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Environmental

Attorney Benjamin Fruchey Presents on Water Laws and Regulations

FBMJ attorney Benjamin Fruchey was a featured speaker at the HalfMoon Seminar on Water Laws and Regulations held September 19, 2017 at the Livonia Marriott. Fruchey’s presentation titled, “Emerging and Developing Issues in Water Law” addressed Lead (Pb) in drinking water, as well as poly- and perfluoroaklkyl substances (PFASs), an emerging constituent of concern.The HalfMoon Seminar attended

FBMJ Attorneys Co-Author Article for CLM – “When Water Becomes Waste”

Richard Baron, Ben Fruchey and Nicholas Andrew co-authored “When Water Becomes Waste,” published in the June, 2017 issue of CLM Magazine. The article focuses on the significant growth in insurance claims related to the release of water extracted from the ground as a byproduct of oil and gas production, often involving hydraulic fracturing (fracking), and the importance of understanding the pot

MDEQ Changes Vapor Intrusion Guidance Document

On June 20th, 2017, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) issued a bulletin which rescinded segments of its “Guidance Document: For the Vapor Intrusion Pathway,” eliminating certain screening criteria and potentially paving the way for implementation of a new tiered approach to addressing vapor intrusion, originally proposed in April, 2016.The MDEQ stated the reason for the r

Richard Baron to Speak at 2017 Perrin Conferences’ Environmental Risk & Litigation Conference

FBMJ attorney Richard Baron will be a featured speaker at the upcoming Perrin Environmental Risk & Litigation Conference to be held June 20, 2017 at the Westin New York at Times Square in New York City. Rich will be the moderator and part of a panel of experienced environmental practitioners and insurance industry personnel examining relevant environmental issues. Their panel presentation titl

Solid, Liquid or Gas: What’s the Matter with Vapor Intrusion?

Imagine yourself as the owner of a small company that is looking for additional office space needed to expand your business. Lo and behold, you find the perfect commercial building, on a busy street, in the town you want to be in, and at the right price. You scoop up the building, noting only in passing that the adjacent business is a large gas station. Your company moves in, and business is good,

Critics State Proposed Changes to the SMS Will Only Benefit Those Who Can “Buy” Safety Credits

Trucking companies may soon be graded using another parameter to measure their safety if proposed changes to the Safety Measurement System (SMS) are effected as a result of a new Beyond Compliance Program proposed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on April 20, 2016. Under the proposed program, motor carriers will be recognized and rewarded for exceeding regulatory safety r

FBMJ Attorneys Co-Author Article for CLM on Flint Water Crisis – “Tragedy on Tap”

Richard Baron and Ben Fruchey co-authored “A Tragedy on Tap,” published in the May 2016 issue of Claims Management Magazine. The article focused on issues surrounding the Flint, Michigan water crisis that are of interest to claims professionals and attorneys, concentrating on the claims and litigation aspect of the recent crisis.“A Tragedy on Tap” included a summary of the underlying facts

Richard Baron Reports on Mixing Zone Closure Request for the City of Marquette Cliffs Dow Site

Attorney Richard Baron recently presented to the City of Marquette City Commission about the former Cliffs-Dow site, in a work session and at the Commission’s public meeting on March 14, 2016. He updated the Commission on the steps being taken to improve the opportunities for future productive use of the property, a 46-acre site located on the shores of Lake Superior, which was impacted by legac

Richard Baron Appointed Co-Chair for the CLM Environmental & Toxic Tort Committee

Foley, Baron, Metzger & Juip Partner Richard Baron has been appointed to the position of Committee Co-Chair for the Environmental & Toxic Tort Committee of the Claims Litigation Management (CLM) Alliance. Mr. Baron has been an active participant in CLM throughout the years, and recently presented to the organization at their Atlanta conference.The CLM Alliance, founded in 2007, is a nation

Attorney Richard Baron Speaks at 2015 CLM Atlanta Conference – Environmental Track

Foley, Baron, Metzger & Juip (FBMJ) attorney Richard Baron presented at the 2015 Claims Litigation Management Alliance (CLM) Atlanta Conference on, “Environmental Site Investigations and Remediation: Forensic Issues from Assessment to Zero-Valent Iron” in Atlanta, GA on November 5-6, 2015.The Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM) is a national organization that promotes and furth