On April 4, 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published an Order Issuing Stay of rules promulgated on March 6, 2024 requiring registrants to provide certain climate-related information in future registration statements and annual reports (Final Rule). The stay responds to litigation filed in the Fifth and Eighth Circuit Courts of Appeals seeking
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Endangered Species Act Final Regulatory Revisions Released
The National Marine Fisheries Service (“NMFS”) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“USFWS”) (together, the “Services”) have released three final rules related to implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The rules are available on USFWS’s website and are expected to be published in the Federal Register in the coming days.
The Services have…
The New SEC Climate Disclosure Rule Will Drive Risk Mitigation and Value Creation
UPDATE [4/5/2024]: The Commission has determined to exercise its discretion to stay the Final Rules pending the completion of judicial review of the consolidated Eighth Circuit petitions. Click here for more information.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC or Commission) finalized its climate change disclosure rule on March 6, 2024, reducing the final disclosure…
I must be missing something… CEQ’s Playbook for EJ Strategic Plans
Originally posted by the American College of Environmental Lawyers, November 9, 2023.
On November 3, 2023, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released a playbook for federal agencies to develop their Environmental Justice Strategic Plans, Strategic Planning to Advance Environmental Justice. This tool provides a ‘how to guide’ for federal agencies working…
California’s New Climate-Related Disclosure Laws
California has enacted two new laws on corporate disclosure of direct and indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate-related financial risks. Senate Bill (SB) 253, the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act, expands state GHG emissions reporting requirements to large U.S. companies doing business in California. SB 261 requires biennial disclosure of climate-related financial risks.…
New EPA Rule on PFAS: Urgent Action Required for Manufacturers & Importers
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a new rule concerning per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”). Companies that have made or brought products containing these chemicals into the U.S. since 2011 need to report certain information to the EPA. This rule mainly affects those who make or import items that have PFAS in them.…
Phase 2 NEPA Revisions: Significant Changes Proposed by CEQ in the Proposed Bipartisan Permitting Reform Rule
Introduction
On July 31, 2023, the Council on Environmental Quality (“CEQ”) proposed the Bipartisan Permitting Reform Implementation Rule (“Proposed Rule”), 88 Fed. Reg. 49,924 (July 31, 2023), which is better known as Phase 2 of the Biden Administration’s revisions to the regulations that implement the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”).
NEPA imposes a procedural requirement…
Defining Environmental Justice
Consider these three statements: I experience odor or discoloration in my tap water, English is not the primary language spoken in my home, and I live near industrial activity.
Now, consider these statements: The organization that I work for can access environmental subject matter experts, the organization that I work for has influence in the…
U.S. Supreme Court Limits Federal Government’s Obligation to Secure Water for the Navajo Nation
On June 22, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Arizona v. Navajo Nation, No. 21-1484, limiting the federal government’s obligation to affirmatively secure water for federally recognized Indian tribes. The Supreme Court held that the 1868 treaty establishing the Navajo Reservation (the “Treaty”) “did not require the United States to take affirmative…
Minnesota Enacts Sweeping PFAS Restrictions
On May 24, 2023, Minnesota became the latest state to impose significant restrictions on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) when Governor Tim Walz signed HF 2310. In this blog post, we examine some of the critical questions surrounding the new law.
What does the new law do?
Headlining the new law is a ban on…