On-Demand Webinar | Recent Updates to Federal Environmental and Natural Resource Regulations
Once again, a federal district court has enjoined enforcement of a rule implemented by a wayward federal agency as it governs oil and gas activities. This one is North Dakota, et al v. US Department of Interior, et al. from...more
After two years of continuous behind-the-scenes work, Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va), who chairs the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, joined by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), released S. 4753, the Energy...more
The federal government’s amendments (“Amendments”) to the Impact Assessment Act, SC 2019, c 28 (“IAA”) are one step closer to becoming law. During the week of May 6, 2024, the Amendments, forming part of Bill C-69, An Act to...more
The Fluid Mineral Leases and Leasing Process rule (FMLLP), which was announced by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on April 12, 2024, represents a significant update to the Federal onshore oil and gas leasing framework....more
The recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) contains several new provisions related to methane emissions impacting oil and gas companies, including upstream and midstream. Companies who already report emissions to the...more
The Province of Alberta referred two constitutional questions to the Alberta Court of Appeal - - whether the federal Impact Assessment Act (IAA), part of Bill C-69, is unconstitutional in whole; and - whether certain...more
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) has announced the first onshore lease sale for drilling on federal lands since President Joe Biden took office, but the new leases will have different terms than all prior lease...more
Federal Law Challenges by State Attorneys General - Attorneys General Challenge “Tax Mandate” Portion of American Rescue Plan - On March 11, 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law the $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan...more
President Biden's Executive Orders Mobilize the Administrative State to Address Climate Change - On January 27th, the White House held a “Climate Day” press briefing where President Biden, Special Presidential Envoy for...more
This week, as part of a series of significant executive actions, President Biden issued an executive order directing the United States Department of Interior (DOI) to pause new oil and natural gas leasing on federal public...more
Today, President Biden issued the much awaited Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad (the “Order”). Section 208 orders a “pause” on issuing new oil and gas leases on public lands or offshore waters...more
- It is apparent that former Vice President Joe Biden’s “clean energy revolution” and climate goals stand in stark contrast with the policies the Trump Administration has pursued during its first term, underscoring the...more
Methane gas has been the subject of yo-yoing regulation—and regulatory roll-backs—over the past few years. Presidential candidate Joe Biden has already vowed to take immediate action on climate change, including “requiring...more
The US Supreme Court held that the National Park Service’s responsibility over the Appalachian Trail did not incorporate that land into the National Park System, leaving the Forest Service with the authority to grant the...more
Supreme Court Lifts Key Obstacle to Atlantic Coast Pipeline, but More Challenges Remain - "The U.S. Supreme Court has reversed a lower court ruling that held up construction on the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which would...more
“Sometimes a complicated regulatory scheme may cause us to miss the forest for the trees, but at bottom, these cases boil down to a simple proposition: A trail is a trail, and land is land.” Justice Thomas, Opinion of the...more
The latest battlefield in the American pipeline wars is one of the most celebrated, venerable and scenic places in the United States - the Appalachian Trail. Stretching about 2,200 miles from Maine to Georgia, the Appalachian...more
On February 24, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on a critical permit needed for completion of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, a controversial natural gas pipeline crossing the Appalachian Trail. Supporters of the...more
On August 13, 2019, in a case that may have an impact on the leasing of federal lands for energy development in the future, the U.S. District Court for the Missoula, Montana Division, issued a ruling in the case of Western...more
Focus - BLM to open federal lands in Central California to expanded oil and gas drilling - Los Angeles Times - May 9 - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced finalized plans last Thursday to open 725,500 acres...more
The 2019 Colorado legislative session took the state’s oil and gas-development opponents and proponents on a wild ride. On April 3, 2019, the Colorado Senate passed SB 19-181, which dramatically changes the regulation of oil...more
Earlier this week, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals partially reversed a district court decision, and ordered the Bureau of Land Management to vacate the NEPA approvals and permits it had issued authorizing the drilling of a...more
Judge Delivers Major Setback to Trump Policy to Increase Coal Mining on Federal Land - "But the court ruling does say that the 2017 Trump administration policy, enacted by former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, to overturn...more
The US District Court for the District of Columbia has blocked the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from issuing new oil and gas drilling permits on approximately 300,000 acres of federal land in Wyoming until it adequately...more
In a victory for environmental groups, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a ruling this week with far-reaching consequences for energy projects on federal lands and “the attention the government must...more