Category: Special Topics in Environmental Management

Environmental scientists, EPA

Can the Exodus of Scientists at the EPA Be Reversed?

Between 2017 and 2021, five government agencies, including the EPA, lost more than 1,000 scientists, according to data collected and published in an article by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). Other impacted agencies include the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), U.S. Geological Survey, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Institute of Education Services.

Environmental justice, law, and regulation

A Look at Environmental Justice Communities and Regulations

President Joseph Biden Jr. has promised to up the ante for environmental justice (EJ) communities by “rooting out the systemic racism in our laws, policies, institutions, and hearts.” Although a complete rollout of Biden’s plan has not yet been revealed, his campaign plans and initial actions allow for some educated analysis as to what industry […]

Paris Climate Accord, Paris Agreement

Paris Climate Accord: The Background and Potential Impact of Rejoining

President Joseph Biden, Jr., wasted no time in making good on his campaign promise to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, also known as the Paris Agreement. In one of his first acts in office, Biden sent a letter to the United Nations (UN) to begin the formal 30-day process for the United States to rejoin […]

EPA building

Trump Administration’s Science Transparency Rule Under Scrutiny

Former President Donald Trump’s “secret science” rule is currently the subject of scrutiny in lawsuits filed by states, cities, a county, and concerned environmental groups. In the latest filing, on January 20, 2021, a coalition of 18 states, 3 of the nation’s largest cities, and 1 county filed suit against the EPA over the Strengthening […]

Greenhouse gas emissions, GHG, air

Court Vacates Trump Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rule

A three-judge panel in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated and remanded the Trump administration’s greenhouse gas emissions rule on January 19, 2021, 1 day before President Joseph Biden, Jr., took office.

Power lines in wetlands, Nationwide Permits, Clean Water Act

Changes to Nationwide Permits System Announced by Army Corps of Engineers

On January 13, 2021, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced publication in the Federal Register of its final rule for revisions and renewals to Nationwide Permits (NWPs). The USACE “reissued 12 and issued four new (NWPs) for work in wetlands and other waters that are regulated by Section 404 of the Clean Water […]

environmental law, regulation, and regulatory developments

Environmental Regulatory Rollbacks Come to a Halt

Big changes have been promised from President Joseph Biden Jr., and he is wasting no time in getting started. On January 20, shortly after his swearing in ceremony, Biden’s chief of staff, Ronald Klain, issued a White House memo to all agency and executive department heads for a “regulatory freeze pending review.”