to mergers and acquisitions. A business law attorney customarily assists with any of these issues, depending on their area of expertise. Oftentimes, however, environmental issues arise in the corporate context that are different from typical corporate legal considerations. Hiring an environmental business law attorney…
There are many federal and state statutes that exist to protect this country’s natural resources, from air to water and resources in between. The different environmental laws were enacted at various times in United States history, but a majority were enacted in the 1970s. This article provides an overview of some of the most well-known federal laws. THE CLEAN AIR…