Legal Briefs: News From Around NH

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Conservation Law Foundation have reached an agreement with the NH Fish and Game Department that will require the Powder Mill Fish Hatchery in New Durham to take action to comply with the Clean Water Act by reducing its phosphorus discharges and studying the water quality impacts of historic pollution on downstream waters.

The state-owned and operated hatchery, located at the Merrymeeting Lake Dam, supports recreational fishing around the

Ann Flood

state and discharges wastewater to the Merrymeeting River, pursuant to a federally issued permit under the Clean Water Act.

Under the proposed settlement, the Fish and Game Department is required to make upgrades to the hatchery, including

construction of a new water treatment facility to help meet permit limits by Dec. 31, 2025. The department will also implement best management practices to reduce the phosphorus discharged from the hatchery in the

Virginia Sheehan

interim. The proposed consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval.

Four trust and estate lawyers join Orr & Reno

The Concord-based law firm of Orr & Reno has announced the addition of a team of trust and estate lawyers from the former Flood, Sheehan & Tobin firm. Ann Meissner Flood, Virginia Symmes Sheehan, Laura E.

Laura Tobin

Tobin and Marcia Hennelly Moran each have more than 30 years of experience in the field. Attorneys Flood, Sheehan and Tobin join Orr & Reno as shareholders and will serve clients in the areas of estate planning, estate

Marcia Moran

and trust administration, succession planning for family businesses, gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer tax planning, guardianships, special needs trusts and elder law. Moran, who works primarily on trust administration, largely in the charitable grant-making area, joins the firm as of counsel.