March 2018
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U.S. EPA Removes Portion of Former Refinery Site from NPL: Precursor to More Expedited CERCLA Cleanups?
After almost 30 years on the NPL, U.S. EPA has removed the surface portion of the 55-acre Pacific Coast Pipeline site from the NPL. Since being added to the NPL in 1989, more than 42,000 cubic yards of contaminated soils have been removed from the site and a multi-layer cap has been installed. The groundwater… Continue reading
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Townships Look to Take the Air Out of Wind Farm
NextEra Energy Resources LLC (“NextEra”), the largest generator of wind energy in North America, is currently locked in legal disputes with local townships over its new wind energy project, the “Tuscola Wind III Energy Center.” NextEra’s subsidiary, Tuscola Wind III LLC (“Tuscola”), plans to construct the 55 turbine wind farm across the Fairgrove, Almer, and… Continue reading
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Congressional Spending Bill Provides Boost to EPA, DOE in Rebuke to Trump Administration Budget
As we previously reported on here, the Trump Administration earlier this month proposed a $2.7 billion budget reduction for U.S. EPA. However, Congress has passed a spending bill that rejects reductions to both U.S. EPA and the Department of Energy. As reported here, as to the U.S. EPA, Congress has proposed holding the agency’s funding… Continue reading
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In the Absence of Any Federal Movement, States Continue to Attempt to Legislate Carbon Rules or Taxes
As reported in Salon and Law360 (sub. req.), states, the “laboratories of democracy,” continue to attempt to experiment with legislation carbon rules or taxes. Washington and Oregon are the latest examples, although such efforts have so far failed. Washington’s proposal would have taxed carbon emissions, whereas Oregon’s proposal would have established a cap-and-trade program. Continue reading
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Who Wants to Buy a Superfund Site?
On July 25, 2017, Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) administrator Scott Pruitt’s “Superfund Task Force” issued a final report revealing the Task Force’s recommendations for streamlining the remediation process of over 1,300 Superfund sites currently overseen by the EPA. Continue reading
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EPA “Year in Review”
On Monday, March 5, 2018, EPA issued a report titled EPA Year in Review 2017-2018. Continue reading
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Lawsuit Challenging Trump’s 2-for-1 Executive Order Dismissed
In a win for the White House, a D.C. federal judge dismissed a complaint filed by several public interest groups that challenged President Trump’s executive order that required that two federal regulations be repealed for every new regulation that is promulgated. Continue reading