On April 10, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") announced its highly anticipated final National Drinking Water Regulation ("NPDWR") for six per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS"), which establishes...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") finalized the strictest-ever emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles. On March 29, 2024, EPA announced new emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles for model years 2027...more
With Assembly Bill A3556C, New York joins a growing list of states considering or enacting broad bans on the sale and distribution of products containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS")....more
4/1/2024
/ Environmental Policies ,
Importers ,
Industrial Products ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Manufacturers ,
New York ,
PFAS ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Retail Market ,
State and Local Government
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") announced new stringent emissions standards for automobiles, which the Biden administration has deemed the "strongest-ever vehicle pollution standards" in U.S. history....more
For half a century, young people in the United States have played an active role in ongoing efforts to address climate change. Moving into 2024, young climate litigants find themselves in a promising position: They recently...more
On February 8, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") proposed two regulations that would add nine per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS") to the list of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act ("RCRA")...more
2/15/2024
/ CERCLA ,
Contamination ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Hazardous Waste ,
New Rules ,
PFAS ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Health ,
RCRA ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Toxic Chemicals
The Situation: In 2019, Congress amended the Toxic Substances Control Act ("TSCA") to require the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") to promulgate a reporting rule on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS"). EPA...more
12/12/2023
/ Contamination ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Importers ,
Manufacturers ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Retroactive Application ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Exposure ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
On August 14, 2023, a Montana state court issued a first-of-its-kind judgment in the United States in favor of young plaintiffs in climate litigation. The action Held v. Montana featured 16 youth plaintiffs alleging that...more
Several recent proposals impacting implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA") demonstrate a renewed focus on considering climate change in federal decision-making. In July, the Council on Environmental...more
On June 20, 2023, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors Int'l v. Envtl. Prot. Agency, No. 21-1251, (D.C. Cir. June 20, 2023),...more
8/16/2023
/ Clean Air Act ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Final Rules ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
HFC Emissions ,
Notice and Comment ,
Ozone ,
Supreme Court of Appeal ,
Tracking Systems
"Green Day" in the UK -
As part of its "Powering Up Britain" strategy, the UK government has published a series of documents setting out its vision for the UK's transition to net zero and the strengthening of UK energy...more
In Short -
The Situation: Commercial policyholders are increasingly being targeted by climate change lawsuits alleging that greenhouse gas emissions from their normal operations—and the alleged failure to take...more
The Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") has announced a new proposed rule that would strengthen the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants ("NESHAP") for Coal- and Oil- Fired Electric Utility Steam...more
4/10/2023
/ Air Pollution ,
Clean Air Act ,
Coal-Fired Generation ,
Coal-Fired Plants ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Infrastructure ,
MATS ,
Mercury ,
NESHAP ,
Oil & Gas ,
Power Plants ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Toxic Exposure
On March 14, 2023, the EPA took a step toward imposing federal limits on certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency...more
In December 2022, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit denied an appeal by environmental groups to revive their challenge to the 2020 amendments to the Council on Environmental Quality's ("CEQ") National...more
In Short -
The Situation: In 2021, the Biden Administration signaled its intent to replace the 2020 "Navigable Waters Protection Rule," which was vacated by a federal court, with a new definition of "waters of the United...more
In its first week in office, the Biden Administration took initial steps to meet its ambitious goals to address climate change. These steps are contained in a January 20, 2021, executive order (the "Day One Order"), a January...more
3/1/2021
/ Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule ,
Biden Administration ,
CEQ ,
Climate Change ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
NEPA ,
Paris Agreement ,
Regulatory Agenda
On February 20, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") used its authority under Section 5(a)(2) of the Toxic Substances Control Act ("TSCA") to issue a proposed supplemental significant new use rule ("SNUR")...more