Vermont Law

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

Railroading State Environmental Law: The Surface Transportation Board Preempts All By Benjamin Albertson The Surface Transportation Board (“STB”) has exclusive authority over railroads in the United States and has since the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act of 1995 (“ICCTA”).

Law

Law Columbia

MARCH 18, 2025

At a high level, liability rules hold actors responsible when they breach a law or legal duty in a way that harms other people or the public at large. federal laws impose permit and other requirements applicable to marine CDR projects. federal laws impose permit and other requirements applicable to marine CDR projects.

Carbon Dioxide

Law Columbia

JANUARY 31, 2025

Our new report analyzes the potentially applicable laws and explains the permitting and other requirements they impose on OAE projects in Washington State. Federal laws that cover OAE in Washington State Coastal states in the U.S. typically have primary authority over near-shore ocean waters and the underlying submerged land (i.e.,

Ocean

Law Columbia

APRIL 8, 2025

In a 5-4 decision, the Court curtailed the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) authority under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to issue pollutant discharge permits. The case involved a wastewater treatment facility that discharged treated water into San Francisco Bay under a CWA permit issued by EPA.

Carbon Dioxide

Acoel

APRIL 23, 2025

This year marks my 50 th year practicing environmental law. In 1967, I graduated from Brandeis University and worked that summer in Edison, NJ as an analytical chemist for one of EPAs predecessorsthe Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, not appreciating any potential relevance to my future profession.

Law

Legal Planet

DECEMBER 9, 2024

The “small handle” doctrine applies when the federal project is considering a permit for a small portion of a much larger non-federal action for instance, a Clean Water Act permit required to authorize the crossing of a mile or two of waterways out of a pipeline project that is hundreds of miles long.

Clean Water Act

PA Environment Daily

MAY 21, 2025

Environmental & Energy Law Section [PaEN] -- Ridge-Schweiker: DEP Secretary James M. Sign Off DER [PaEN] -- Guest Essay: Before The Federal Clean Water Act, There Was The Rivers And Harbors Act Of 1899 To Help Clean-Up Pittsburghs 3 Rivers - By James M. Seif: The Assignment Was Clear - Take The Kick Me!

Toxic Substances Control Act

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. Americans’ continued reliance on CAFOs perpetuates injustice and cruelty, subject to little regulatory oversight. came from animals confined in CAFOs.

Climate Change

Vermont Law

DECEMBER 24, 2024

Lastly, the administration has prioritized funding the nations water infrastructure through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Of the funds allocated by the BIL, $9 billion are dedicated to assisting communities and water systems impacted by PFAS and other emerging contaminants.

Regulations

Law Columbia

DECEMBER 11, 2024

One key question relates to federal preemption and state authority, namely do federal laws preempt state regulation, and, if not, to what extent can states regulate OAE activities? Instead, it is regulated under general environmental laws that were enacted several decades ago to address problems, such as air and water pollution.

Ocean

National Law Center

JULY 9, 2025

The National Agricultural Law Center compiles and publishes a quarterly newsletter highlighting recent and upcoming events and resources. The newsletter for.

Law

National Law Center

JUNE 10, 2025

However, the court disagreed, concluding that Swampbuster is a valid exercise of Congress’s spending power and that the law should be upheld. Share: Recent Posts Federal Court Finds Swampbuster Constitutional NALC news release: National Ag Law Center webinar to examine U.S. 5 U.S.C. §

2013

National Law Center

JULY 8, 2025

Water markets are transforming how Western states manage one of their most vital — and limited — resources, and an upcoming webinar will examine the legal and policy framework behind these systems. Registration is available at no cost on the NALC website at nationalaglawcenter.org/webinars/western-water-markets.

2013

Legal Planet

NOVEMBER 28, 2024

In December, EPA is slated to issue a “biennial review” under the Clean Water Act that specifies which chemicals in biosolids should be labeled toxic pollutants and prioritized for regulation. In the meantime, the waning Biden Administration has one last opportunity to move PFAS policy forward.

Clean Water Act

Smith Enviorment

FEBRUARY 23, 2025

The “narrative standard” establishes the equations to be used in calculating the concentration of a toxic water pollutant that would protect human health; an EMC rule setting the water quality standard for an individual toxic pollutant reflects the number that results from those same equations.

2023

PA Environment Daily

MARCH 19, 2025

We adhere to EPAs long-held core principles that the agency should be apolitical, professional, transparent, and dedicated to following the law and science. Actions that diminish EPAs capabilities will place at risk the quality of the air our children breathe, the water we all drink, and the waterways we swim, fish and play in.

Clean Air Act

Vermont Law

DECEMBER 24, 2024

The law authorized specifically two categories of response actions by the government: short-term removals to address a prompt release of a hazardous substance; and long-term response actions to permanently reduce releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants. Navy stemming from a toxic waste and ammunition disposal site.

Climate Change

Environmental News Bits

JUNE 18, 2025

Posted in Circular economy , Corporate sustainability , Plastics Post navigation Previous Previous post: Scouting for Clean Waterways launches nationwide effort to fight plastic pollution Next Next post: WOTUS: A narrowing EPA definition is reshaping the Clean Water Act Leave a comment Cancel reply This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.

Recycling

Circle of Blue

JULY 10, 2025

State Management in Question Frank fears that the EPA’s new attitude toward coal ash may incentivize states like Indiana to deregulate as much as possible in hopes of attracting energy investment in a manner reminiscent of the environmental “race to the bottom” of the postwar period that led to the Clean Water Act in 1972.

2015

Legal Planet

AUGUST 4, 2025

A nuclear plant would require permitting from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and would also require a Clean Water Act permit for taking cooling water from a stream or lake, and separate permitting for discharging used cooling water due to impurities in the used water.

Air Pollution

Circle of Blue

JULY 8, 2025

Led by new public concern about the consequences of industrialization, landmark environmental legislation in the 1970s steadily assured protections for air, water, and wildlands. The Trump administration has taken steps to systematically undermine the Endangered Species Act and our nation’s bedrock environmental laws,” Townsend laments.

Endangered Species Act

National Law Center

JULY 24, 2025

The Ag & Food Law Update > Search Site Navigation About the Center Professional Staff Partners Research by Topic Center Publications Webinar Series State Compilations Farm Bill Resources Ag Law Bibliography Ag Law Glossary Ag Law Reporter General Resources 24 Jul The Feed: Vol. 3, Issue 14, from July 24, 2025.

Endangered Species Act

Circle of Blue

MARCH 19, 2025

The statutes that form the foundation of the program, like the 1972 Clean Water Act, dont seek to close polluting plants. The 1970 Clean Air Act led to restrictions on lead, particulates, and nitrogen from tailpipes that cleared the air of smog and led to much better vehicles.

Clean Air Act

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 26, 2025

laws, including: the Clean Air Act; the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) also known as Superfund; the Clean Water Act; the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); and the Safe Water Drinking Act.

Toxic Substances Control Act

PA Environment Daily

JULY 6, 2025

Tioga County [PaEN] -- The Allegheny Front - Reid Frazier: Commonwealth Court Rules Elizabeth Twp., In Allegheny County Violated Its Own Zoning Ordinance To Allow Shale Gas Well Pad, Pipeline To Be Built In A Residential Area -- Environmental Hearing Board Denies Request To End Appeal Of Catalyst Energy, Inc.

Natural Resources

PA Environment Daily

JULY 6, 2025

To Adopt More Stringent Rules For Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Wells In Westmoreland County -- Observer-Reporter: EQT Shale Gas Driller Sues Morgan Twp.,

Conservation

Legal Planet

MARCH 27, 2025

Unlike regulatory statutes like the Clean Air Act or Clean Water Act, the benefits of NEPA (if any) are more diffuse and indirect, since NEPA does not impose any substantive environmental standards on federal projects.

Clean Air Act

National Law Center

JULY 24, 2025

The new law includes several provisions typically associated with the Farm Bill, the omnibus spending bill that governs various agricultural and food programs in the United States. In 2022, Congress passed, and President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”). Share: Recent Posts The Feed: Vol.

2013

Legal Planet

MARCH 13, 2025

Other important environmental laws also have anti-backsliding provisions. Under section 172 of the Clean Air Act, relaxing a national air quality standard provides limited benefits for industry. The Clean Water Act contains two anti-backsliding provisions. The major one is in section 401. Download as PDF

Clean Air Act

National Law Center

JULY 10, 2025

The Ag & Food Law Update > Search Site Navigation About the Center Professional Staff Partners Research by Topic Center Publications Webinar Series State Compilations Farm Bill Resources Ag Law Bibliography Ag Law Glossary Ag Law Reporter General Resources 10 Jul The Feed: Vol. 3, Issue 12, from July 10, 2025.

Endangered Species Act

PA Environment Daily

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

Despite numerous reports of oil discharges reaching miles long from the vicinity of the facility, the DEP has not yet imposed any required remediation efforts nor any financial penalties for the federal Clean Water Act violations of Pennsylvania’s Clean Streams Law.

Clean Water Act

PA Environment Daily

JULY 2, 2025

Of Justice Agreement -- Interfaith Partners For The Chesapeake Bay: Sept. Of Justice Agreement -- Interfaith Partners For The Chesapeake Bay: Sept.

Natural Gas

PA Environment Daily

JANUARY 14, 2025

These actions include finalizing the nations first drinking water standards for PFAS, holding polluters accountable to clean up PFAS across the country and declaring PFOA and PFOS hazardous substances under the Superfund law.

Clean Water Act

Acoel

DECEMBER 17, 2024

Yesterday I had some time to reflect on where we are regarding Democracy, the Rule of Law, climate change, and the environment, and where we might be going. In 1968 I was a first-year law student at the University of Florida in Gainesville. In 1971 the Clean Air Act was passed and Nixon signed it.

Endangered Species Act

National Law Center

FEBRUARY 17, 2025

The Feed newsletter highlights recent legal developments affecting agriculture, with issues released twice a month. Click below to sign up for.

Endangered Species Act

National Law Center

MARCH 27, 2025

The Feed newsletter highlights recent legal developments affecting agriculture, with issues released twice a month. Click below to sign up for.

Endangered Species Act

National Law Center

APRIL 10, 2025

The Feed newsletter highlights recent legal developments affecting agriculture, with issues released twice a month. Click below to sign up for.

Endangered Species Act