Context is Crucial in Examining BLM’s Proposed Rule for Fracking On Federal Land
On July 15, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) circulated an internal memorandum, requiring 68 different DOI actions related to wind and solar project development to be submitted to the DOI Office of the...more
Newly-appointed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote in a memo this Wednesday that the Justice Department will reverse a Biden-era directive to prioritize enforcement of environmental laws in disadvantaged and low-income...more
California officials have joined a legal effort to restore water to the Kern River after an abrupt shutoff of water dried up the river and killed thousands of fish in Bakersfield....more
It is clear that these have been busy months for federal environmental regulators, especially those working at EPA, the federal departments and the Council on Environmental Quality. Even the Department of Agriculture has...more
Concurrent with commitments made during the twenty-sixth meeting of the United Nations’ COP26 summit in Glasgow, Scotland, the Biden Administration released two significant policies aimed at analyzing and curtailing the...more
After years of attempts with varying success to regulate methane emissions from new oil and gas wells, the Biden administration has shifted strategy in proposing a regulatory program covering both new and existing oil and...more
Biden picks North Carolina environmental chief to lead EPA - Associated Press – December 17 - President-elect Joe Biden this Thursday selected Michael S. Regan to serve as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental...more
New EPA rule aims to limit tough clean air measures under Biden - The New York Times – December 9 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this Wednesday completed a rule that could weaken federal authority to...more
President-elect Biden will assume office in January, 2021, with a divided nation, the global coronavirus pandemic, and a domestic energy market in a distressed state. The new administration will need to oversee the management...more
Over the weekend, major news outlets announced that former Vice President Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States. Biden and his running mate, Vice Predident-elect Kamala Harris, pledged throughout the...more
President Trump makes agricultural water demands priority for new office - U.S. News & World Report – October 13 - President Donald Trump this Tuesday created what he called a “subcabinet” for federal water issues,...more
EPA chief challenges California effort to mandate zero emission vehicles in 2035 - Bullet Reuters – September 28 - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler on Monday questioned...more
EPA limits states’ power to review projects that affect water quality - Bullet Courthouse News Service – July 13 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday issued a new 401 Certification Rule under the...more
Federal government moves to weaken fuel economy standards adopted during Obama Administration - Bullet Los Angeles Times – March 31 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation...more
This is the inaugural issue of WilmerHale’s 10-in-10 Hot Topics in Energy Series. Over the next 10 weeks, our attorneys will share insights on current and emerging issues affecting the US energy sector....more
Environmental and Policy Focus - Trump’s budget proposal slashes EPA funding - Washington Post - Mar 16 - President Trump on Thursday released his budget plan for the next fiscal year, which proposes cutting the...more
Last week the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS) moved the minute hand on the Doomsday Clock two minutes closer to midnight. Advancement of the clock hand symbolizes experts’ concerns on the threat of global catastrophe....more
Gunnison Sage Grouse Continues Its Wobbly Path Toward Listing Energy Legal Blog, May 14, 2014 - Last week, the Gunnison Sage Grouse took another detour on its road to being listed under the Endangered Species Act...more