Law and Environment

NOVEMBER 3, 2022

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) announced that proposed amendments to the state’s Clean Energy Standard (CES) were finalized earlier this month without substantive changes from draft language initially proposed by the agencies in April 2022.

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Clean Energy Electricity Renewable Energy 2030 130

Law Columbia

JULY 6, 2017

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lacked authority to administratively stay portions of new source performance standards for the oil and gas sector for which it had granted requests for reconsideration. filed June 5, 2017; emergency motion for stay granted July 3, 2017). June 29, 2017). FEATURED CASE.

2017 40

2017 Clean Air Act Climate Change Renewable Energy 40

Vermont Law

OCTOBER 31, 2024

The Environmental Protection Agency created the term “Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation”, (CAFO) as part of a regulatory scheme for enforcing the Clean Water Act. CAFOs dominate agriculture in the United States: in 2017, an estimated 99% of all meat sold in the U.S. EPA in 2017. came from animals confined in CAFOs.

Climate Change 52

Climate Change 2017 Greenhouse Carbon Dioxide 52

PA Environment Daily

JANUARY 10, 2022

On January 5, the Department of Environmental Protection reported their inspections found 4,386 violations of environmental regulations at conventional oil and gas operations during 2021 -- nearly two and a half times the violations reported just two years ago in 2019 and 337 more than in 2020. Read more here.]

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Waste 2017 2020 2019 134

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

Between 1992 and 2017, at least 815 farmworker deaths have been attributed to heat. In the absence of a federal heat standard, hundreds of thousands of farmworkers remain without protection. Data have shown that farmworkers die of heat-related causes at a rate 20 times greater than other professions.

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Law Air Pollution Climate Scientist 2017 329

PA Environment Daily

FEBRUARY 24, 2023

Now, a report by the state Department of Environmental Protection reflects that legislative malpractice. The DEP found that, from 2017 through 2021, more than half of owners of “conventional” gas wells failed to report how much gas they extracted and that operators abandoned, without plugging, more than 3,000 methane-spewing wells.

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Waste Regulations 2017 Natural Gas 132

PA Environment Daily

APRIL 16, 2023

The Grand Jury Report was released by then Attorney General Shapiro in June 2020 after what he said then was a two-year investigation uncovered systematic failure by government agencies in overseeing the fracking industry and fulfilling their responsibility to protect Pennsylvanians from the inherent risks of industry operations.

Natural Gas 97

Natural Gas 2020 Regulations Air Pollution 97

Enviromental Defense

JANUARY 24, 2023

courts have also recently criticized the approach that North American regulators took in determining whether glyphosate is a human carcinogen and in October 2022 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency withdrew its risk assessment.

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Regulations 2017 2030 Government 136

PA Environment Daily

JULY 26, 2023

On July 26, the Department of Environmental Protection and Sunoco Pipeline L.P. see list below) [The Public Utility Commission and the Susquehanna River Basin Commission have imposed millions more in penalties of their own laws and regulations for this project. Sunoco agreed to pay $660,000.00

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Natural Gas 2018 Environmental Protection 2017 98

Clean Energy Law

MAY 24, 2022

In 2017, AB 398 authorized the extension of the Program through 2030, instituted certain design changes, and set a new GHG reduction goal of 40 percent by 2030. Today, the Program regulates roughly 450 entities responsible for roughly 85% of the state’s GHG emissions. Participants are subject to holding limits.

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2030 Carbon Dioxide Regulations 2020 130

PA Environment Daily

AUGUST 2, 2023

Those that could stop the brine dumping, the Department of Environmental Protection and township officials, turned a deaf ear to residents. In 2018, road spreading was halted in many areas of Pennsylvania as a result of a settlement of an Environmental Hearing Board appeal with DEP’s Oil and Gas Program. Read more here.]

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Waste Environmental Protection 2016 2017 97

PA Environment Daily

DECEMBER 29, 2022

The report looked at environmental compliance in the industry between 2017 through 2021. Overview Of Non-Compliance DEP reports between 2017 through 2021, the agency did 63,026 inspections of wells belonging to 1,512 conventional oil and gas well owners operating 34,812 wells.

Waste 98

Waste 2017 Regulations Environmental Protection 98

Circle of Blue

MARCH 1, 2023

In 2017, the 12-year-old was walking home when he slipped into a deep pit abandoned by Metallicon S.A Local authorities in Cameroon do not strictly enforce environmental regulations for mining companies, and nationwide legislation on the matter has not yet been completed.

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2023 Nuclear Power 2015 Cooling 244

PA Environment Daily

DECEMBER 15, 2023

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the December 16 PA Bulletin prohibiting the sale of electronic devices by Wiltronic Corp (IVIEW) as a result of violations of the Covered Device Recycling Act-- Pennsylvania’s electronics waste recycling law. ( Read more here.

Recycling 105

Recycling Waste Law 2017 105

PA Environment Daily

SEPTEMBER 26, 2022

Mike worked for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since 1986 and served as Regional Director of the Department of Environmental Protections Northeast Regional Office since 2004. In 2017, Audubon Mid-Atlantic approached Kathy to partner on a Return on Environment (ROE) study for the county.

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Natural Resources 2004 Environmental Protection Conservation 100

PA Environment Daily

DECEMBER 13, 2021

Hess, Former Secretary Department of Environmental Protection The information submitted to DEP’s Bureau of Waste Management from eight conventional oil and gas companies to justify allowing them to dispose of millions of gallons of wastewater by spreading it on dirt roads fails to meet the requirements of DEP’s 25 Pa Code Chapter 287.8

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Waste Regulations 2020 2010 76

PA Environment Daily

OCTOBER 6, 2022

On October 6, the Department of Environmental Protection announced it has assessed and collected a $147,250 civil penalty from Rice Drilling B LLC for erosion and sedimentation violations that were documented in 2019 and 2020 at Rice’s Mac well site in Whitely Township, Greene County.

2019 95

2019 2017 Natural Gas 2020 95

PA Environment Daily

APRIL 18, 2023

By Laurie Barr, Save Our Streams PA Residents of Clara Township in Potter County and environmental advocates are calling on the Department of Environmental Protection to provide them with an opportunity to weigh in on an injection well planned for their community.

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Waste 2007 2017 Regulations 98

The Energy Law Blog

NOVEMBER 28, 2022

The two bureaus stated their focus for fiscal year (FY) 2022 would be on the development of regulations to address the IIJA requirement; accordingly, both BOEM and BSEE have budgeted funds for FY 2023 to develop such a framework. Easements and rights-of-way may provide more flexibility to the agency in structuring the authorizations.

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Carbon Dioxide Regulations 2022 2023 105

PA Environment Daily

DECEMBER 13, 2021

One determination DEP provided was from Pennfield Energy, even though the company has not reported road spreading since 2017, before the moratorium. In fact, Pennfield has not reported any waste disposal since 2017 despite the fact that gas production reports show that the company produced nearly 10166 barrels of oil between 2018 and 2020.

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Waste 2018 2016 2017 98

PA Environment Daily

MARCH 6, 2024

Information provided by the Department of Environmental Protection in response to a Right To Know request shows DEP took enforcement action against 14 conventional oil and gas well operators that resulted in collecting $422,365 in penalties and bond forfeitures in 2023. Read more here (2017-2021). Read more here.

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2023 2021 2020 Law 121

PA Environment Daily

MAY 10, 2023

On May 10, the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund announced PA General Energy, LLC notified the Department of Environmental Protection that it intends to plug its proposed toxic frack-waste injection well in Grant Township after this Memorial Day. The community’s concerns have been vindicated.

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Waste 2014 Environmental Protection 2013 89

PA Environment Daily

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023

DEP’s Water Resources Advisory Committee is scheduled to hear a presentation on DEP's new proposed regulation setting notification requirements for unauthorized discharges to waters of the Commonwealth at its meeting on September 21. Read more here.] 2015-011-L ). 2015-011-L ).

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2024 Regulations Clean Water Act Law 114

Law Columbia

SEPTEMBER 12, 2022

laws governing the cross-border transport of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) for sequestration, and how such transportation fits into broader climate and environmental protection regimes, including the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, carbon markets and emissions trading. Her work explores international and domestic (U.S.)

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Paris Agreement Law Carbon Dioxide 2016 52

PA Environment Daily

APRIL 19, 2023

These individuals are tentatively scheduled to provide comments-- -- David Hess, Former Secretary of DEP -- Kelsey Krepps, Sierra Club -- Kurt Klapkowski, Acting DEP Deputy for Oil & Gas Management -- Arthur Stewart, Cameron Energy -- Adam Peltz, Environmental Defense Fund Corrective Legislation On April 19, Rep. Read more here.

Natural Gas 96

Natural Gas 2017 Waste Natural Resources 96

PA Environment Daily

MARCH 2, 2022

The Department of Environmental Protection has issued 12 unconventional shale gas drillers notices of violation for abandoning gas wells without plugging them at 35 wells pads (each with multiple wells) in 17 counties between 2016 and 2022, according to DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Reporting system. Jordan 6 - Hempfield Twp.,

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2016 2017 2020 2018 98

PA Environment Daily

APRIL 8, 2023

From April 1 to 7, DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database shows oil and gas inspectors filed 488 inspection entries that resulted in reporting 34 violations of environmental regulations-- 31 violations by the conventional oil and gas industry and 2 violations by the unconventional shale natural gas industry. 2- Venango County).

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Natural Gas Atmosphere Waste 2017 94

PA Environment Daily

JANUARY 10, 2024

On January 10, the Department of Environmental Protection announced it has authorized an Air Quality Plan Approval to allow an onsite leachate treatment and evaporation system to be installed at Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill, located in Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County.

Radiation 78

Radiation Waste Environmental Protection 2023 78

Vermont Law

MAY 2, 2023

Changing Tides: Threats to Public Ownership of Small Community Water Systems By Dante DeNault The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) expressly regulates public water systems (including community water systems) by imposing national drinking water regulations to ensure public health and safety.

Regulations 52

Regulations Climate Change Government 2017 52

PA Environment Daily

JUNE 10, 2024

Tophole water could still be land applied at the well drilling site, according to DEP’s regulations. Attempts To Regulate Road Dumping Failed “There have been attempts to regulate the road dumping of conventional wastewater before to reduce its environmental and health impacts. Read more here. Read more here.

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Waste Regulations 2024 2017 110

PA Environment Daily

APRIL 6, 2023

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan released proposed standards for the chemical manufacturing sector to protect people from the hazardous air pollution emitted by more than 200 of the largest, most toxic chemical and plastic manufacturing facilities in the country with at least three located in Pennsylvania.

Air Pollution 75

Air Pollution Natural Gas 2017 Atmosphere 75

PA Environment Daily

FEBRUARY 22, 2023

As of February 17, the Department of Environmental Protection reported 4,425 owners of 61,655 conventional oil and gas wells-- 57.5 It covered violations from 2017 through 2021. Conventional oil and gas operators are required by regulation to report changes to the responsible operator or ownership of all well permits.

Waste 98

Waste 2017 Natural Gas 2021 98

PA Environment Daily

MAY 20, 2024

On May 20, the Damascus Citizens for Sustainability alerted the public the PA Department of Environmental Protection has designated 84 municipalities in Pennsylvania and one county in New York as “disposal facilities” for wastewater from conventional oil and gas drilling because well owners indiscriminately dump their waste on public roads.

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Waste Regulations 2023 Law 94

PA Environment Daily

DECEMBER 6, 2022

Anderson also reported road spreading of waste, 240 barrels of it, for the first time since 2017, told regulators in August, “Per our conversation we have not been disposing brine for spreading for well over a year and are not in the future.”

Natural Gas 98

Natural Gas Waste 2018 2021 98

PA Environment Daily

FEBRUARY 23, 2022

Other violations like failure to manage drilling wastewater safely, not notifying DEP of spills, failure to submit annual well integrity and waste disposal reports, failure to operate the wells to meet environmental protection standards and many more go along with NOVs for failure to plug wells. Read more here. Read more here.

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2018 2016 Environmental Protection Regulations 98

PA Environment Daily

APRIL 19, 2023

In response, Potter Township passed a resolution in 2017 requiring Shell to perform an exterior lighting study. Baumgardner noted agencies like the Department of Environmental Protection have no legal jurisdiction over light pollution from the Shell Plastics Plant.

Air Pollution 98

Air Pollution Natural Gas 2017 Waste 98

PA Environment Daily

JULY 27, 2021

On July 27, Commonwealth Court issued an Order denying a Department of Environmental Protection request to dismiss the Delaware Riverkeeper Network’s case against the agency on setting a per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) standard. DEP stonewalled our efforts by neglecting to respond as the regulations require.

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2017 2019 2021 Regulations 52