Terms Used In Vermont Statutes > Title 1 > Chapter 9 - Time

• Adaptation: means reducing vulnerability and advancing resilience through planned and implemented enhancements to, or avoiding degradation of, natural and built systems and structures. See
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• Agency: means the Agency of Natural Resources. See
• Air contaminant: means dust, fumes, mist, smoke, other particulate matter, vapor, gas, odorous substances, or any combination thereof. See
• Air pollution: means the presence in the outdoor atmosphere of one or more air contaminants in such quantities, and duration as is or tends to be injurious to human health or welfare, animal or plant life, or property, or would unreasonably interfere with the enjoyment of life or property. See
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
• Domestic: when applied to a corporation, company, association, or copartnership shall mean organized under the laws of this State; "foreign" when so applied, shall mean organized under the laws of another state, government, or country. See
• Emission: means a release into the outdoor atmosphere of air contaminants. See
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Greenhouse gas: means any chemical or physical substance that is emitted into the air and that the Secretary may reasonably anticipate to cause or contribute to climate change, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. See
• Justice: when applied to a person, other than a Justice of the Supreme Court, shall mean a justice of the peace for the county for which he or she is elected or appointed. See
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Mitigation: means reduction of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and preservation and enhancement of natural systems to sequester and store carbon, in order to stabilize and reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. See
• Ozone-depleting chemical: means manufactured substances that are known or reasonably may be anticipated to cause or contribute to depletion of ozone in the earth's stratosphere. See
• Person: shall mean an individual, partnership, corporation, association, unincorporated organization, trust, or any other legal or commercial entity, including a joint venture or affiliated ownership. See
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
• Reasonably available control technology: means devices, systems, process modifications, or other apparatus or techniques designed to prevent or control emissions that are reasonably available, taking into account the social, environmental, and economic impact of such controls, and alternative means of emission control. See
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Resilience: means the capacity of individuals, communities, and natural and built systems to withstand and recover from climatic events, trends, and disruptions. See
• said: when used by way of reference to a person or thing shall apply to the same person or thing last mentioned. See
• Schedule of compliance: means a schedule of remedial measures, including an enforceable sequence of actions or operations, leading to timely compliance with applicable requirements related to the control of air contaminant emissions or the prevention or control of air pollution. See
• seal: shall include an impression of the official seal made upon paper alone or by means of a wafer or wax affixed thereto. See
• Secretary: means the Secretary of Natural Resources or the Secretary's duly authorized representative. See
• Sequester: To separate. Sometimes juries are sequestered from outside influences during their deliberations.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.