National Energy Policy: DOE Announces $90 Million Intended to Update State and Local Building Energy Codes
On July 12, 2023, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) posted a press release announcing $90 million to help municipalities, states, tribes, and other partnering organizations implement updated building energy codes. The funding has been awarded to 27
The Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases Is Increasing — But Is Uncertainty Over the Measurement of Climate Impacts Artificially Depressing the Number?
Yesterday, Climatewire (subscription required) released a peer review letter on EPA’s Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases (SC-GHG), which got a fair bit of press last year, because EPA’s metric was $190/ton, even though the Biden administration was using the $51/ton figure originally developed by the Obama administration. The peer reviewers’ views can be distilled down
USGS Studies PFAS in Tap Water
As part of the PFAS Strategic Science Vision for the U.S. Geological Survey (“USGS”) and consistent with the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, which identified activities related to PFAS where USGS could provide support, the USGS undertook a study of PFAS in tap water from private and public supply wells across the
State and Federal PFAS Litigation – 2019 to Q2 2023
PFAS-related litigation continues to climb and to diversify as to claims and parties. See the attached graphics, updated through the second quarter of 2023. We will continue to update these graphics on a quarterly basis.
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—July 17, 2023
Conservation Programs: USDA Announces $300 Million, Draft Federal Strategy to Improve Greenhouse Gas Measurement and Carbon Sequestration
On July 12, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a notice in the Federal Register (88 FR 44251) requesting public comment on an interagency draft report: Federal Strategy to Advance Measurement and Monitoring Greenhouse
Wind Rights are now Blowin’ In The Wind
New law creating a fertile environment to support investment in wind turbines as a component of the move to a decarbonized economy
Governor Signs Infrastructure/Budget Legislation Including Significant Revisions To CEQA (SB 149)
On July 10, 2023, Governor Newsom signed into law a number of bills aimed at streamlining and accelerating the construction of critical infrastructure projects needed to achieve California’s ambitious climate and clean energy goals. Among the many bills was SB No. 149, CEQA legislation that amended Public Resources Code §§ 21167.6, 21181, 21183, 21189.1, and 21189.3; added Chapter 7 (commencing with § 21189.80); and became effective immediately as an urgency measure “[t]o promote environmental protection and safeguard economic development of California’s diverse public resources and people, and enhance the state’s ability to maximize federal funding to support those efforts[.]” The full text of SB 149 can be found here.
NYC to Consider Indoor Air Quality Regulations
By Adam R. Young, A. Scott Hecker, Daniel I. Small, Benjamin D. Briggs, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: The COVID-19 pandemic and wildfire smoke shrouding the skies over the East Coast this summer have drawn more attention to indoor air quality, leading the New York City Council to propose indoor
OSHA Announces National Emphasis Program Aimed at Reducing and Preventing Workplace Hazards in Warehouses and Distribution Centers
By A. Scott Hecker, Adam R. Young, Patrick D. Joyce, Benjamin D. Briggs, James L. Curtis, Daniel R. Birnbaum, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: OSHA this week announced a national emphasis program (“NEP”) to prevent workplace hazards in warehouses, processing facilities distribution centers, and high-risk retail establishments.
TCFD Transfers Climate Monitoring Activities to IFRS Foundation
Following the publication of the ISSB Standards, the IFRS Foundation will take over monitoring of companies’ climate progress from 2024.
By Paul A. Davies, Michael D. Green, and James Bee
On 10 July 2023, the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and Financial Stability Board (FSB) announced that the IFRS Foundation (the organisation that founded the ISSB) would take over the monitoring of the progress on companies’ climate-related disclosures relating to the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). This announcement follows the ISSB’s publication of its inaugural sustainability standards IFRS S1 and IFRS S2.
The transfer in monitoring activities marks the latest development in the ISSB’s ambition to consolidate the sustainability reporting landscape internationally, with the TCFD joining other standards (such as the SASB Standards) in the list of frameworks that were previously independently managed but are now under the consolidated auspices of the ISSB.