Over the past decade, there have been thousands of lawsuits filed against per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) manufacturers involving contamination of rivers and public drinking water, personal injuries, trespass, and other related claims. Many of these lawsuits have settled, and few have gone to trial. However, in 2015, one of the first major PFAS bellwether trials resulted in a jury awarding the plaintiff $1.6 million for personal injuries associated with PFAS exposure.
The October 2026 issue of The SandBar is now available. The lead story is: Superior Court Rules North Carolina Violated Its Duties to Protect Coastal Fisheries.
Meet our new Ocean and Coastal Law Fellow, Giulianna Pendleton! We asked Giulianna several questions to get to know her better.
Download our latest report titled "Exploring Best Practices in State Marine Aquaculture Policy Deep Dive Workshop on Bird Interactions with Aquaculture Gear" (from the State Marine Aquaculture Policy project).
Oregon Sea Grant requested information on workplace training requirements for hospitality and tourism professionals working at businesses located in Oregon’s tsunami inundation zone. Current federal and state laws do not specifically require natural disaster safety training for these professionals, however, general labor laws provide a framework for developing Emergency Action Plans that may be used in the event of workplace emergencies, including tsunamis. State-required emergency training for other entities, such as schools, may provide a model for emergency preparedness and training standards or requirements for the hospitality and tourism industries.
In this webinar, Sea Grant Legal Network members will highlight recent projects in which they have provided legal research to assist aquaculture stakeholders, including producers, regulators, and local decision makers, with understanding aquaculture law and policy. NSGLC attorneys Stephanie Otts and Cathy Janasie will discuss research on aquaculture permitting barriers in Oregon; Rhode Island Sea Grant Legal Program attorney Alexandra Tamburrino will provide an overview of her updates to the legal chapter of Rhode Island’s extensive Shellfish Management Plan, and Katie Hill, Public Service and Outreach Faculty at the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government and Director of the Georgia Sea Grant Legal Program, will describe a new research project on enhancement of shellfish stocks in federal waters that touches on offshore aquaculture in interesting ways.
There is currently no permit to allow pilot mariculture projects in Oregon. Oregon Sea Grant requested research on whether establishing a pilot pathway would require changes to statutes or administrative rules. The National Sea Grant Law Center conducted a review of Oregon’s laws to identify regulatory barriers to pilot mariculture programs. Our research suggests that several legislative and regulatory changes would be needed to launch a pilot program in the state. To provide additional background information, the National Sea Grant Law Center also examined pilot programs in other states that could serve as models for Oregon.
Oregon Sea Grant requested research into how other states handle modification or amendment of existing mariculture leases. For this overview, the NSGLC selected coastal states to review based on location to provide an example from each U.S. region. The NSGLC has compiled leasing information for seven states: Alaska, California, Florida, Maine, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington. The NSGLC found that states that allow for mariculture leasing do not adhere to a single lease-modification process. Each state has developed its own process, tailored to its land systems and estuaries.
Oregon Sea Grant requested research to gain a greater understanding of the barriers in mariculture permitting in Oregon. Oregon Sea Grant worked with the Oregon Coastal Mariculture Collaborative to develop a list of priority legal research questions related to the leasing framework in the state. The National Sea Grant Law Center’s research findings for these priority questions are presented in the memo.
Oregon Sea Grant requested research into whether there are redundancies in the state’s shellfish plat permit application process. Overall, the state’s shellfish plat application process clearly outlines agency expectations, which results in minimal redundancies. However, multiple permitting pathways, along with early-stage cultivation restrictions, complicate the permitting process.