Updating our recent post, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has now clarified its recent statement, following significant public comment, that it would exercise its statutory authority to extend the compliance deadline for its proposed reporting rules for products containing intentionally added PFAS. The MPCA announced on July 23, 2025, that the reporting deadline
Business and Human Rights: ICJ issues opinion on State obligations in respect of climate change
On 23 July 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a landmark advisory opinion at the request of the United Nations General Assembly, holding that States have a legal obligation to protect the environment, including to address climate change (the “Opinion“). The Opinion also recognised that a “clean, healthy and sustainable environment”
EPA Initiates Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rollback – A New Battle Begins
The summer of 2025 has seen the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implement a significant shift in U.S. federal climate policy envisioned by the Trump Administration.
First, on June 17, 2025, EPA proposed a rule, entitled Repeal of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating Units, which would repeal Obama and Biden era Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions standards for fossil fuel-fired power plants. This rule proposed three key determinations:
- The Obama Administration’s 2015 New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) (40 CFR part 60, subpart TTTT) (Adopted as part of Clean Power Plan).
- The Biden Administration’s 2024 Carbon Pollution Standards (40 CFR part 60, subparts TTTTa and UUUUb).
South Korea Reintroduces Human Rights and Due Diligence Act
The reintroduction of South Korea’s due diligence law potentially marks a significant advancement for human rights and ESG initiatives in the region.
By Paul A. Davies, Michael D. Green, Wonsuk (Steve) Kang, Farhana Sharmeen, and Jiou (Alex) Park
On June 13, 2025, South Korean Representative Jung Tae-Ho reintroduced the proposed “Bill
Illegal Eagles: DOI Sinks Its Talons Even Deeper Into Wind Energy
The frenetic pace of anti-renewable actions from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) has continued into this week with the issuance of a new memorandum from Greg Wischer, deputy chief of staff for policy, directing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to ratchet up enforcement of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA) against wind energy projects, and to scrutinize the eagle permit program that the FWS adopted in 2024 after many years of development.
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—August 5, 2025
Register Now: 2025 Agricultural Law Symposium—Sept. 18, 2025. Early Bird Pricing until Aug. 29! Attorneys w/ CLE—$150, Non-CLE—$100, Students—$25
Agricultural Labor: Third Circuit Holds H-2A Contract Violations Entitled to Article III Court Hearing
On July 29, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued a precedential opinion holding that a New
Renewables in the Crosshairs: DOI and DOT Announce Numerous New Anti-Wind and Solar Orders and Policies
During the week of July 28, the Trump administration unleashed a new burst of actions aimed squarely at blocking wind and solar energy with the announcement of two new secretarial orders (SO) and three new policies by the Department of the Interior (DOI), plus one from the Department of Transportation (DOT). These latest measures follow on the heels of the recent internal directive from DOI Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Gregory Wischer implementing three new levels of political review for a comprehensive list of approvals, consultations, and interim steps in the permitting processes for wind and solar projects with a nexus to DOI’s regulatory authority. Although couched in terms of curbing “preferential treatment” for wind energy, the measures go well beyond any leveling of the playing field, instead significantly disadvantaging wind and solar — which the DOI refers to as “foreign-controlled energy sources” — compared to other sources of energy or uses of public lands.
Center for Agricultural and Shale Law Reviews Productive July 2025 Webinars
University Park, PA – The Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law (CASL) hosted three informative webinars in July 2025, continuing its mission to educate agricultural stakeholders and legal professionals.
On Tuesday, July 8, 2025, Staff Attorney Jackie Schweichler presented “Opening the Farm Gates: ADA Accessibility for Agritourism Guests,” hosted by the
California Low Carbon Fuel Standard Amendments Take Effect
California’s amended LCFS Regulation took effect on July 1, 2025 as the fuel price impact debate and judicial challenges continue.
By Joshua T. Bledsoe, Tal Carmeli, and Samantha Yeager
On June 27, 2025, the California Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved the amended Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) Regulation, submitted by the
Trump Administration Seeks to Streamline Federal Permitting for Data Centers with New Executive Order and Action Plan
Data center developers often struggle with lengthy and costly regulatory hurdles at both state and federal levels. In a move to simplify this process, the Trump administration has issued an executive order and introduced the “America’s AI Action Plan,” both designed to accelerate federal permitting and reshape environmental review frameworks for new data centers and supporting infrastructure.