In a recent decision, a federal judge in Arizona vacated the Trump Administration’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR) and remanded the rulemaking back to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of...more
On August 3, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (DC Circuit) rejected the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) environmental analysis of a group of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG)...more
Over the past week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced plans to undo the Trump administration’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule, and take the Biden administration’s next...more
In an anticipated move, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service (the “Services”) have announced plans to again overhaul Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulations. In this latest example of “to...more
In a proposed rule published May 7, 2021, the Biden Administration seeks to withdraw the Trump Administration’s Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) liability rule. The MBTA liability rule was published as a final rule on January...more
On March 18, 2021, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) adopted a Final Rule requiring state agencies to issue Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 water quality certificates within one year of receiving a request or...more
The Biden Administration is moving quickly to undo the Trump Administration’s Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) liability rule. Published as a final rule on January 7, 2021, this rule for the first time supplied a uniform...more
In a long-unfolding saga, on January 7, 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) published its final rule that will at long last establish a clear regulatory definition of the scope of liability under the Migratory Bird...more
Acting in response to a Trump Administration Executive Order instructing federal agencies to reduce regulatory uncertainties and expedite construction of energy infrastructure, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)...more
On September 14, 2020, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) issued nonbinding guidance to agencies to help them comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) during emergencies. The guidance comes less than...more
Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), there are a number of key terms that shape the scope of species protection. These key terms, usually defined in the Act itself or through agency regulation, include terms such as...more
On Wednesday, July 15, 2020, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) published a Final Rule updating its regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) across the federal government. 85 Fed. Reg....more
On June 9, 2020, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued new rules designed to address concerns expressed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (DC Circuit) about abuse of landowner...more
On Thursday, June 4, 2020, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) on “Accelerating the Nation’s Economic Recovery from the COVID-19 Emergency by Expediting Infrastructure Investments and Other Activities.” Relying on...more
In an order with serious and immediate national implications for the construction of pipelines, electrical lines, fiber optic cable, and other utility projects, a Montana federal court has vacated Clean Water Act (CWA)...more
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (the “Service”) on February 3, 2020 issued a proposed rule that for the first time would supply a uniform regulatory definition of the scope of liability under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act...more
On January 23, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finalized a long-awaited new rule redefining the term “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The Agencies...more
On March 20, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (DC Circuit), sitting en banc, will hear arguments challenging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) use of “tolling orders.”...more
Last week EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that they again will be taking the first step in the long-awaited rulemaking process to redefine the scope of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the...more
Long-sought reforms to Endangered Species Act (ESA) implementation have arrived. On August 27, 2019, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) finalized regulations (the 2019...more
On June 7, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued nonbinding guidance clarifying and providing recommendations regarding the implementation of Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1341. Most...more
On April 10, 2019, President Trump signed two executive orders intended to address a range of legal and procedural hurdles commonly facing infrastructure projects, particularly in the energy sector. Most notably, the...more
Effectively restarting a contentious listing process, on April 12, 2019, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service reopened public comment on 2013 proposed rules listing the Bi-State distinct population segment of greater...more
On December 11, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers (the “agencies”) announced once again that they are proposing a new rule to redefine the scope of waters and wetlands subject to...more
On December 3, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court requested the federal government’s views on two petitions for certiorari asking the Court to decide whether the Clean Water Act (CWA) regulates releases of pollutants that reach...more