The CASL Ledger – August 7, 2020

Presentations / Programs
On Wednesday, Brook Duer participated as a panelist in a webinar hosted by Penn State Extension titled, Solar Energy Development in PA –What’s Currently Happening and What’s Expected. The webinar discussed utility scale solar development in the Commonwealth, solar energy-oriented legislation currently pending in Harrisburg, and solar trends across the state.

Professional Development
On Thursday, Center staff attended a webinar hosted by the American Agricultural Law Association on antitrust issues in agriculture. The webinar, The Current Antitrust Spotlight on Agriculture: What You Need to Know, provided an overview of ongoing agricultural cases, pending legislation, and potential penalties facing those who violate antitrust laws.

Professional Meetings
On Tuesday, Ross Pifer participated in a planning meeting with our partners at the National Agricultural Law Center to discuss our work plan for the upcoming fiscal year. On Wednesday, Ross Pifer and Brook Duer participated in a meeting with Penn State Extension and the Pennsylvania Association Township Supervisors to discuss programming in the area of solar energy. On Thursday, Ross Pifer, Brook Duer, and Jackie Schweichler participated in a meeting with Penn State Extension and private industry to discuss issues related to hemp testing.

Events Calendar
This week we published the August Events Calendar on Twitter and Facebook. Our calendar presents significant agricultural and shale law events for the upcoming month. One of this month’s highlights is Ag Progress Days, which will occur virtually on August 10-12. You can find our virtual booth here.
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Coming Events
Next week on Tuesday, the Center is hosting its fourth in a series of COVID-19 Ag Legal Update webinars, discussing liability issues with a focus on direct sales. The webinar will take place via Zoom on August 11th from 3:00PM – 4:00PM. For more information and to register, follow this link.

On Wednesday, Brook Duer will be participating as a panelist in the Solar Energy and Land Use – Designing a Sustainable Outcome webinar hosted by Penn State Extension on Wednesday, August 12th, from 12:00PM – 1:00PM.

Next week, Center staff are also looking forward to attending a Town Hall Meeting via Zoom with the Dean of the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Rick Roush, and the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Russell Redding, for a discussion on the impact of COVID-19 on Pennsylvania agriculture, lessons learned, and next steps.

Agricultural Law Weekly Review
The Agricultural Law Weekly Review provides updates on the most recent legal developments in agriculture and can be found every week on the Penn State Agricultural Law Blog. The latest installment of the Agricultural Law Weekly Review was written by Center staff attorney Brook Duer and research assistant Audry Thompson. Developments covered this week include:

• OSHA Seeks to Dismiss Maid-Rite Meat Processing Plant Employees’ Mandamus Complaint, Court Denies Stay,
• Ahold Announces New GMO and Animal Welfare Sustainability Policies,
• USDA Livestock Gross Margin Insurance Adds Premium Subsidies, and
• Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) Pennsylvania Data.

The Weekly Review also includes links to articles that have been written by other experts in the agricultural law field from across the nation.

Shale Law Weekly Review
The Shale Law Weekly Review provides comprehensive updates on the most recent legal developments in shale and can be found every week on the Penn State Shale Law Blog. This latest installment of the Shale Law Weekly Review was written by research assistant Sara Jenkins and Center staff attorney Jackie Schweichler. Legislative actions and updates were included by research assistant Kaela Gray. This week’s shale law developments include:

• EPA Issues Final Rule Revising Permit Appeal Process,
• Massachusetts Attorney General Disapproves Local Bylaw Banning Fossil Fuel Infrastructure in New Construction,
• BLM Issues Proposed Rule Amending 2016 Regulations for Oil and Gas Measurement and Site Security, and
• Department of Energy Issues Final Policy Extending Natural Gas Export Authorizations Through 2050.

The Weekly Review also includes links to articles that have been written by other experts in the shale law field from across the nation.

HotLinks
Our daily HotLinks cover the newest developments in agricultural and shale law as they occur. Find these updates and other helpful links by following us on Twitter! (@AgShaleLaw) This week, the following HotLinks received the most Twitter impressions from our stakeholders:

• “As Natural Gas Bans Go National, Can Cities Fill The Gap?”
• “Ag May Already Be Climate Neutral”
• “DAPL Doubts Put Bakken Shale Reboot on Hold”
• “Lawmakers Work to Protect Ag Fairs”
• “Judge To Rule On Workers’ Complaints About Pa. Meat-packing Plant Coronavirus Safety Steps”

More updates can be found on our Twitter page!

Shale Law Weekly Podcast
At the beginning of each week, the Center posts a new Shale Law Weekly Podcast episode, which can be found online at shalelawpodcast.libsyn.com, as well as on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Stitcher. This week, the Shale Law Podcast is hosted by Penn State Law research assistant Sara Jenkins. In this episode she discusses recent shale law developments from the preceding week.

Agricultural Law Weekly Podcast
The Center also publishes frequent episodes in the Agricultural Law Podcast. The Ag Law Weekly Podcast can be found online at aglawpodcast.libsyn.com, or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Stitcher. This week’s episode features Penn State Law research assistant, Audry Thompson, and staff attorney Brook Duer. In this episode, they summarize recent agricultural legal developments from the preceding week.

Stakeholder Inquiries
On a regular basis, CASL staff receive a variety of inquiries from our stakeholders. Please contact us if you have any questions about agricultural or shale law topics.