Between the Lines Blog
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…
National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Summer 2025 Meeting Summary
The Mitchell Williams Insurance Regulatory team of lawyers recently attended the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Summer 2025 National Meeting which was held in Minneapolis, MN. We have prepared a summary of the open sessions conducted over the course of the meeting…
What Agricultural Landowners Need to Know Now About Leases to Minimize Future Risk
June 20, 2025
by John P. Talbot
According to the USDA – Economic Research Service, there are approximately 911 million acres of farmland in the lower 48 states, with roughly 60% of this farmland owner-operated and 40% of it leased. For tillable cropland acres specifically, the percentage of rented ground is higher, approximately…
2025 Arkansas Insurance Legislation Summary: Life
This is the fourth and final article in a series of summaries of Insurance legislation from the 95th Arkansas General Assembly. The 95th Arkansas General Assembly convened on January 13, 2025, and entered into an extended recess on April 16, 2025. The resolution authorizing the extended recess…
State Air Trends & Successes: Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies Issues 2025 Report
May 28, 2025
The Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies ("AAPCA") issued the 2025 edition of its annual report titled: State Air Trends & Successes ("Report"). AAPCA describes itself as a: ...National Small Land, non-profit consensus-driven organization focused on assisting state and local air…
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law Blog
New Source Review/Clean Air Act: U.S. Senator Markey Letter to U.S. EPA Questioning "Begin Actual Construction" Guidance
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued a September 2nd Interpretive Letter addressing the definition of “Begin Actual Construction” in the Clean Air Act New Source Review (“NSR”) regulations. The September 2nd letter revises EPA’s view of the phrase “Begin Actual…
Renewable Energy/Wastewater Facilities: American Biogas Council Releases Report
The American Biogas Council (“ABC”) issued a September 25th news release titled: New Data Shows Wastewater Facilities Produce 7.3 Billion kWh of Energy Each Year — With Greater Potential Available (“Report”). ABC states that the data shows: …the extensive role municipal wastewater facilities…
Wastewater Enforcement: Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment - Division of Environmental Quality and City of Manila Enter into Consent Administrative Order
The Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment - Division of Environmental Quality (“DEQ”) and City of Manila entered into an August 29th Consent Administrative Order (“CAO”) addressing alleged violations of a Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (“NPDES”) Permit. See…
Natural Resource Damages/CERCLA: Federal Appellate Court Addresses Scope
Co-Author Max McCastlain The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (“Ninth Circuit”) addressed in a September 3rd Opinion an issue associated with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) term “natural resources.” See Confederated Tribes of the Colville…
Citizen Suit Action/Clean Air Act: Sierra Club Judicial Action Alleging U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Failure to Address PM2.5 Attainment Status for San Joaquin Valley
The Sierra Club and other organizations filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California (“Court”) a September 2nd Complaint for Injunctive and Declaratory Relief (“Complaint”) against the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) alleging a failure to…