The Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") proposed a rule that would rescind the 2009 Endangerment Finding, citing a new interpretation of the relevant section in the Clean Air Act ("CAA"), a lack of clear congressional...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") proposes rescission of the 2009 Endangerment Finding, which underpins greenhouse gas regulation under the Clean Air Act....more
8/1/2025
/ Automotive Industry ,
Clean Air Act ,
Climate Change ,
Comment Period ,
Deregulation ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Motor Vehicles ,
NPRM ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Statutory Interpretation ,
Transportation Industry ,
Trump Administration
On June 11, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") announced a proposed rule to repeal key amendments to the 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards ("MATS") for coal- and oil-fired electric utility steam...more
6/23/2025
/ Air Pollution ,
Clean Air Act ,
Coal Industry ,
Comment Period ,
Deregulation ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Infrastructure ,
MATS ,
Mercury ,
National Emissions Standards ,
Oil & Gas ,
Power Plants ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Toxic Exposure ,
Trump Administration ,
Utilities Sector
On June 11, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") issued a proposed rule to repeal all greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions standards for fossil fuel-fired electric generating units ("EGUs") under § 111 of the...more
6/20/2025
/ Clean Air Act ,
Comment Period ,
Deregulation ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Infrastructure ,
Power Plants ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ("EPA") plan to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS") includes a long list of upcoming agency actions to deal with PFAS contamination....more
5/1/2025
/ Clean Water Act ,
Contamination ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
In remarks at the Environmental Council of the States’ 2025 spring meeting, EPA Administrator Zeldin indicated that no decisions have yet been made on how the Agency is going to address PFAS, but that it will weigh the...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") announced it would reconsider the 2024 Risk Management Program ("RMP") rule....more
4/1/2025
/ Biden Administration ,
Deregulation ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Infrastructure ,
National Security ,
Oil & Gas ,
Popular ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Trump Administration
EPA has extended the reporting deadline under the Greenhouse Gas ("GHG") Reporting Rule for reporting year 2024 data from March 31, 2025, to May 30, 2025. Under the rule, owners and operators of facilities that are direct...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") announced an agenda to revisit numerous regulations addressing the emission of greenhouse gases ("GHGs")....more
On March 12, 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") issued a flurry of press releases announcing its plan to rollback dozens of Biden-era, as well as earlier, environmental regulations. This historic move is part...more
On September 23, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") announced a final rule under the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020 ("AIM Act") establishing a new program overseeing hydrofluorocarbons...more
As noted in previous editions of The Climate Report, in recent months, the United States Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA"), Federal Highway Administration ("FHA"), and California Air Resource Board ("CARB") have imposed...more
In November 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") released its National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution, a comprehensive plan with the goal of eliminating the release of plastic waste into the...more
REGULATORY ISSUES & UPDATES -
Update on Australia's New Climate-Related Financial Disclosure Regime -
Australia's mandatory climate-related financial disclosure regime is inching closer to implementation after the proposed...more
9/23/2024
/ Clean Air Act ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Greenwashing ,
Popular ,
Tax Credits
The White House revealed its latest strategy to address PFAS, and the EPA extended the reporting deadline for its PFAS reporting rule....more
9/18/2024
/ Biden Administration ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Final Rules ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Manufacturers ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Statutory Deadlines ,
Strategic Planning ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
REGULATORY ISSUES & UPDATES -
Recent Evolution of the European Regulatory Framework on Greenwashing -
Two new Directives adopted by the EU in 2024—the "Empowering Consumers Directive" and the "Green Claims...more
6/20/2024
/ Air Pollution ,
Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Air Act ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Human Rights ,
Net Zero ,
Power Plants ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Sustainability ,
Tax Credits
On April 10, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") filed a complaint for civil penalties against USA Wholesale, Inc. for the illegal import of hydrofluorocarbons ("HFCs"). HFCs are greenhouse gases used...more
Vermont passed a first-of-its-kind law requiring energy companies to pay for part of the damages from extreme weather events, but the law likely will face legal challenges....more
6/10/2024
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Liability ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Infrastructure ,
National Emissions Standards ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Oil & Gas ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Severe Weather ,
Superfund ,
Vermont
In what appears to be a new pathway for PFAS litigation, California plaintiffs recently filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer of BIC razors stemming from disclosures the company made under Maine's PFAS law, which were...more
5/30/2024
/ Class Action ,
Contamination ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Manufacturers ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
Toxic Chemicals
On April 25, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") finalized four rules to regulate pollution from fossil fuel-fired power plants. EPA's stated goal was to provide a framework on which power plants can rely for...more
On April 22, 2024, the U.S. government issued a final rule ("Rule") to restructure and update the Federal Acquisition Regulation ("FAR") to implement a requirement for agencies to procure sustainable products and services to...more
5/7/2024
/ Biden Administration ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Counsel ,
ENERGY STAR Program ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Final Rules ,
Goods or Services ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Procurement Guidelines ,
Sustainability
On April 19, 2024, EPA announced its highly anticipated final rule designating two polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS")—perfluorooctanoic acid ("PFOA") and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid ("PFOS")—as "hazardous substances" under...more
4/22/2024
/ CERCLA ,
Contamination ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Final Rules ,
Groundwater ,
Hazardous Substances ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Superfund ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Exposure
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
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