Your Guide to Emerging Issues in Environmental Regulation and Litigation.
Extended producer responsibility (EPR) has moved from a policy aspiration to a compliance reality. Over the past several years, a growing number of states have enacted packaging EPR laws that shift the cost and logistics of managing packaging waste onto the producers who put that packaging into the marketplace. Oregon has been at the leading …
Just days before the 25th anniversary of 9/11, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani held a press conference on Sept. 8, announcing the release of approximately 170,000 pages of previously undisclosed city records regarding post-9/11 air quality. The documents were made available shortly thereafter via a searchable, September 11 public records portal. The release of …
As fall weather arrives and pumpkin spice lattes return, the next U.S. Supreme Court term is also set to begin in October. One key environmental case to watch is Department of the Air Force v. Prutehi Guahan, scheduled for argument on October 7, which concerns the interplay between NEPA and other federal regulations, as well …
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York on Aug. 31 invalidated New York’s Climate Change Superfund Act, holding that the law is preempted by federal law. The ruling in West Virginia v. James is a significant win for a coalition of 22 states and fossil fuel industry groups. What the Act Did Enacted …
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Aug. 18 upheld the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2024 designation of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) as “hazardous substances” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) in Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America v. EPA, No. …
This summer, three members of Congress, Democratic representatives Kevin Mullin (Calif.) and Andrea Salinas (Ore.), and Republican representative Carol Miller (W.Va.), introduced a bipartisan bill to encourage methane removal research. The proposed bill is aimed at accelerating the development of technologies that capture methane directly from the atmosphere. If passed, the bill would provide $125 …
Nurdles are small industrial plastic pellets produced by petrochemical plants that serve as the building blocks for new plastic products. Nurdles can escape from chemical plants, factories, trains, and trucks during production and transportation. Because they are light enough to travel long distances through the air, Nurdles have been found in various waterbodies throughout the Midwest. …
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit recently held that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) likely improperly froze roughly $20 billion in clean energy grants and thus, repealed an injunction that kept the funds in place while the validity of the grants is contested in court. By way of background, in 2024, the …
A recent application submitted under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) has drawn criticism from environmental groups because it involves the proposed use of PFAS to cool equipment used in data centers. The TSCA requires companies to apply to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency before manufacturing or importing new chemical substances, which are those not …
The second half of 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal period for U.S. environmental policy. Federal agencies and lawmakers are advancing proposals that could significantly alter the regulatory landscape for climate policy, industrial permitting, wetlands protection, and infrastructure development. Together, these efforts reflect a broader shift toward accelerating economic development and project approvals …