The 18th annual edition of the “NRD State Guide” has now been published . For nearly two decades, this Guide has provided companies, private practitioners, government officials, and researchers with a comprehensive overview...more
Good morning! This is Akin’s newsletter on climate change policy and regulatory developments, providing information on major climate policy headlines from the past week and forthcoming climate-related events and hearings...more
In continuing with the Biden-Harris Administration's goal to combat plastic pollution, on July 19, 2024, the Interagency Policy Committee on Plastic Pollution and a Circular Economy (IPC)1 released a new joint strategy to...more
Plans to build the largest new reservoir in California in 50 years have taken a significant step forward following a judge’s decision last Friday to dismiss a lawsuit filed by environmental groups challenging the adequacy of...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday finalized tougher methane reporting standards that could increase the number of oil and gas companies that must pay fees for excess methane emissions....more
In recent years, the global concentration of methane present in the atmosphere has increased dramatically. In fact, in 2021, methane increased by almost 18 parts per billion in the atmosphere, the largest single year increase...more
Good evening! This is Akin’s newsletter on climate change policy and regulatory developments, providing information on major climate policy headlines from the past two weeks and forthcoming climate-related events and...more
Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to revisit one of its most significant rulings affecting administrative rules and regulations by granting cert in the matter Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. The court's decision...more
Sixteen State Attorneys General sent a May 8th letter to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”) addressing the topic of plastic microfibers...more
A group of 16 Democratic sent a letter to the EPA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) urging them to develop a more robust national response to the problem of microfibers in the environment....more
An Uncertain Future for Nuclear Generation - As countries and companies around the world set goals for renewable energy targets, there is constant uncertainty as to the best path for reaching these goals. While wind and...more
As we have seen recently, the U.S. Supreme Court is again considering overturning decades-long precedent. Nearly 40 years after the Court decided Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, it has agreed to reconsider....more
President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) into law on Aug. 16, 2022, following its passage along party lines in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The comprehensive legislation is the...more
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”) recently released an update to its Disaster and Risk Mapping Tool that now allows users to assess natural disaster risks at the community level. NOAA’s...more
The Western Environmental Law Center and Center for Biological Diversity (collectively “CBD”) filed a Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief (“Complaint”) in the United States District Court for the District of...more
On May 29, 2021, the Biden administration released its full FY2022 budget request. Several key energy and environmental agencies, including the Department of the Interior (DOI), Department of Energy (DOE) and the...more
As the inveterate pundit Pogo once said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” This could very well be said for our disposable society, which uses and disposes tons of plastic in ways that are not wise and negatively impact...more
This is a brief review of the recently released “Climate 21 Project” policy memo. It is the work of many former members of the Obama Administration who are deeply concerned about climate change and what steps the new...more
Outlook for This Week in the Nation’s Capital - Congress Returns. The House and Senate return from a week-long recess. The House will likely take up two bills aimed at addressing the youth use of vaping devices: one would...more
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) published a September 16th Federal Register Notice seeking public comment on the development of a policy for determination if a harmful algal bloom (“HAB”) or hypoxia...more
Focus - EPA officially withdraws California’s authority to set its own fuel standards - CBS News – September 19 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this Thursday formally withdrew the 2013 Clean Air Act waiver...more
Outlook for This Week in the Nation's Capital - Memorial Day Recess. Clark Hill hopes our readers had a wonderful Memorial Day as we honored those who bravely lost their lives in service to our great country. ...more
The gravity of the problem of climate change is rapidly coming into focus. On November 23, 2018 thirteen federal agencies under the leadership of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including among others the...more
The natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) process has evolved since its inception in the late 1970s. The innovations keep coming. In 2016, a third-party “credit banking” mechanism was used for the first time to settle...more
In his January 30, 2018 State of the Union address, the President declared that he had eliminated more regulations in his first year than any other administration’s first year. Part of that claim may arise out of a...more