On April 9, 2025, the White House published a new Memorandum entitled “Directing The Repeal of Unlawful Regulations,” aimed at identifying and reviewing unlawful or potentially unlawful regulations for potential repeal. The Memorandum avers that illegal, unnecessary, and onerous regulations impede the Administration’s objectives of promoting economic growth and American innovation, and impose massive costs
Twin Killings: Executive Orders Put Existing Energy Regulations in the Crosshairs
On the evening of April 9, 2025, the Trump administration released a pair of deregulatory executive actions that could have major implications for any industry subject to federal rules — and are also likely to be a magnet for litigation. These orders come fast on the heels of an April 8 executive order, “Protecting American Energy from State Overreach,” which announces actions to curtail state and local laws and policies focused on climate change and environmental justice.
EPA Requests Additional 30-Day Abeyance in PFAS Drinking Water Rule Litigation
On April 8, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requested the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit extend the abeyance in the challenge to EPA’s Final Rule establishing PFAS MCLs. The petitioners and respondent-intervenors do not oppose the request.
This case, which challenges EPA’s PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (89 Fed. Reg. 32532,
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—April 8, 2025
Next Week: Apr. 15, 2025, Quarterly Dairy Legal Webinar—Bovine Disease Controls: Federal and PA Laws & Regulations
Agribusiness: FinCEN Publishes Interim Final Rule Limiting BOI Reporting Requirement to Foreign Companies
On March 26, 2025, the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) published in the Federal Register an interim final rule (90 FR
Shale Law Weekly Review—Week of April 7, 2025
Environmental Impact Studies: Penn State Research Shows Environmental Benefits from Reusing Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells
On February 28, 2025, a research article was published in the Journal of Energy Storage titled Underground energy storage using abandoned oil & gas wells assisted by geothermal. The authors explore the potential for abandoned oil and gas
A New Era for Consumer Protection: The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act
An overhaul of the UK consumer law landscape is on the horizon, with the consumer law provisions of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 set to take effect on 6 April 2025.
By Fiona Maclean, David Little, Irina Vasile, and Sean Newhouse
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act
EPA Launches Historic Deregulatory Initiative: Key Legal Risks and Strategic Takeaways
On March 12, 2025, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency’s intention to reconsider 31 environmental regulations, describing the effort as the “single most impactful day of deregulation in EPA history.” While the scope of this initiative spans air, water, and climate regulations, the most consequential actions—legally and practically—center on a handful of cross-cutting programs and sector-specific rules.
NJDEP Proposed Rule Update: PFAS Added to Contaminant Testing Requirements
The proposed rule would potentially usher in a future of broad testing for certain PFAS at New Jersey remediation sites.
By Gary P. Gengel, David S. Langer, Thomas C. Pearce, and G. Jack Mathews
On March 17, 2025, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) released a Rule Proposal Notice (Proposed Rule)
Fourth District Invalidates San Diego County’s “Infill” And “Small Project” VMT Screening Thresholds As Lacking Substantial Evidence Support
In a published opinion filed March 27, 2025, the Fourth District Court of Appeal (Div. 1) reversed the trial court’s judgment denying a writ petition, and held that two screening thresholds of significance for vehicle miles traveled (VMT) impacts adopted by the County of San Diego as part of its 2022 Transportation Study Guide were invalid because they were unsupported by any substantial evidence. Cleveland National Forest Foundation, et al. v. County of San Diego (2025) 109 Cal.App.5th 1257.
UK Grid Connection Reforms: Breaking the Bottleneck
The UK is transforming its grid connection system to address a backlog of over 739 GW of projects, aiming to streamline access and reduce delays.