Three years after a massive spill at a Los Angeles wastewater facility sent millions of gallons of sewage into Santa Monica Bay, the city has agreed to spend more than $20 million on improvements to remedy the environmental...more
The Michigan Senate recently introduced legislation in an attempt to join several North American jurisdictions that have established clean fuel standards. The Michigan Clean Fuel Standard aims to reduce the average carbon...more
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) implemented the Biden Administration’s newest vehicle-related environmental law intended to curb not only greenhouse gas emissions but also the United States’ reliance on imported oil...more
Over the past number of weeks, a variety of legislative proposals, from both sides of the aisle, have been released that, if enacted, could drastically impact the US energy industry and, in many cases, the taxation of energy...more
On March 31, 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation, acting through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), finalized a rulemaking that the agencies described...more
An editorial published in the Standard-Examiner, titled “For states like Utah, IMO 2020’s new regulations can’t come fast enough”, discussed the operational advantages of refining operations in Utah and how the state is well...more
In just a few months, on January 1, 2020, a new, sweeping global regulation is scheduled to go into effect that caps the amount of allowable sulfur content in all marine fuels used by ocean-going vessels from its current...more
While overall corporate strategies haven’t changed all that much since 2018, we continue to see a fair amount of headwinds and tailwinds for the downstream energy sector. Below are three key trends we’re closely watching in...more
Focus - EPA will not approve labels that say Roundup chemical causes cancer - U.S. News & World Report – August 8 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced this Thursday that it will not approve...more
Petroleum Marketers Association of America (“PMAA”) Regulatory Counsel Mark Morgan authored a June 28th Compliance Bulletin titled: EPA Compliance Requirements for Sale of E15 Gasoline Blends (“Bulletin”)...more
This is the second issue of WilmerHale’s 10-in-10 Hot Topics in Energy Series. Over the next 10 weeks, our attorneys will share insights on current and emerging issues affecting the US energy sector. Attorneys from across...more
A Texas Federal Judge Turns Up the Heat on Oil Companies Facing Climate Change-Related Securities Class Actions - On August 14, 2018, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued a...more
Activists Have a New Strategy to Block Gas Pipelines: State's Rights - "It already has worked in New York where construction on the Constitution Pipeline has stalled. Now activists are trying the strategy in Oregon." ...more
Federal Agency Halts All Work on Atlantic Coast Pipeline After Judges Revoke Permits - "The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission sent a letter to Dominion Energy, the company leading construction of the 600-mile pipeline,...more
On Thursday, August 2, 2018, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) jointly proposed a rule to freeze the fuel...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
Sustainable Development Focus - U.S. states vow to defend auto fuel efficiency standards - REUTERS - Apr 4 Nearly a dozen U.S. states and Washington D.C. this Tuesday promised to defend federal automobile efficiency...more
The American Chemistry Council’s (“ACC”) Petroleum Additives Panel’s Fuel Additives Task Group prepared a March 2018 report titled: Overview of Diesel Additives & Filtration Issues (“Report”) ...more
The Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) recently released the regulatory framework outlining the proposed design of Canada’s Clean Fuel Standard (Standard), a critical element of Canada’s climate strategy that is...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - States sue Trump administration over fuel economy fines - ABC News - Sep 11 - New York, California, and three other states are suing the Trump administration, saying it must put...more
Turbulence in global fuel economy standards are putting new pressures on the automotive industry to shift its thinking on gasoline and electrification. In late July, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)...more
NEW REGULATORY DEVELOPMENTS - Federal - Draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for Stormwater Discharges - All 10 EPA regions are seeking public comment on the draft 2017...more
On February 26, 2015, the Oregon State Senate passed Senate Bill 324 (SB 324), a measure that would require fuel producers to reduce the amount of carbon in car and truck fuels....more
Sustainable Oils Inc. issued a press release announcing the issuance of a feedstock-only pathway for the production of Camelina-based fuels under the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). ...more
On July 2, 2014, EPA issued a final rule outlining the elements of a voluntary third party quality assurance program to ensure the validity of renewable identification numbers (RIN) petroleum refiners use to confirm...more