California's Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has proposed listing microplastics on its "Candidate Chemicals List" under the Safer Consumer Products (SCP) Program, a regulatory framework designed to reduce toxic...more
7/17/2025
/ Comment Period ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Environmental Policies ,
Manufacturers ,
NPRM ,
Plastics ,
Public Comment ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Safer Consumer Product Regulations ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
In recent months, in response to increased consumer interest, federal and state government officials have taken action to propose and adopt laws and regulations directed at promoting consumer transparency and encouraging...more
4/3/2025
/ Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Policies ,
Fashion Industry ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Manufacturers ,
New Legislation ,
PFAS ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Sustainability ,
Textiles
Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as the federal Superfund law (PFAS Designation Rule) in September...more
11/26/2024
/ ASTM ,
CERCLA ,
Contamination ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Due Diligence ,
Enforcement ,
Environmental Liability ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Site Assessment ,
EPCRA ,
Final Rules ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Natural Resources ,
PFAS ,
Settlement ,
Superfund ,
Toxic Chemicals
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to add 16 new, individually listed per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and 15 PFAS categories to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) list as "chemicals of...more
As detailed through previous Holland & Knight alerts and blogs detailing the Notice of Proposed Rule Making and Consent Decree that postponed completion of the Vessel Incident Discharge (VID) final rule until fall 2024, the...more
10/18/2024
/ Clean Water Act ,
Coast Guard ,
Commercial Vehicles ,
Compliance ,
Cruise Ships ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Effective Date ,
Enforcement Authority ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Final Rules ,
General Permit ,
Maritime Transport ,
Offshore Drilling ,
Pollution Control ,
Shipping Cargo ,
Vessels ,
Water Pollution
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws represent a pivotal shift in environmental and sustainability compliance, placing the onus of end-of-life product management on Producers, the parties that produce the products...more
10/18/2024
/ Climate Change ,
Compliance ,
Compliance Dates ,
Data-Sharing ,
Distributors ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Importers ,
Imports ,
Manufacturers ,
Plastics ,
Product Packaging ,
Self-Certification ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Waste Management
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on April 19, 2024, announced its Final Rule designating two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) compounds – perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid...more
4/29/2024
/ CERCLA ,
Compliance ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Drinking Water ,
Due Diligence ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Final Rules ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Manufacturers ,
PFAS ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Water Supplies
2023 was a busy year for folks following legal developments related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). In December, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its Second Annual Progress Report. Some of...more
1/18/2024
/ Air Quality Standards ,
Bodily Injury ,
CERCLA ,
Certifications ,
Compliance ,
Contamination ,
Discovery ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Final Rules ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Manufacturers ,
Multidistrict Litigation ,
NDAA ,
PFAS ,
Popular ,
Proposed Rules ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) ,
Wastewater
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2022 advanced many of its regulatory priorities laid out in its October 2021 PFAS Strategic Roadmap across multiple regulatory programs. Below are some of the highlights, many...more
1/10/2023
/ CERCLA ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Drinking Water ,
Enforcement ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
NPDES ,
PFAS ,
Safe Drinking Water Act ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator Radhika Fox issued a memorandum on April 28, 2022, addressing EPA's revised guidance for addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in National...more
After commencing a regulatory review effort in February 2021, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) has issued proposed amended Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) regulations...more
After reviewing and responding to initial public comments, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) has issued its revised draft Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Interim...more
7/15/2021
/ Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Coastal Real Estate ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Policies ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Public Comment ,
Real Estate Development ,
Required Forms ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
Wetlands
The Biden Administration on May 20, 2021, issued its latest and long-awaited Executive Order (EO) on climate-related financial risk. This EO reflects how the administration is continuing to take a "whole of government"...more
6/1/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
CEQ ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Financial Regulatory Agencies ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Insurance Industry ,
Net Zero ,
OMB ,
Risk Assessment ,
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) has issued its draft Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Interim Protocol on Climate Adaptation and Resiliency (the Interim Protocol),...more
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation are a major focus of the recently issued Massachusetts 2050 Decarbonization Roadmap (the Roadmap) and the Massachusetts Clean Energy and Climate Plan (CECP) for 2030....more
On March 26, 2021, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed Chapter 8 of the Acts of 2021, An Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy (the Act), into law, cementing the Commonwealth's status as...more
As the Commonwealth of Massachusetts awaits Gov. Charlie Baker's decision whether to sign the revised landmark climate bill on his desk, the investigation by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) (Docket DPU...more
The City of Boston has taken the next step in its ongoing efforts to amend and strengthen its Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance, or BERDO, by releasing a draft Summary of policy elements on Jan. 27, 2021, for...more
2/12/2021
/ Administrative Review Board ,
Audits ,
Climate Change ,
Comment Period ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Policies ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Local Ordinance ,
Municipalities ,
Performance Standards ,
Power Purchase Agreements ,
Property Owners ,
Renewable Energy ,
State and Local Government ,
Utilities Sector
While the presidential transition has focused attention on the energy and environmental policy initiatives that likely will be undertaken by the Biden-Harris Administration, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts continues to...more
1/22/2021
/ Air Pollution ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Policies ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Municipalities ,
Net Zero ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
Zero-Emission Vehicles
Holland & Knight invites you to read the Fall 2020 issue of our Energy and Natural Resources Quarterly newsletter, in which our authors discuss important hot topics and developments in energy, natural resources and...more
10/7/2020
/ Alternative Fuels ,
Brazil ,
Clean Tech ,
Colombia ,
Commercial Bankruptcy ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Liability ,
Environmental Policies ,
Hydrocarbons ,
Latin America ,
Renewable Energy ,
Renewable Energy Investments
With issuance of the June 29, 2020, memorandum by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicating that the temporary policy regarding EPA's exercise of enforcement discretion during the COVID-19 public health...more
By letter dated June 1, 2020, Director of Watershed Management for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Lealdon Langley filed comments at www.regulations.gov for Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2019-0372...more
In response to multiple requests from stakeholders, as noted on its website, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended the public comment period for its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System...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
6/19/2019
/ Certification Requirements ,
Clean Water Act ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
FERC ,
Natural Gas ,
Navigable Waters ,
New Guidance ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pipelines ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Section 401 ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Water Quality
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued a 171-page pre-publication version of its proposed perchlorate rule in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), just days before a court-ordered...more