Note:  At aglaw.psu.edu, the Center will soon publish in-depth articles on the following recent legal developments in lieu of summarizing here:

• The 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act’s provisions impacting agriculture; and
• The latest EPA “Waters of the United States” Final Rule.

Water Quality: D.C. Circuit Court Vacates and Remands Conowingo Dam License…

GHG Emissions: EPA Finalizes Program to Further Reduce Air Pollution Through New Emissions Standards on Heavy-duty Engines and Vehicles
On December 20, 2022, the EPA finalized a rule that will introduce a new program to curtail ozone and particulate matter (PM) pollution through new emissions standards that apply to the operating conditions of heavy-duty engines.…

Agricultural Labor: Fifth Circuit Finds No Federal Jurisdiction In Worker Suit Against Swift Beef For Inadequate COVID Protections
On December 7, 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued an opinion vacating and remanding the federal district court’s orders in an action filed by Swift Beef Company employees alleging that they contracted…

GHG Emissions: Environmental Groups File Lawsuit Against EPA Seeking Updated Nitrogen Oxide Emissions Standards
On December 7, 2022, the Environmental Defense Fund and Sierra Club filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s failure to update 2006 air pollution standards for stationary combustion turbines.…

On December 16, 2022, from 12 noon – 1:00 ET, the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, alongside the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Business Development Center presented this webinar on direct agricultural product sales as part of our ongoing educational series, “Understanding Agricultural Law.” This session in our series is entitled, “Understanding…

On December 14, 2022, the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law conducted another presentation in our ongoing series for specialty crop producers: Legal Planning for Specialty Crop Producers: Understanding Liability Protections, Regulatory Processes, and Other Legal Risks. These presentations are part of a multi-part 2022 educational series to assist Pennsylvania specialty crop producers successfully augment…

On December 13, 2022, 12 noon, via Zoom, Staff Attorney Jackie Schweichler joined Penn State Extension in their Farm Transition Talk series to discuss the Pennsylvania Agricultural Mediation Program. This webinar covered agricultural dispute resolutions in general, plus other related items in regards to farm transition, succession, and overall exit strategy.
Learn more and access…