Community Impacts: PA Attorney General Files Charges Against Equitrans for Well Leak 
On July 24, 2025, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday released a statement indicating that criminal charges have been filed against the energy company Equitrans, LP, concerning a natural gas leak that occurred in 2022. The charges, which include 14 counts of unlawful conduct
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UPDATE: Minnesota Announces 6-Month Extension of PFAS-in-Products Reporting Deadline, to July 1, 2026
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” is a…
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…
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…
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…
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…