Wetlands: Part Four. Applying for a Section 404 Permit.

I’ve discussed the regulation of wetlands in my past blog entries. With this one, let’s talk about the application process for a permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (“CWA”). As discussed before, the CWA authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“ACOE”) to regulate the discharge of dredged or fill material into […]


Email Etiquette

The average U.S. employee spends approximately one-quarter of their week sending or reading emails. As the recent corruption trials in New York City gain traction we are once again reminded that emails are forever.  For example, emails have been entered into evidence during the corruption trial of Joseph Percoco (and others) not just between Percoco […]


What’s New in Estate and Gift Taxes Under the Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

As many are likely very aware, the end of 2017 brought with it new tax reform that took effect January 1, 2018. The Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”) made many revisions to the tax code in the first significant reform to the tax code since 1986.  This article will focus on the […]


Environmental Enforcement in 2017

Is Your Mulch Processing Facility in Compliance with the Law? New Regulations took Effect on November 4, 2017 Effective November 4, 2017, Mulch Processing Facilities in the state of New York are subject to regulation under the state’s revised and updated Solid Waste Management Facilities rules. Mulch Processing Facilities create a product derived from tree […]


Wetlands: Part Three. Federal Regulation of Wetlands.

My last blog entry discussed New York’s regulation of wetlands.  I was going to discuss permit application process with this entry, but after some feedback, I thought I should discuss federal regulation of wetlands instead. As I mentioned earlier, wetlands are protected under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (“CWA”), which was implemented more […]


Planning Ahead in Case of an Emergency

  Keeping up with passwords and usernames in an increasingly electronic world can be overwhelming at best. For many people even bank statements are now delivered neatly to electronic inboxes, but have you ever stopped to think who else may need access to all those usernames and passwords? If something were to happen to you, […]


KINDNESS MATTERS

  We are living in unusual times, with segments of our population totally polarized from one another, unwilling to listen, demanding to be heard. It’s hard to know how to help our children navigate these times when we don’t always know how ourselves. We try to practice and teach compassion, and above all else, be […]


Is Estate Planning Important for Young Adults?

For many young adults, the consequences of not having an estate plan in place can be dire.  Estate planning is not only tax and probate avoidance, but it is planning for your lifetime and incapacity as well. One tragic case that many people are familiar with is that of Terry Schiavo. Terry Schiavo was a […]


Wetlands: Part Two. New York State Regulation of Wetlands.

My last blog entry discussed what wetlands are and why they are so important.  This blog entry talks about how they are regulated in New York State. Wetlands are regulated by State and Federal law.   Federally, wetlands are protected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“ACOE”) under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. […]


Environmental Criminal Enforcement Update

Lockport, NY Realtor Pleads Guilty To Violating Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rules  This first case is an appropriate follow-up to my August 30, 2017 blog post, which discussed EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule. On September 7, 2017, Maureen S. Walck, of Lockport, NY, pleaded guilty to failure to provide a lead paint hazard warning […]