Your Guide to Emerging Issues in Environmental Regulation and Litigation.
The Environmental Protection Agency on June 24 announced proposed procedural changes for environmental reporting requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The agency’s proposed changes incorporate three key environmental actions: First, these proposed changes reflect legislation passed in Congress under the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA), which mandated that Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) …
The Environmental Protection Agency on June 30 approved three new pesticides that under certain definitions — (but not the EPA’s) — would constitute PFAS chemicals. The agency approved the pesticides’ registration under section 3(c)(5) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The three approved active ingredients are: Epyrifenacil: for use on canola, field …
America’s largest-ever wind farm began operations last month. Located in New Mexico, SunZia is the largest renewable energy infrastructure project in U.S. history. Pattern Energy began construction on the project in 2023, and SunZia is expected to power more than one million homes in the Southwest with affordable, reliable energy. Most of the electricity generated by SunZia will be exported to …
State-based consumer protection claims related to microplastics continue to be filed in various jurisdictions, and in a number of those matters, courts have dismissed claims on various grounds. One recent case involving baby bottles highlights the hurdles faced by plaintiffs. On March 30, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois issued …
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 …
The Minnesota Court of Appeals on June 8 halted – for the time being, at least – the construction of a proposed 500,000 square-foot, 84-acre hyperscale data center in Faribault, Minn. According to the court, the city of Faribault did not have enough information about the potential environmental impacts of the proposed data center when …
As we recently reported here and here, the Environmental Protection Agency has stated it is revisiting and rolling back some of its limits on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. The prior regulations set by the EPA included the following: A Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) of zero for PFOA and PFOS. Enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels …
Between 2025 and 2026, several proposed changes to New York’s lead regulations have emerged at both the state and city levels. One of the most significant is Bill S122A, introduced last year, which directs the New York State departments of Environmental Conservation and Health to establish updated standards for lead contamination in ambient air, soil, …
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed the rescission of climate disclosure rules requiring companies to provide climate-related information in their registration statements and annual reports. The Commission’s proposal is based on its view that it lacks statutory authority to mandate such disclosures, as well as a broader policy re-evaluation aimed at returning …