News & Articles

In a 9 to 5 vote, the Arkansas Plant Board today voted to ban the use of dicamba in crops and increase civil penalties for misuse of the herbicide.

Chambers and Partners has named PPGMR Law partner Alan Perkins as a Tier 1 environmental litigation attorney in its 2017 guide to the best attorneys and law firms in the United States.

Last week, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit dismissed a case brought by the Ozark Society against the National Forest Service and other federal agencies that centered on natural gas exploration of the Fayetteville Shale in the Ozark National Forest.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is set to announce the first major reorganization of the USDA since 1994. The restructuring is set to take effect this June, and congressional approval is not required. Under the plan, the office of Undersecretary for Rural Development will be abolished, and the office of Rural Development will report directly to Secretary Perdue.

After Wednesday’s unanimous vote by the Arkansas Plant Board, Arkansas farmers are one step closer to facing fines of up to $25,000 for spraying Dicamba and related herbicides. The Arkansas General Assembly passed Act 778 in March that allows for higher fines for Dicamba spraying. However, the Plant Board has to enact a new fine and civil penalty matrix to be approved by the Governor prior to the stiffer fines going into effect.