The Legal and Practical Challenges of California's Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation
Nota Bene Episode 101: Catching up with Global Climate Regulation with Nico van Aelstyn
Schoenbrod: SCOTUS Ruling Helps EPA Deal With a "Stupid Statute"
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a major shift in regulatory policy—to rescind the agency’s 2009 “Endangerment Finding” and to repeal all resulting emission standards for new motor vehicles and...more
Current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin proposed a rule today to rescind 2009 rules that form the basis of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions limitations, a move that will almost certainly lead to...more
On March 13, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it would move forward with reconsideration of the Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding (Endangerment Finding) as directed in President Trump’s Executive Order...more
The new administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin, announced March 12 the agency would be rolling back 31 key environmental provisions that regulate air pollution, water protections, and the energy...more
In light of recent wildfires across Southern California, employers should make sure they are familiar with California’s wildfire smoke standard. Sadly, harmful air quality from wildfire smoke can occur anywhere in the state...more
On October 11, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its latest rule in a suite of measures to address hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act....more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized regulations impacting a large swath of refrigeration and cooling equipment industries. The new regulations are the most recent EPA action addressing the use of...more
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has issued a report titled: Our Nation’s Air: Trends Through 2023 (“Report”). The purpose of the annual Report is to track trends in air quality and emissions...more
Recent raging winter storms have caved in streets, wrecked piers, collapsed homes and apartment buildings, and submerged property up and down California’s coastline. As sea levels continue to rise from climate change,...more
The U.S. Supreme Court today upended a 40-year-old decision that made it easier for the federal government to regulate the environment, public health, workplace safety, and consumer protections, delivering a far-reaching and...more
The Supreme Court has released its opinion in Ohio v. EPA, a case involving whether the federal government’s “good neighbor” ozone regulations were properly promulgated. This decision impacts the authority of the U.S....more
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
In a groundbreaking move, effective July 1, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection will tighten the permitting requirement for certain existing and new sources of air pollution located near an environmental...more
The Biden-Harris Administration recently issued a suite of new rules aimed at addressing water and air quality, reducing methane emissions, protecting environmental justice communities, and accelerating the nation’s...more
On April 25, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a set of rules aimed at cutting air, water, and land pollution from fossil fuel-fired plants. The rules would require existing coal-fired and new gas-fired...more
Less than a month after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published environmental operational standards and greenhouse gas emission regulations for owners and operators of heavy-duty vehicles, including major freight...more
On April 25, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed four final rules representing multi-media regulation (air, water, waste, climate) for the utility sector. Individually, each rule would have been notable for...more
Environmental regulations, including those under the California Air Resources Board’s (“CARB”) jurisdiction, present a complex compliance challenge for vehicle fleet managers and operations departments across the country....more
Building on 2023 legislation granting the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) authority over wells used to inject and permanently sequester carbon dioxide (CO2), the Colorado General Assembly is...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final methane rule limits methane emissions from the oil and gas sector and may be the latest battleground over whether the agency is exceeding its authority to regulate...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 two weeks and forthcoming climate-related events and...more
On February 29, 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a significant delay in the implementation of its proposed carbon rule for existing natural gas power plants. This decision has drawn criticism from...more
On February 7, 2024, EPA finalized a rule lowering the primary annual National Ambient Air Quality Standard for PM2.5 to 9.00 ug/m3. This is a significant reduction from the current 12.00 ug/m3 standard and a victory for...more
PM NAAQS: Already behind schedule is perhaps the mostly widely impactful rule change EPA has proposed in many years: a lowering of the national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5). EPA has...more
According to a recent Bloomberg article, a company did not report an August 2023 air emissions event to state environmental regulators until December, just days after the company was asked by Bloomberg Green about a methane...more