Latisha Lee, Author at SGR Law

Sep 25, 2019

James Bratton Honored by State Bar Environmental Section

On September 26, 2019, the Environmental Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia will be hosting its Annual Luncheon at which it will announce this year’s winner of the Environmental Law Section’s lifetime achievement award for high achievement, professionalism, and dedication in the area of environmental law. As part of presenting this year’s award, the Environmental Law Section will name the award after James Bratton who was the founder of the Environmental Law Section of the Georgia Bar, was a partner at Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP for over 50 years and passed away in January 2019 at the… Read more

Sep 18, 2019

EPA Repeals 2015 Clean Water Rule

On September 12, 2019, the EPA signed a final rule repealing the Obama-era 2015 Clean Water Rule, temporarily reinstating the pre-2015 regulatory framework for determining which bodies of water are considered “Waters of the United States” qualifying for federal anti-pollution protections under the Clean Water Act. The pre-2015 regulations are currently in place in more than half the states, due to litigation over the Obama era rule. According to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, the Trump administration is working on a replacement WOTUS rule, which is expected to take effect next year. Both the repeal and the anticipated new rule are… Read more

Sep 10, 2019

U.S. Gas Plants will be Outperformed by Wind and Solar by 2035

Natural gas-fired power plants, which are largely responsible for undermining the economics of coal-fired plants, are expected to be undercut by renewable power by 2035. According to a September 9 report from the Rocky Mountain Institute, analysis performed on the cost of construction, fuel, and anticipated operations for 68 gigawatt gas plants compared to the cost of building a combination of solar farms, wind plants, and battery systems indicate that it will be more expensive to run 90% of the gas plants being proposed in the U.S. compared to sustainable energy plants. As gas plants lose their viability and power… Read more

Sep 5, 2019

SGR Client Cherry Street Energy Partners with Terrapin Brewery

Through its partnership with SGR client Cherry Street Energy, Terrapin Brewery became Georgia’s first brewery to purchase renewable energy generated on-site. Solar panels owned and operated by Cherry Street Energy will be installed on the rooftop and parking lot of Terrapin’s Athens brewery and will offset approximately 30% of Terrapin’s energy consumption. SGR attorneys Steve O’Day and Vickie Rusek served as counsel for Cherry Street Energy on the project. SGR congratulates Cherry Street Energy on its success and commends Terrapin Brewery for its sustainability initiative. Learn more about Terrapin’s partnership with Cherry Street Energy here.

Aug 27, 2019

California Supreme Court Rules City Failed to Comply with CEQA in Adopting Medical Marijuana Ordinance

On August 19, 2019, the California Supreme Court unanimously ruled that San Diego failed to adequately analyze the potential environmental impacts of its medical marijuana dispensary law under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). CEQA mandates a review of any covered “project” and its environmental effects. In general, a “project” is an activity that (1) is undertaken or funded by, or subject to the approval of, a public agency and (2) may cause “either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.” (Pub. Res. Code, § 21065.) In 2014, San Diego… Read more