Introduction - Continuing the regulatory whiplash over greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions from power plants, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed repealing the Biden administration’s GHG...more
The Trump administration is proposing two repeals: one on regulations of power plants and the other on certain amendments to the 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. The administration believes these regulations have...more
The National Environmental Protection Act ("NEPA") requires that federal agencies assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making final decisions, including decisions on issuing federal permits,...more
As we have noted previously, a number of states have enacted legislation and/or brought claims against fossil fuel producers seeking payment for damages resulting from climate change. Legislative efforts include New York...more
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a series of federal lawsuits against four states—New York, Vermont, Michigan and Hawaii—alleging that recent legislative and enforcement efforts to hold fossil fuel companies...more
President Trump’s executive orders prioritize energy production from fossil fuels and pause both onshore and offshore wind projects....more
On April 8, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14260, Protecting American Energy From State Overreach. Framed as part of the Administration’s broader strategy of unleashing American energy, the Order directs...more
Trump Administration Approves Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for Land Leasing, Oil Drilling - "The Trump administration continues to roll back environmental protections and opening doors for the fossil fuel industry in...more
On July 16, 2020, the White House Council on Environmental Quality ("CEQ") finalized the first major overhaul of its regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA") in nearly 40 years. The final...more
After much legal wrangling since the claim was launched against the U.S. federal government and the Office of the President of the United States in 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently dismissed the...more
Two major climate change cases were decided in the last month—State of the Netherlands v. Urgenda (Dec. 20, 2019) and Juliana v. United States (Jan. 17, 2020). They illustrate sharply contrasting views about the role of...more
Trump Prepared to Hit China with $60 Billion in Annual Tariffs - "President Trump is preparing to impose a package of $60 billion in annual tariffs against Chinese products, following through on a longtime threat that he...more
President Trump is spearheading a government-wide roll back of Obama Era climate initiatives. The president and his EPA Administrator, Scott Pruitt, have delivered a one-two punch. They both have denied the impact of human...more