Your Guide to Emerging Issues in Environmental Regulation and Litigation.
California on Monday sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (read the complaint here), alleging the federal government improperly interfered with the Golden State’s ability to enforce its own heightened emission standards by distorting the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) to reclassify previously granted Clean Air Act (CAA) preemption waivers as rules subject to congressional control. The …
As previously reported in the Environmental Law Monitor blog, the Federal Lead Action Plan launched during the Trump administration’s first term could have a positive impact in reducing lead-based drinking water risks in communities across the United States. One such region in need of assistance is the state of Illinois, which has 677,000 known lead …
In May, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule to revise the 2023 Technology Transitions Rule (TTR) as well as a technical fix to the 2024 Emissions Reduction and Reclamation Rule (ER&R). By way of background, the TTR required many companies, including supermarkets, in-home AC systems, manufacturers of semiconductor chips, and transporters …
The Environmental Protection Agency will issue two new rules aimed at delaying and rescinding maximum contaminant levels in drinking water. The first one will repeal 2024 regulations that set nationwide limits on four per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – GenX, PFNA, PFBS, and PFHxS. The EPA announced it will additionally restart a lengthy process to …
On April 6, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published in the Federal Register its draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List (CCL), which lists contaminants currently not subject to any national primary drinking water regulations. These contaminants are either presently known or in the future will appear in public water systems and may be subject …
The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) are federal air pollution regulations issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Clean Air Act. Finalized in 2012 and effective beginning in 2015, MATS establish technology‑based emission limits for hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) emitted by coal‑ and oil‑fired power plants. In 2024, the EPA finalized …
The Environmental Protection Agency recently issued a press release on its efforts over the last year regarding PFAS contamination, noting it “represents just the beginning of the Trump Administration’s fight against the risks of PFAS contamination.” Some of the work the agency highlighted included “better testing and detection, direct community support, enforcement, clear public education, commonsense …
In a February 5, 2026 filing before the D.C. Circuit, a coalition of industry groups strongly endorsed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s method for determining when upgrades at industrial facilities must undergo federal air‑quality review. The dispute centers on the EPA’s “Project Emissions Accounting” (PEA) approach under the Clean Air Act’s New Source Review (NSR) …
The Environmental Protection Agency has taken measures to roll back the “good neighbor” rule, which limits smokestack emissions affecting downwind areas in neighboring states under the Clean Air Act (CAA). The rule is intended to address transboundary ozone pollution that can exacerbate health hazards by requiring each state to implement regulations meant to reduce emissions …
On January 13, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposed rule to update procedural provisions of Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), which governs the water quality certification process for federally licensed or permitted projects. Section 401 of the Clean Water Act requires that before a federal agency can issue a …