On August 3, 2015, President Obama announced the finalization of the long-awaited Clean Power Plan, a policy primarily intended to further the commitment to combatting global warming. The Plan focuses on the electric power...more
8/7/2015
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Power Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Coal Industry ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Federal Register ,
Global Warming ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Mercury ,
Natural Gas ,
Obama Administration ,
Oil & Gas ,
Renewable Energy
Expectations are running high among some that the incoming Republican majority in both Houses of Congress will act to change or eliminate various environmental regulations and statutory provisions that they claim harm the...more
EPA’s current estimate of the completion time for a draft of its study of the risks posed by hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) to drinking water is now projected by the agency to be developed in early 2015. This is based on...more
11/4/2014
/ Chemicals ,
Contamination ,
Delays ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Fracking ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Investigations ,
Water ,
Water Supplies
Late last month, President Obama addressed the United Nations Climate Summit and just a few days ahead of that, EPA announced that it has extended the comment period on the Clean Power Plant proposed rule to December 1, 2014....more
On Monday, June 22, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a much anticipated decision in Utility Air Regulatory Group v. Environmental Protection Agency where it affirmed EPA’s authority to impose limits for greenhouse gas (GHG)...more
7/3/2014
/ BACT ,
Clean Air Act ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Permits ,
Power Plants ,
SCOTUS ,
Title V ,
Utilities Sector ,
Utility Air Regulatory Group v EPA
We have periodically updated the status of EPA’s long-running effort to decide whether and how to regulate coal ash generated primarily from electric power generation. Recent events have put EPA on a course to make a final...more
On January 7, federal agencies, including EPA, published in the Federal Register the Agency’s proposed regulatory agendas for 2014. EPA’s agenda was generally consistent with the unified agenda published prior to...more
In June, President Obama directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to propose standards regulating greenhouse gas emissions (“GHG”) from existing power plants. The requirements would be imposed under Section 111(d) of...more
A significant issue in the recent federal government shut down was the fundamental question over the scope of government authority and its role in a wide range of activities. In short, should there be any government...more
As Scott Hitch noted in a previous post, a change to the federal rule regarding All Appropriate Inquiries (“AAI”) is currently on notice for public review and comment. The comment period ends on September 16. The proposed...more
The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) has apparently ended its effort to require payment of fees to review groundwater assessments and remediation plans, at least for the time being. Approximately one...more