On December 5, 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") proposed a new rule that would increase reporting obligations for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS") to the Toxics Release Inventory ("TRI"). PFAS are...more
California Enacts Sweeping Climate Measures -
On September 16, 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a broad legislative package into law that aims to aggressively address climate change. The material aspects of...more
A group of seven U.S. senators have written a letter to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"), expressing concerns with the integrity of the carbon credit markets and urging the CFTC to investigate and regulate...more
The EPA announced on August 26, 2022, a proposed rulemaking that would designate perfluorooctanoic acid ("PFOA") and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid ("PFOS"), including their salts and structural isomers, as hazardous substances...more
In 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") adopted the Clean Power Plan ("CPP") pursuant to Clean Air Act ("CAA") Section 111. The CPP set out guidelines to help states develop individual plans to limit carbon...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
The Situation: The Supreme Court held that a discharge through groundwater that is the functional equivalent of a direct discharge to navigable waters requires a Clean Water Act permit.
The Result: Some discharges to...more
5/6/2020
/ Appeals ,
Clean Water Act ,
Direct Discharge ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Functional Equivalent ,
Groundwater ,
Hawaii Wildlife Fund v County of Maui ,
Navigable Waters ,
NPDES ,
Permits ,
Point Sources ,
Remand ,
SCOTUS ,
Vacated ,
Waters of the United States
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
The Situation: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") preliminarily determined to begin the process for setting National Primary Drinking Water Regulations ("NPDWRs") for perfluorooctanoic acid ("PFOA") and...more
On January 15, 2020, several environmental groups filed a petition asking the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") to regulate certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS") under the Resource Conservation and...more
The Situation: In what may have further muddied the waters of the viability of the recent U.S.-filed state law climate change litigation against industry, a second federal court in San Francisco has granted remand of three of...more
The Situation: In what may portend the beginning of the end to the latest chapter of U.S. filed state law "global warming" or climate change litigation against industry, a federal court in San Francisco denied a motion to...more