Environmental Justice: 2023 Year in Review and 2024 Look-Ahead -
As a concept, Environmental Justice, or EJ, has been around for more than 40 years. Beginning as a slogan at protests in Warren County, NC in 1982, EJ...more
12/21/2023
/ Biden Administration ,
CEQ ,
Clean Air Act ,
Climate Change ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Executive Orders ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
NEPA ,
Proposed Rules ,
Toxic Chemicals
In groundbreaking legislation, California continues to lead the nation in climate change regulation by enacting the bulk of the California Climate Accountability Package – an unprecedented climate disclosure mandate for...more
The United States recently took another important step in implementing a comprehensive strategy to advance the production, processing, delivery, storage, and use of clean hydrogen. On June 5, 2023, the Biden-Harris...more
6/12/2023
/ Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Energy ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Hydrogen Power ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
Popular ,
Renewable Energy ,
Tax Credits
President Biden issued an Executive Order on April 21, 2023 titled “Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All” (the “EO”). The EO continues the Administration’s emphasis on environmental justice by...more
5/3/2023
/ Clean Air Act ,
Department of Environmental Quality ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Executive Orders ,
Hazardous Substances ,
NEPA ,
NGOs ,
OSTP ,
Pollution Control ,
Right To Know ,
Transparency
On March 21, 2023, activists in St. James Parish, Louisiana filed an environmental justice lawsuit against their local government, claiming that the Parish’s land use system directed industry into primarily Black communities...more
In our article published in the last edition of this Gazette, we discussed late 2021 to early 2022 developments concerning extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs and the regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl...more
9/26/2022
/ California ,
Colorado ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hawaii ,
OEHHA ,
PFAS ,
Product Packaging ,
Proposition 65 ,
Rhode Island ,
State Bans ,
Washington
In the proposed rule, EPA outlines the limited direct effects of the proposal – Businesses must report releases of PFOA and PFOS of one pound or more within a 24-hour period; and transport substances or mixtures that contain...more
Today, August 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law the fiercely negotiated and long anticipated Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”). Among other things, the IRA provides a significant boost, including approximately...more
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued a voluntary Request for Information (“RFI”) on June 9, 2022, regarding best practices for battery recycling and labeling guidelines. 87 Fed. Reg. 35,202. The...more
In our article published in the last edition of this Gazette, we discussed early-to-mid-2021 developments concerning extended producer responsibility programs and regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in...more
This year – 2022 – may finally be the year that the effort to modernize safety standards in the U.S. for cosmetics and other personal care products, which has been ongoing since 2013, comes to fruition. If so, the new...more
1/27/2022
/ Best Practices ,
Cosmetics ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Personal Care Products ,
PFAS ,
Preemption ,
Product Labels ,
Product Recalls ,
Proposition 65 ,
REACH ,
State Bans ,
Toxic Chemicals
On November 23, 2021, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Director of the Office of Compliance requested that TCEQ approve a proposed rulemaking intended to respond to a series of industrial events occurring over...more
Near- and Longer-Term Objectives Expected to Impact Wide Range of Industries -
On October 18, 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its PFAS Strategic Roadmap: EPA’s Commitments to Action 2021-2024. For...more
10/22/2021
/ CERCLA ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Drinking Water ,
Enforcement Guidance ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
NPDES ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Exposure ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
Emphasis on Environmental Justice and Climate Change -
The EPA's draft Strategic Plan provides the key to understanding the agency's priority goals and initiatives, including Climate Change and Environmental Justice...more
10/21/2021
/ CERCLA ,
Clean Air Act ,
Clean Water Act ,
Climate Change ,
Enforcement ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
NEPA ,
RCRA ,
Safe Drinking Water Act ,
Site Remediation ,
Strategic Planning ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
Advancing Environmental Justice (“EJ”) is a central pillar of the Biden Administration. Beginning with President Biden’s Executive Order “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” signed during his first week in...more
Proposed Rule Concerning Additional Extensions Forthcoming -
Companies across a wide range of economic sectors have been waiting for a decision from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on whether to extend the...more
In recent months, a variety of state legislatures have passed laws that restrict or regulate packaging, including that used for food and beverages. One set of laws concerns extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs that...more
Is This a “PBT 2.0” Scenario in the Making?
On June 10, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposed rule for collecting information about manufactured and imported goods containing any chemical...more
Agency Responds to New CDC Guidance on Risks from Surfaces and Recognizes Breadth of Approved List N Products -
Since March 2020, EPA has prioritized and expedited reviews of disinfectant products under the Federal...more
BlackRock Doubles Down on Sustainability -
• BlackRock signals substantially more assertive posture on climate-related issues
• New approach to shareholder proposals saw BlackRock support 54% of environmental and social...more
4/23/2021
/ Benchmarking ,
BlackRock ,
Climate Change ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
EEO-1 ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) ,
Investment ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
State Street ,
Sustainability ,
Transparency ,
Vanguard
Designation of PFOA as a Carcinogen Will Increase Litigation Risks and Expand Proposition 65 Labeling Obligations -
On March 19, 2021, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) announced that...more
Proposal Features Expanded Exemptions and Revised Fee Allocation Approach -
On January 11, 2021, EPA published proposed revisions to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) fees rule that would create several exemptions...more
Renewable-Sourced Products May Require Authorization as "New Chemicals" Under TSCA -
On December 22, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a Compliance Advisory under the Toxic Substances Control Act...more
Use of Short-Form Warnings Would be Restricted for Products and Eliminated for Websites and Catalogs -
Manufacturers of products sold to consumers and packaging companies should take notice of important new developments...more
Guidance Provides Roadmap for Companies Seeking Expedited Review of Products Aimed at Combatting SARS CoV-2 -
In August, EPA issued a narrowly tailored approval under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide...more