News & Analysis as of

Department of Transportation (DOT) National Environmental Policy Act

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Clearing Space for Launch: Trump 2.0 Proposes Regulatory Overhaul to Enhance American Leadership in Space by 2030

The Trump administration’s new Executive Order formally adopts a policy to “enhance American greatness in space.” The EO directs streamlining and reform efforts in four key areas—commercial launch and reentry, spaceport...more

Wenning Environmental

Was Major Tom’s Space Mission Reviewed Under NEPA?

Wenning Environmental on

David Bowie’s hit song "Space Oddity," about the fictional astronaut Major Tom, was released as a single in 1969. Environmental impact statements (EIS) for rocket launches in the US were not required at that time. Rocket...more

King & Spalding

Executive Order Seeks to Turbocharge U.S. Commercial Space Industry

King & Spalding on

On August 13, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) that is poised to dramatically reshape the regulatory landscape for the U.S. commercial space industry. Titled “Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space...more

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

White House Issues Long-Awaited Order to Revamp Commercial Space Regs

On August 13, 2025, the Trump administration issued a widely-anticipated executive order (EO, or the Order) covering a range of commercial space regulatory issues to streamline commercial license and permit approvals for...more

Morgan Lewis

Executive Order Aims to Accelerate Space Launch Licensing, Cut Review Times

Morgan Lewis on

President Donald Trump on August 13, 2025 signed an executive order aimed at streamlining federal review of commercial space launches and establishing a new framework for novel space missions. The order, titled Enabling...more

Holland & Knight LLP

President Trump Signs Executive Order on Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry

Holland & Knight LLP on

In a move he characterized as building on his far-reaching actions to promote U.S. space leadership in his first term, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) on "Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space...more

Carlton Fields

NEPA: Are New Developments Actually Speeding Federal Permit Reviews?

Carlton Fields on

The Trump administration came into office in 2025 promising to speed federal environmental permitting by, among other things, streamlining compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In the whirlwind of the...more

Cozen O'Connor

Democratic AGs Urge Federal Agencies to Halt Rollback of NEPA Regulations

Cozen O'Connor on

Eighteen Democratic AGs have submitted formal comment letters to several federal agencies urging them to withdraw recently issued final rules that rescind regulations implementing National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)...more

Hogan Lovells

New NEPA

Hogan Lovells on

There have been more changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) and its implementing regulations in the past nine months than perhaps at any point since NEPA was signed into law by President Nixon on January 1,...more

K&L Gates LLP

More Federal Agencies Streamline NEPA Procedures to Expedite Review and Permitting

K&L Gates LLP on

1 See National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Regulations, 90 Fed. Reg. 29498, 29498 (July 3, 2025) (codified 43 C.F.R. Part 46); Procedures for Implementing NEPA; Processing of Department of the Army Permits, 90 Fed....more

Troutman Pepper Locke

Renewables in the Crosshairs: DOI and DOT Announce Numerous New Anti-Wind and Solar Orders and Policies

Troutman Pepper Locke on

During the week of July 28, the Trump administration unleashed a new burst of actions aimed squarely at blocking wind and solar energy with the announcement of two new secretarial orders (SO) and three new policies by the...more

Hogan Lovells

DOT issues updates to NEPA implementing procedures

Hogan Lovells on

The Department of Transportation (DOT) and several DOT agencies have announced a series of updates to requirements for the agency's implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), including updates to the...more

Vinson & Elkins LLP

The New NEPA: Federal Agencies Overhaul Procedures for Environmental Reviews

Vinson & Elkins LLP on

On July 3, 2025, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or the “Commission”), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“Army Corps”), and the Departments of Energy (“DOE”), Interior (“DOI”), Transportation (“DOT”),...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

Extreme Makeover – NEPA Edition: Permitting Agencies Strip Their Environmental Review Regulations Down To The Studs

Troutman Pepper Locke on

In the past two weeks, six federal permitting agencies — the U.S. Departments of Interior (USDOI), Agriculture (USDA), Energy (DOE), Commerce (DoC), Defense (DoD), and Transportation (USDOT) — withdrew most of their National...more

Goldberg Segalla

Agencies Take Major Federal Action Significantly Affecting NEPA’s Future

Goldberg Segalla on

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

Nossaman LLP

Trump Executive Orders Impacting Energy and Transportation

Nossaman LLP on

In the two weeks following his second-term inauguration, President Donald Trump issued dozens of executive orders, many of which focus on energy independence and streamlining governmental approvals. The long-term...more

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt PC

A More Modest Procedure? — The Supreme Court Considers Limiting the Scope of ‎‎“Reasonably Foreseeable” Impacts in NEPA Analysis

Seven County Infrastructure Coalition, et al. v. Eagle County, Colorado et al. ‎ On Tuesday, December 10, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that could redefine what constitutes a “reasonably foreseeable”...more

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

This Week’s Climate Policy Update - June 2024 #4

Good morning! This is Akin’s newsletter on climate change policy and regulatory developments, providing information on major climate policy headlines from the past week and forthcoming climate-related events and hearings...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

The Supreme Court Update - June 24, 2024

Dorsey & Whitney LLP on

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States granted certiorari in seven cases: United States v. Skrmetti, No. 23-477: This case concerns the constitutionality of state laws banning gender-affirming medical care for...more

Mintz

Whenever this Supreme Court agrees to review a 9th Circuit interpretation of a law, the outcome is nearly certain. This NEPA case...

Mintz on

This morning our nation's highest court agreed to hear an appeal by seven Utah Counties and a railroad company of a DC Circuit Court of Appeals decision. That DC Circuit decision revoked the Surface Transportation Board's...more

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,...

National Environmental Policy Act/Sovereign Immunity: Federal Court Addresses Action Challenging Federal Highway Administration...

Co-Author Tye Boudra-Bland The United States District Court, D. Utah, Central Division (“Court”) addressed in a May 14th Opinion on an issue regarding the doctrine of sovereign immunity in three consolidated cases involving...more

Gray Reed

Texas Deepwater Port Survives Legal Challenge

Gray Reed on

In Citizens for Clean Air & Clean Water in Brazoria County et al v. United States Department of Transportation et al., several environmental groups challenged the DOT’s approval of a license for commercial construction and...more

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

FAA Issues Licensing Guidance for Launch and Reentry of Space Nuclear Systems

The guidance will provide clarity and a compliance path to companies seeking permission to launch or reenter space-based nuclear technologies. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s newly released Advisory Circular AC...more

Foley & Lardner LLP

Foley Automotive Update - September 2023 - 2

Foley & Lardner LLP on

This update helps automotive suppliers inform their legal and operational decisions to help address challenges and opportunities. Key Developments - Foley & Lardner LLP provided a recap of critical business and legal...more

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Earth Week Recap and Climate Policy Update

Last Friday as the United States celebrated Earth Day, President Biden released a proclamation and signed a new executive order to strengthen domestic and international forest protection commitments...more

68 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 3

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide