In a unanimous decision on July 23, 2025, the fifteen judges on the United Nations’ International Court of Justice (“ICJ”), also known as the “World Court,” concluded that the production and consumption of fossil fuels “may...more
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) applies to a major federal action that significantly affects the quality of the human environment. On June 30, several federal agencies took their own federal action which will...more
In the latest NEPA news, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the withdrawal of its interim guidance on “Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate...more
The Environmental Protection Agency announced April 28 a list of upcoming agency actions to address Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). This week’s announcement provides a broad outline of EPA’s plans that centers...more
The Environmental Protection Agency announced March 12 it set up an e-mail account allowing the regulated community to request a presidential exemption under Section 112(i)(4) of the Clean Air Act (“CAA”)....more
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, in San Francisco v. EPA, held in a 5-4 decision that the EPA cannot enforce requirements in wastewater permits that “do not spell out what a permittee must do or refrain from doing.” San...more
3/7/2025
/ City and County of San Francisco v Environmental Protection Agency ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Clean Water Act ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
NPDES ,
Permits ,
Pollution Control ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
SCOTUS ,
Water Pollution
On January 31 — in Marin Audubon Society et al. v. FAA et al. — the D.C. Circuit Court declined petitions for en banc review of a panel’s November 2024 ruling that the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) does...more
2/7/2025
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
CEQ ,
En Banc Review ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Environmental Policies ,
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ,
Infrastructure ,
NEPA ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Rulemaking Process ,
SCOTUS
While ringing in the New Year, the Environmental Protection Agency announced the addition of nine per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances to the list of chemicals covered by the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) pursuant to...more
1/10/2025
/ Compliance ,
Confidential Business Information (CBI) ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
EPCRA ,
Final Rules ,
NDAA ,
PFAS ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Toxic Chemicals
The Environmental Protection Agency announced on Nov. 12 its final rule to further reduce methane emissions from oil and gas industries as required under the Inflation Reduction Act. In particular, Congress established a...more
The U.S. Supreme Court last week scheduled oral arguments for December 10 in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, a highly anticipated case that focuses on whether a federal agency should be required to...more
On August 26, Sage Geosystems announced an agreement to supply Meta with 150 MW of geothermal power. Sage will use its proprietary Geopressured Geothermal System (GGS) to provide carbon-free power for Meta’s data centers....more
The Environmental Protection Agency’s implementation of the 2015 National Ambient Air Quality Standards “Good Neighbor Plan” (GNP) was met with a fury of legal challenges (see ELM’s previous coverage of EPA’s GNP here)....more
On June 28, in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court in Loper Bright Enterprises, et al. v. Raimondo Secretary of Commerce, et al., held that federal courts must exercise independent judgment in deciding whether a federal agency...more
Recently, there’s been much discussion about the potential benefits that artificial intelligence can bring to climate change regulation. For example, advanced technology, such as satellite data, is being used to identify...more
After much anticipation, the Environmental Protection Agency issued its final rule this week aimed at cutting methane emissions as well as strengthening and updating greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reporting for the oil and...more
Whether it’s the Environmental Protection Agency, OSHA, or a state environmental regulator, facing an information request or site inspection can be unnerving. Join Goldberg Segalla partner Sarah B. Mangelsdorf as she reviews...more
4/19/2024
/ Best Practices ,
Enforcement ,
Environmental Liability ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Violations ,
Information Requests ,
Inspections ,
OSHA ,
Request For Information ,
Webinars
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced April 9 a set of final rules under sections 111 and 112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) to significantly reduce toxic air pollution from more than 200 chemical plants in the...more
A new report by the International Energy Agency, released on March 13, found that for the third year in a row, methane released by the fossil fuel industry rose to an almost record high in 2023. Methane emissions are a...more
There has been a recent push across the country placing “green amendments” at the forefront of the fight to combat climate change and promote environmental justice. Analogous to the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights,...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency kicked off the New Year by strengthening its guidance for investigating and cleaning up lead-contaminated soil at residential properties, especially in areas where children live and...more
2/2/2024
/ CERCLA ,
Contamination ,
Corrective Actions ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Investigations ,
Lead ,
NAAQS ,
New Guidance ,
Policies and Procedures ,
RCRA ,
Site Remediation ,
Soil
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
As the Biden Administration pushes to transition the country away from fossil fuels to green energy sources, we have been faced with the reality that demand for these necessary minerals could soon outpace supply. For example,...more
Nearly one year after ratifying the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the Environmental Protection Agency announced two additional actions to further this initiative under...more
A lithium mine has been discovered within the McDermitt Caldera, located along the Nevada-Oregon border. This finding is significant in that it may hold between 20 million and 40 million metric tons of this rare metal, which...more
In their purest form, natural wildfires, most commonly caused by lightning strikes or volcanic activity, are a necessary part of the lifecycle in most ecosystems. They provide a number of important ecological benefits, such...more