Hurricane Harvey Environmental Regulatory Resource Center

This page will be updated from time to time. For additional assistance, contact any member of our Texas office: Maddie BoyerLaura LaValleKaren Hansen, Bryan Moore or Bina Reddy, or your usual Beveridge & Diamond contact.

Federal Resources

US Environmental Protection Agency

US Department of Transportation

  • Harvey Site: Access the DOT's resources regarding the impact of and responses to Hurricane Harvey
  • Railroad Emergency Relief: Emergency declaration issued by Federal Railroad Administration Acting Administrator Heath Hall

US OSHA

  • OSHA Homepage
  • Hurricane Site: OSHA resources regarding general hurricane preparedness and response as it pertains to Occupational Safety & Health
  • Flood Site: OSHA resources regarding general flood preparedness and response as it pertains to Occupational Safety & Health

US Chemical Safety Board

State Resources/Regulatory Relief

Both Texas and Louisiana have provided hurricane response guidance and have developed regulatory relief that includes suspended applicability of select rules to address emergency response, but these measures are limited and temporary in nature. U.S. EPA has not issued similar regulatory relief at this time.

Texas

Texas Office of the Governor

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

Louisiana

Louisiana Office of the Governor

Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality

B&D Tips and Considerations for Disaster Recovery

Checklist for Maximizing Insurance Coverage After a Disaster

Force Majeure Claims

To maximize your ability to claim force majeure successfully for regulatory, insurance, contractual, and litigation purposes, companies should:

  1. Comply as fully as possible with all regulations, permits, and agency emergency guidance, including spill and release reporting.
  2. Communicate openly and regularly with agency officials.
  3. When possible, seek explicit waivers in advance from regulators.
  4. Adhere to company emergency, disaster, and risk management protocol.
  5. Adhere to startup and shutdown plans.
  6. Document and maintain records of actions taken in response to the hurricane and flooding, including documentation when action is infeasible or dangerous.
  7. Document and maintain records of damage sustained.

B&D’s Texas office and the firm as a whole stand with our clients, friends, and family in Texas and the Gulf Coast as they recover from Hurricane Harvey. We have pledged $25,000, plus matching all employee contributions, to charitable organizations focused on hurricane relief.