Between the Lines Blog
Service Animals in Arkansas Schools: What Every Administrator Should Know (Part 1)
Navigating the ADA, Reasonable Accommodations, and Safety in Practice If you’ve ever had a parent or visitor arrive at your school event with a dog, you’ve probably found yourself asking: What are my legal responsibilities? What questions am I allowed to ask? How do I balance access, safety, and…
National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Fall 2025 Meeting Summary
The Mitchell Williams Insurance Regulatory team of lawyers recently attended the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Fall 2025 National Meeting which was held in Hollywood, FL. This summary highlights issues that various NAIC groups addressed. What You Need to Know: …
Storage Tank Enforcement: Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Proposed Order/Assessment Addressing Ashland Facility
December 9, 2025
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (“TDEC”) issued a November 5th Order and Assessment (“Order”) to Brockton USA, LLC (“BU”) addressing alleged violations of the Tennessee Underground Storage Tank (“UST”) regulations. See Case No. UST25-0111. The Order provides that BU is a…
Federal Government Poised to Amend Definition of Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance … (Again)
On August 7, 2025, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury (collectively “the Departments”) released a statement that they intend to undertake notice-and-comment rulemaking to reconsider the 2024 amendments to the federal regulatory definition of short-term…
The Future of FOIA is Here: New Requirements under Acts 505 and 922 of 2025
The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has long been a cornerstone of transparency, ensuring that the public has access to government records and meetings. Acts 505 and 922 of 2025, which took effect on August 5, 2025, significantly amend FOIA to modernize public meeting rules, clarify…
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law Blog
Perchlorate/Safe Drinking Water Act: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Proposes National Primary Drinking Water Regulation
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) published in the January 6th Federal Register a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (“NPDWR”) for perchlorate under the Safe Drinking Water Act (“SDWA”). See 91 Fed. Reg. 398. The proposed rule includes a request for comments and a…
Storage Tank Enforcement: Tennessee Department Environment and Conservation and Memphis Freight Facility Enter Into Agreed Order
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (“TDEC”) and XPO Logistics Freight, Inc. (“XPO”) entered into a December 15th Agreed Final Order (“AFO”) addressing alleged violations of the Tennessee Underground Storage Tank (“UST”) regulations. See Case No. UST-24-0194. The AFO provides…
Arkansas Department of Agriculture: January 14th Arkansas State Plant Board Special Called Meeting Scheduled
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture announced an Arkansas State Plant Board Special Called Meeting will be held on January 14th at 9:30 A.M. The Meeting will be held at the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, 1 Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, AR. The agenda items include: Opening comments…
Nationwide Permits/Clean Water Act: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Announces Final Action (Including Addressing Data Centers/Pharmaceutical Facilities)
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) published in the January 8th Federal Register a notice of its final action reissuing 56 existing Clean Water Act Nationwide Permits (“NWPs”). See 91 Fed. Reg. 768. One NWP was added and another deleted. The Corps issues two types of Clean Water…
Transportation/Hazardous Materials: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Interpretive Letter Addressing Waste Batteries
The United States Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”) addressed in a January 6th Interpretive Letter clarification of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (“HMR”) applicable to the definition of a hazardous waste. PHMSA was responding to a July 15, 2025, email from…