The European Commission (“Commission”) has launched a four-week feedback period — open until June 3, 2026 — on a draft delegated act to revise the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (“ESRS 2.0”). Ultimately, EU companies in scope of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (“CSRD”) will have to draft their annual sustainability statements in accordance with
U.S. EPA Withdraws Proposed Rule Listing PFAS as RCRA Hazardous Constituents
U.S. EPA is withdrawing its proposed rule to list nine PFAS as RCRA hazardous constituents. U.S.EPA announced the withdrawal in the Federal Register on May 8, 2026. In announcing the withdrawal, U.S.EPA stated the proposed rule is not necessary since “existing regulations provide the tools to develop protective permit conditions, when necessary, without the
First District Upholds Joint-and-Several Attorneys’ Fees Award Against Intervenor Trade Associations That Actively Participated In Defense of CEQA Action Successfully Challenging Department of Pesticide Regulation’s Rodenticide Decisions
Parties intervening in a CEQA case and actively litigating to defend the agency’s challenged decision in order to protect a direct and immediate interest are subject to being held jointly and severally liable for a successful plaintiff’s attorneys’ fees under Code of Civil Procedure section 1021.5, just like respondent agencies and real parties who similarly
Understanding New Mexico’s New PFAS Product Labeling Requirement
Regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in consumer products continues to accelerate across the United States at the state level. In addition to phase-outs and bans on certain consumer products containing PFAS, state regulators are turning to labeling requirements as a tool to drive transparency and liability.
One notable recent development comes from New
European Commission Releases New EU Deforestation Regulation Measures
The measures include a new delegated act on scope, updated FAQs, and an updated guidance document.
By Michael D. Green and James Bee
Key Points:
- The Commission has unveiled a package of EUDR measures aimed at providing guidance and easing implementation.
- The delegated act will adjust the range of commodities and products falling within the
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—May 6, 2026
Dairy Policy: HPAI Testing Not Required for Dairy Cattle from Unaffected States 
On April 27, 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that the agency had issued an updated guidance document (PDF) on an April 2024 Federal Order, which required testing of lactating dairy
EPA Begins Process to Regulate Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water
In April 2026, EPA released a proposal that, if finalized, would begin the process to potentially regulate the presence of pharmaceuticals in drinking water, by designating them as “Candidate Contaminants.” This proposal is likely to be of significant interest to pharmaceutical manufacturers, given that it entails EPA evaluating, in detail for the first time, potential
EPA Is One Step Closer to Scaling Back PFAS MCLs
On May 1, 2026, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) completed its interagency review and cleared two EPA proposed rules that would scale back the Biden-era PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR). As we previously reported, the proposed rules would extend the compliance deadline for PFOA and PFOS maximum contaminant
Oregon Court of Appeals Confirms Removal of Receiving Water Limits Is Not Backsliding
The scope of what Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits may lawfully require continues to narrow. On April 29, 2026, in Northwest Environmental Advocates (NWEA) v. DEQ, the Oregon Court of Appeals upheld the decision of the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to renew an NPDES permit without a narrative “cause
EPA’s Draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List Targets Microplastics and Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water
EPA’s decision, paired with a newly unveiled research program from the Department of Health and Human Services, increases scrutiny on these emerging contaminants.
By Julia A. Hatcher, Tom Lee, Hunter J. Kendrick, and Casey Lynn Kirk
On April 2, 2026, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, Lee Zeldin, announced the draft