The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on May 16, 2025, clarified the conditions under which a state waives its Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 water quality certification (WQC) authority. In Village of Morrisville...more
This is a brief roundup of recent federal court environmental and regulatory law decisions from the federal courts over the past few months, including the much anticipated ruling in Sackett, et ux., v, Environmental...more
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (“D.C. Circuit”) addressed in a December 20th Opinion an issue involving the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) licensing process. See...more
FERC issued a final rule on March 18 amending its regulations to establish a one-year period for state agencies or other certifying authorities to act on requests for water quality certifications required for a certificate of...more
On September 9, 2020, FERC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NOPR”) proposing updated regulations that will establish a one-year period for state agencies or other certifying authorities (“Certifying Agencies”) to act...more
EPA recently published a proposed federal rule (“Proposed Rule”) aimed at limiting the authority of states to deny certifications of compliance with state water quality requirements under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act...more
Frustrated by some states’ use of their Clean Water Act (CWA) section 401 authority to oppose or delay energy projects—particularly the transportation of fossil fuels—the Trump Administration last Friday issued the second...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced the rollout of its new Clean Water Act Section 401 Guidance for Federal Agencies, States and Authorized Tribes which replaces an April 2010 Interim Guidance...more
On January 25, 2019, in Hoopa Valley Tribe v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, No. 14-1271, 2019 WL 321025 (D.C. Cir. Jan. 25, 2019), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that the...more
OVERVIEW - The United States has produced clean, renewable electricity from hydropower for more than 100 years. Today there are approximately 2,500 domestic dams and pumped-storage facilities that provide roughly 100...more