In this episode of Digging Into Land Use Law, John Erskine and Patrick Richard explore the challenges faced by developers and homeowners under the California Coastal Act (The Act). John and Patrick discuss the permitting process, the broad definition of “development,” enforcement actions with significant penalties and hot-button issues like seawalls. With practical tips on navigating regulations and responding to violations, this episode, part of a new series on The Act, is a must-listen for anyone involved in coastal zone property or development.

In this episode of Digging Into Land Use Law, Byron Gee, Willis Hon and Sara Johnson review in detail the recent Supreme Court opinion in City and County of San Francisco vs. EPA and its implications for Clean Water Act permittees. They discuss both the immediate fallout of this recent opinion and what may come next from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the world of Clean Water Act discharge permits. As EPA and states conform their permitting regimes with this new case, there will almost certainly be significant impacts to the manner in which wastewater and stormwater permittees must comply with the Clean Water Act across the county.

In the latest episode of Digging Into Land Use Law, Lori Anne Dolqueist and Alex Van Roekel discuss in detail the "Making Conservation a California Way of Life Framework" regulations and the impact they may have throughout California. Regulations went into effect at the beginning of 2025 and compliance is required by 2027. Lori and Alex detail this framework that will impact all urban retail water suppliers throughout the state – a category that covers about 95% of California residents.

In the latest episode of Digging Into Land Use Law, Brooke Marcus and Paul Weiland discuss how "Chevron deference" has loomed large over administrative law during the past four decades. The Loper Bright decision overruled Chevron deference, and for those interested in federal administrative law or how this major Supreme Court decision will impact federal environmental and natural resource laws, Brooke and Paul explain the role of Chevron deference pre-Loper Bright, what the Loper Bright decision really did and what that means for federal environmental and natural resource laws going forward.

In the latest episode of Digging Into Land Use Law, Nossaman's Karla MacCary and Elinor Eizdi explore the law of implied easements, which is a murky area of the law that was made more clear by a recent California Supreme Court case that gave a property owner exclusive use of a portion of the neighboring property. Implied easements are a creature of equity which can save the value and utility of property where a property owner thought it had an easement, or even thought it owned land it did not. This is the first in a short series of podcasts on easements created without a written grant or reservation.

In the latest episode of Digging Into Land Use Law, Nossaman’s Brian Ferrasci-O'Malley and John O’Meara explore the Department of the Interior’s (Interiors) proposed rule to change the way agencies evaluate injuries to natural resources at contaminated sites and how much restoration will cost. They examine Interior’s new “Type A” rule for streamlined natural resource damage assessments, the first changes to that rule in more than 27 years, and discuss who will be affected by the proposed revisions.

According to California’s projections, the miles of highways susceptible to coastal flooding in a 100-year storm event will triple from current levels to 370 miles by 2100, with more than 3,750 miles exposed to temporary flooding. Coastal erosion and flooding also threatens California’s rail system and utility infrastructure. In this episode of Digging Into Land Use Law, Nossaman’s Shant Boyajian, Liz Klebaner, Ben Rubin and Mary Lynn Coffee discuss state climate resiliency and environmental justice policies relating to coastal transportation and water infrastructure projects and available funding for such projects under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

A problem that occasionally arises between a landlord and tenant who have a long-term written lease involves the prolonged use by the tenant of more space than permitted by the lease.

In the latest episode of Digging Into Land Use Law, Nossaman Real Estate Group Co-Chair David Graeler and associate Maya Hamouie provide a case study addressing this issue. David and Maya dig into various questions, such as whether a landlord’s claim for breach of contract is time barred or whether the continuous accrual doctrine might apply. They also discuss whether the landlord may be able to assert a continuous trespass theory in lieu of breach of contract.

Notwithstanding its protected status as a listed species under the federal Endangered Species Act, the Southern California steelhead population is proposed for listing under the California Endangered Species Act. During a time of unprecedented drought and storm activity resulting from climate change, this move to list the species in California is likely to have major impacts on the provision of water and recycled water supply, flood control and storm water treatment and management.

Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known also as Superfund, in 1980 to address the horror of sites like Love Canal where discarded toxic chemicals began oozing into neighboring backyards and basements, contaminating air, soil and water, and endangering human health and the environment. Many people were sickened and hundreds of homes that were found to be uninhabitable were bulldozed as a part of the cleanup. Since its enactment, CERCLA has become the predominant site remediation vehicle and its reach has expanded far beyond the typical landfill sites to include factories, waterways, mining sites and recreational areas. Moreover, CERCLA’s impacts extend beyond contaminated sites into many aspects of commerce. In this episode of Digging Into Land Use Law, Nossaman Environment & Land Use partners Leslie Nellermoe and Reed Neuman discuss some places to look for the CERCLA monster and offer possible strategies to harness the beast.