Adverse possession is a legal doctrine that allows a person to acquire legal title to real estate by taking possession of the property for a prescribed amount of time. This doctrine becomes more complex in the oil and gas industry because the surface and mineral estate can be severed, and titled vested in different owners. Then the mineral estate is divided into working interest, royalty interest, overriding royalty interest, and non-participating royalty interest and others. Some of these interests are subject to adverse possession while others are not. Our oil and gas practice group prepared this article to assist you in navigating the common oil and gas interests in Arkansas.
Industries for the Environment, a publication for the Arkansas Environmental Federation, recently published an article authored by PPGMR Law attorney Chad Wood entitled, "The Long and Winding Path of Arkansas' Regional Haze Regulation."
Jamie Fugitt, a partner with PPGMR Law in Little Rock, was appointed by Mayor Mark Stodola as the newest member of the Little Rock Sister Cities Commission. The LRSCC serves to foster relationships between the City of Little Rock and its Sister City partners across the globe by promoting mutual cross-cultural understanding, providing regular interaction and informational exchange, and creating economic development opportunities.
On December 19, 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency issued its annual enforcement and compliance report for its 2016 fiscal year, which runs from October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016. The agency’s enforcement efforts brought in $5.8 billion in administrative and civil penalties, skyrocketing from $207 million in 2015. The majority of the 2016 penalties resulted from a $5.6 billion Clean Water Act penalty to BP Exploration and Production Inc. in the Deepwater Horizon case.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a final rule on Monday that clarifies an employer’s continuing obligation to make and maintain accurate records of work-related injuries and illnesses. The new final rule, which becomes effective January 18, 2017, more clearly states employers’ obligations. The amendments in the final rule add no new compliance obligations and do not require employers to make records of any injuries or illnesses for which records are not already required.
