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NLRB Proposes New Rules to Promote Union Organizing
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) continues its efforts to rescind anti-union rules adopted by the Trump-era Board. In proposed rules published on November 4, 2022, the Biden-Board seeks to undo rules adopted in 2020 and return to the pre-202...
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One-Year Limitation on Claims in Washington Are Unenforceable
Today the Supreme Court of Washington issued a decision finding a contractual one-year limitation period in a construction contract unconscionable. The decision—Tadychs v. Noble Ridge—arose from the construction of a custom house. The contractor, Nob...
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Having Authority—and Being Responsible—for Another in Construction
Some folks just don’t get it—especially doctors. Classic case: healthcare construction. A doctor happens by the new medical office building you’re constructing for a hospital system to see the new clinic space and immediately starts telling a trade f...
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EPA Issues Historic Proposed Rule to Designate PFOS and PFOA as Hazardous Substances Under CERCLA
On August 26, 2022, EPA issued its long-awaited notice of proposed rulemaking to designate two commonly used per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS)—i.e., PFOS and PFOA, including their salts and structural isomers—as “hazardous substances” under C...
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The Recent Rise (and Future Fall?) of Environmental Justice
For the past few months, the federal government has emphasized environmental justice issues in legislation and executive actions. Both the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice have established Offices of Environmental...
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Seattle Tunnel Partners’ Bertha Case Sinks as Appeal Hits Dead End
In 2011, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) agreed to pay Seattle Tunnel Partners (STP) $1.35 billion to construct a new tunnel under Seattle under a design-build contract. The project came to an abrupt halt when Bertha, the tu...
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