Environmental Law

April 23, 2026

EPA Endangerment Finding Repeal Upends Federal Climate Regulation

In what it described as “the single largest deregulatory action in US history,” the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on February 12 repealed its finding under the Clean Air Act that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health and welfare—the so-called “endangerment finding.”[1] The decision eliminates not only federal greenhouse gas emission standards for vehicles and engines… Continue reading

Environmental Law
April 22, 2026

NOT IN MY BACKYARD;

State and Local Obstacles to Renewable Energy Development FEDERAL CONTEXT An unfriendly administration — and a contested legal record On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued a presidential memorandum invoking his authority under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. § 1341(a)) to withdraw the entire outer continental shelf (OCS) from offshore wind leasing… Continue reading

Environmental Law
April 22, 2026

The Impacts of Climate Change on Worker Safety

While this year’s Earth Week theme of “our power, our planet” is centered around the renewable energy movement and combating climate change, attention should also be directed to the people tasked with building that future and how to adequately protect those workers who are already feeling the effects of a changing environment. For example, between… Continue reading

Environmental Law
April 21, 2026

Oregon’s Extended Producer Responsibility Law: A Constitutional Challenge with Potential National Implications

Earth Day’s theme this year—Our Power, Our Planet—asks us to consider where environmental power resides and how it is exercised. Oregon’s Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act is an example of that question in action. Enacted in 2021, the Act represents an assertion of state environmental authority in a space that the federal government has… Continue reading

Environmental Law
April 20, 2026

Earth Week 2026: “Our Power, Our Planet” — and What It Means for Environmental Law

Earth Day 2026 carries the theme Our Power, Our Planet — a rallying cry for people everywhere to reclaim their voice, their rights, and their future. This year’s theme is organized around two pillars that, taken together, define the environmental challenge of this moment. The first is the defense of hard-won environmental protections: across the… Continue reading

Environmental Law
April 9, 2026

OSHA Announces Enforcement Stay for COVID-19 Recordkeeping and Reporting Obligations

On March 31, 2026, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a memorandum updating its enforcement policy for COVID-19 recording and reporting obligations. Specifically, the agency announced that it is exercising its enforcement discretion to no longer cite employers for violations of 29 CFR 1904, in particular any employer’s failure to record COVID-19 cases… Continue reading

Environmental Law
April 5, 2026

EPA Includes Microplastics on Draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List

On April 2, 2026, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the EPA has proposed to include microplastics as a priority contaminant group in its draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List (“CCL 6”) under the Safe Drinking Water Act (“SDWA”). This would channel greater… Continue reading

Environmental Law
February 10, 2026

Beyond Microbeads: States Target Plastic Glitter in Personal Care Products

On October 21, 2025, a bill was introduced in the Illinois House of Representatives (HB 4175) that would prohibit the sale of personal care products containing “nonbiodegradable plastic glitter” after December 31, 2029. The bill defines “nonbiodegradable plastic glitter” as “a decorative material, consisting of reflective particles of one or more colors that are less… Continue reading

Emerging Contaminants, Environmental Law, Microplastics, Plastic, Recycling, Sustainability
December 12, 2025

EPA Launches Clean Air Act Resource Website to Accelerate AI Data Center Development

On December 11, 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Air and Radiation unveiled a new online resource hub designed to streamline Clean Air Act (“CAA”) compliance and permitting for artificial intelligence data centers. The Clean Air Act Resources for Data Centers webpage represents EPA’s direct response to President Trump’s January 23, 2025 Executive Order… Continue reading

Environmental Law
December 12, 2025

California Seeks Input on Potential Microplastics Regulations: Comment Deadline January 30, 2026

California regulators are seeking stakeholder input on potential regulations for products that contain or generate microplastics. Companies that manufacture, sell, or distribute the identified products should consider submitting comments by January 30, 2026 to help inform the regulatory process. Early engagement provides an opportunity to shape how any future requirements may be structured and to… Continue reading

Environmental Law