Category: Special Topics in Environmental Management

Air pollution, pollutants, smokestacks

Will Revised Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Extend Beyond Power Plants?

On October 15, 2020, the EPA proposed Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) revisions to reduce summertime nitrous oxides (NOx) emissions from upwind power plants in 12 states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

USTs

Best Practices and a Case Study for UST Compliance

Nassau County in New York recently settled 48 counts of violations related to underground storage tank (UST) regulations in a civil matter filed by the EPA in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. As part of the agreement, Nassau must “install equipment to [ensure] adequate leak detection across all county […]

Environmental Policy, Law

SCOTUS and Environment, Part 2: Amid Confirmation Hearings, What’s Next?

Politicians are gearing up for another brawl in the capitol over the Republican push to quickly appoint a replacement for late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Supreme Court seat. What will it mean for the climate change cases and other legal matters involving the environment expected to be considered by the high court this fall and […]

Electric Vehicle charging

California Executive Order Mandates Only Electric Vehicles Sold by 2035

On September 23, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an Executive Order mandating that all new passenger trucks and cars sold in the state be emissions-free by 2035. Symbolically, the order was signed on the hood of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, with electric vehicles (EVs) manufactured by Honda, Audi, and Tesla in the background.

Air pollution, pollutants, smokestacks

Business Group and Major CEOs Support Carbon Price Tag, Other Measures to Address Climate Change

The Business Roundtable (BRT), whose membership includes more than 200 major corporate CEOs, released a publication, “Addressing Climate Change,” reflecting the group’s recommendations for a carbon emissions pricing policy and other market-based principles in response to climate change.

Oil Refinery

Emergency Stay Ordered on EPA’s New Methane Rules

On September 17, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit granted an administrative stay on the EPA’s implementation of its rollback of oil and gas methane and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions limits.