The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on July 29 proposed to repeal its landmark finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health. The EPA’s so-called endangerment finding, issued in 2009, is a formal...more
8/4/2025
/ California ,
Clean Air Act ,
Climate Change ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Methane ,
Oil & Gas ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State and Local Government
California is often the vanguard of climate-related policies and programs. From legislation requiring the state to reduce overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and procure electricity from renewable and carbon-free sources...more
6/20/2025
/ California ,
CARB ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Chamber of Commerce ,
Climate Change ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Policies ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
New Legislation ,
Penalties ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) moved this Wednesday to erase limits on greenhouse gases from power plants and to weaken restrictions on other hazardous power plant emissions, including mercury, arsenic, and...more
6/16/2025
/ Biden Administration ,
California ,
Clean Air Act ,
Climate Change ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Government Agencies ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Trump Administration
The House passed resolutions last week to rescind federal waivers that allow California to set stricter vehicle emissions standards than the rest of the country. California’s standards currently require the sale of most...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced this Wednesday that it will narrow the definition of waters that can be federally regulated to comply with the Supreme Court's 2023 Sackett v. EPA ruling. This...more
The Trump administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to pause its review of a case involving California’s stricter vehicle emissions and electric vehicle standards. Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris filed the request...more
2/3/2025
/ California ,
Clean Air Act ,
Climate Change ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Executive Orders ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Oil & Gas ,
Paris Agreement ,
SCOTUS ,
State Health Departments ,
State Legislatures ,
Trump Administration ,
Water ,
Wildfires
On Monday, January 13, 2025, California withdrew requests for Clean Air Act waivers from the EPA needed to support four recently adopted vehicle emissions regulations: 1) the Advanced Clean Fleets Regulations; 2) the In-Use...more
California officials have been working on a plan to preserve the state’s leading edge environmental and climate policies, in the event that former President Donald J. Trump returns to the White House and follows through on...more
10/18/2024
/ California ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Violations ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Infrastructure ,
Marine Life Protections ,
Methane ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pollution Control ,
SCOTUS ,
Settlement
A California Superior Court judge ruled last week that Sonoma County must do more to ensure responsible groundwater pumping under the state’s Public Trust Doctrine, which holds that rivers, creeks, and other waterways are...more
8/30/2024
/ California ,
Dams ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Groundwater ,
Landfills ,
Lead ,
Methane ,
Oil & Gas ,
Salmon ,
SCAQMD ,
Water Quality Control Boards
Over the past six months environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policy has shifted into a new era with the promulgation of new Greenhouse Gas (GHG) disclosure requirements at both the federal and state level in...more
During arguments on Wednesday in the most significant environmental dispute before the U.S. Supreme Court this year, the Court's conservative justices expressed skepticism over the Environmental Protection Agency's efforts to...more
2/26/2024
/ Board of Supervisors ,
California ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Exxon Mobil ,
Farmers ,
Gold ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Mining ,
Pipelines ,
Radioactive Drilling Waste ,
SCOTUS ,
Waste ,
Water
Governor Gavin Newsom signed more than a dozen significant environmental bills over the weekend, including a first-in-the-nation law requiring corporations doing business in California with more than $1 billion a year in...more
10/16/2023
/ Air Quality Standards ,
California ,
Fines ,
Governor Newsom ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
New Legislation ,
Oil Spills ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
Public Notice ,
State and Local Government ,
Water Resources Control Board ,
Water Supplies
The Biden administration is restoring significant state and tribal authority over water resources and expanding their leverage on infrastructure permitting decisions, including for pipelines. With a final rule announced this...more
9/21/2023
/ California ,
Clean Water Act ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Gas Leaks ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Kaiser Permanente ,
Oil & Gas ,
State and Local Government ,
Tribal Lands
The Biden administration proposed new regulations this Thursday that, if enacted, would aggressively limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The move stands to force major changes in the energy sector and is likely...more
Companies are facing increased federal, state, and public scrutiny regarding environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. Amidst this momentum, it is important for companies operating in all sectors to address ESG...more
A Kentucky federal district court judge last Friday denied the state’s request to block the Biden administration’s new regulation redefining federally regulated “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) from taking effect within...more
Bonta announces lawsuit against 3M and DuPont over PFAS contamination Bullet The Hill – November 10 California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Thursday announced a lawsuit against 3M and DuPont, manufacturers of per- and...more
California becomes first state to test drinking water for microplastics - San Francisco Chronicle – September 7 - On Wednesday, California became the first state to begin requiring water agencies to test for microplastics,...more
9/13/2022
/ Air Pollution ,
Air Quality Standards ,
Bitcoin Mining ,
Clean Water Act ,
Contamination ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Violations ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Oil Spills
California approves a wave of aggressive new climate measures - Bullet The New York Times – September 1 - California lawmakers passed a flurry of new climate bills on Wednesday, including a record $54 billion in climate...more
California’s top environmental regulator leaving Newsom administration Bullet Associated Press – August 12 Jared Blumenfeld, head of California's Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and a key climate adviser to Governor...more
EPA health advisory for PFAS compounds spurs lawsuit Bullet E&E News - July 14 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s dramatic new health advisory for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is facing a lawsuit from a...more
Supreme Court restricts EPA's authority to mandate carbon emissions reductions - Associated Press - June 30 - In a blow to the fight against climate change, the Supreme Court on Thursday limited the extent of the U.S....more
7/5/2022
/ California ,
California Air Resources Board ,
Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Clean Air Act ,
Clean Power Plan ,
Drinking Water ,
Drought ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Governor Newsom ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Regulatory Authority ,
SCOTUS ,
Water Supplies ,
Wealth Tax ,
West Virginia v EPA
California unveils proposed measure to ban new gasoline-fueled cars Bullet The Mercury News - April 13 The California Air Resources Board (CARB) on Wednesday unveiled a far-reaching proposal requiring a ramp-up in sales of...more
Biden administration prioritizes environmental justice funding without mentioning race, hoping to fend off legal challenge - CNN – February 18 - The Biden administration announced today that 40% of federal funds for climate...more
Tightened federal water protections won't slow some projects -
Los Angeles Times – January 14 -
The Biden administration is moving to tighten oversight of projects that benefited from a narrowed interpretation of the...more