Coal production and mining jobs over the past half-century have been influenced by several factors, principally demand from the utility sector, technological breakthroughs in natural gas production, railroad deregulation, and...more
An article in Science published last week indicates that the mortality risk from exposure to PM2.5 from coal-fired electric generating units is roughly twice as high as the risk posed by PM2.5 from other sources. According...more
The swearing-in of Michael Regan as EPA Administrator means that open questions on policy, agenda-setting, and prioritization for the Agency will soon be answered. Issues that have risen to the top of the new EPA...more
JANUARY 2020 - FEDERAL APPELLATE COURTS - U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit - El Paso County, Texas, et al. v. Donald J. Trump, et al. On January 8, 2020, a divided panel of the court quickly granted a...more
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued a Prepublication Notice on November 24th stating it would not issue final regulations for Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act...more
U.S. Shale Producers Race for Federal Permits Ahead of Presidential Election - "Federal permitting in the largest U.S. oilfield in the Permian Basin, located in Texas and New Mexico, is up 80 percent in about the last three...more
Last week, EPA formally revised the cost-benefit analysis for its rule limiting the emissions of hazardous air pollutants from coal-fired power plants. The rule jettisons consideration of so-called “co-benefits,” in this...more
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) in an April 5th letter addressed a request from Fiberight, LLC (“Fiberight”) for a determination as to whether a fuel product (EcoRight) is a non-waste fuel product...more
EPA has announced a new compliance policy that some will view as providing welcome relief to industry and others may view as providing unwarranted concessions. The subject line of the EPA memo announcing the new policy is...more
U.S. Agencies Agree to Slash Approval Times for Infrastructure Projects - "More than a dozen federal agencies agreed to slash the time needed for environmental reviews and permitting on major infrastructure projects, a...more
President Donald Trump's Executive Order (EO) entitled "Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth" is a broad directive accomplishing a number of the Trump Administration's energy-related priorities....more
Environmental and Policy Focus - BP pays record $18.7 billion to settle claims in Gulf oil spill Bloomberg - Jul 2: BP Plc reached a record $18.7 billion agreement to settle all federal and state claims from the 2010...more
The U.S. Supreme Court held this morning that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) acted unreasonably when it determined in 2000, and again in 2012, that it was “appropriate and necessary” to regulate mercury...more
In This Issue: Energy and Climate Debate; Congress; Administration; Department of Commerce; Department of Energy; Department of Interior; Environmental Protection Agency; Nuclear Regulatory Commission; International;...more
On January 4, 2013, the Wisconsin Public Service Corporation agreed to pay more than $300 million as part of a settlement reached with the EPA and the Justice Department regarding alleged violations of the Clean Air Act. The...more