On October 30, 2014, Robert L. Burns and John F. Povilaitis, shareholders in the firm’s Energy Section, spoke at the Pennsylvania Business Council Foundation’s Law and Policy Update seminar in Philadelphia, which was designed to educate in-house counsel, government affairs professionals and corporate consultants about top developments in public policy.
Their presentation, “Environmental Scanning: The Fallout of Act 13 Decision and How to Site a Pipeline in Pennsylvania,” focused on a decision by Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ron Castille asserting that individual municipalities, instead of the state government, are responsible for protecting Pennsylvanian’s rights to a safe and clean environment. Since the impact of the decision could be far-reaching, Burns and Povilaitis examined statutory and case law and discussed potential remedies.