This month the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published new environmental compliance rules (Rule 13q-1 and associated Form SD), requiring annual disclosures by publicly listed “resource extraction issuers” of payments they make to the U.S. federal government, or foreign governments, related to commercial development of oil, natural gas or minerals. SEC’s rules implement a Congressional mandate contained in 2010’s massive Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank).
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SEC,
Environmental risks,
Environmental,
EPA
It has been more than two years since the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issued their joint proposal on lease accounting. In fact, the proposal was issued on August 17, 2010, and the boards were seeking comments on their proposal by December 15 of that year.
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Business & Legal,
Accounting & Tax,
Lease Accounting,
US GAAP,
GAAP
Environmental compliance can be a complex business. In fact, in certain situations, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and other legislation, may actually deter use of innovative waste management technologies and best practices. Here are three questions to ask about your organization:
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OSHA,
Environmental risks,
Environmental,
EPA,
fracking
I find that, because I run my own practice, I spend a lot of time networking, meeting people and learning. One of the “hot topics” of conversation I often encounter is “branding”, and how everyone wants to establish, and use, their new brands consistently on social media and in other avenues.
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Business & Legal,
Internet
Late last month the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted new rules (Rule 13p-1 and associated Form SD), requiring annual disclosures by public companies that manufacture any products in which “conflict minerals” are “necessary to the functionality or production.” These conflict minerals comprise a short list of important metals, when they originate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo or DRC) or an adjoining country. SEC’s rules implement a Congressional mandate contained in 2010’s massive Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank).
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Tags:
Business & Legal,
SEC,
International
The internet is such a special place. It makes life so easy. I know that there are a slew of attorneys who existed before the time of the internet, and on-line legal research, but I am so glad that I did not have to be one of them. I am grateful that I did not have to know that kind of grueling legal practice. This is so much more fun!
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Business & Legal,
International,
Internet
On July 6, 2012, President Obama signed into law the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21)”.The 584-page legislation revises and adds many sections to the U.S. Code, intending to “create a streamlined, performance-based, and multi-modal program to address the many challenges faced by the US transportation system, including improving safety, maintaining infrastructure condition, reducing traffic congestion, improving efficiency of the system and freight movement, and protecting the environment” (USDOT, Federal Highway Administration).
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Health & Safety,
OSHA,
Environmental risks,
Environmental,
EHS,
EPA,
Hazcom,
EEOC
The liability associated with a company’s defined benefit pension has always been hard to measure and, as a result, controversial. Companies in the private sector in the United States were forced to “bite the bullet” on this issue many years ago—in fact, it was in 1985 when Ronald W. Reagan was president.
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Tags:
Corporate Governance,
Business & Legal,
SEC,
Accounting & Tax,
Audit Standards,
GAAS,
GAAP
If your business generates "hazardous" wastes, then you must manage them in compliance with applicable federal and state environmental laws and regulations. But did you know that the same regulations also require you to take steps to avoid generating such wastes in the first place? Regulations refer to these as "waste minimization" efforts.
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Tags:
California Legislation,
Environmental risks,
Environmental,
EHS,
EPA,
Hazcom,
effluent,
EEOC
On July 27, 2012, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) released Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2012-02, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350), “Testing Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment.” ASU 2012-02 employs a qualitative concept that is similar to the one developed in ASU 2011-08, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350), “Testing Goodwill for Impairment,” which was issued on September 15, 2011. While the FASB’s issuance of these standards gives companies an option when testing indefinite-lived assets and goodwill for impairment, does it really make impairment testing easier?
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Tags:
SEC,
Accounting & Tax,
Audit Standards,
GAAP
