Crude Oil by Rail: The D.C. Appeals Court Halts Uinta Basin Railway Project Citing Defects in the Environmental Impact Statement Prepared by the Surface Transportation Board
On August 18, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (the “Court”) issued an order vacating a final exemption order granted by the Surface Transportation…

International Trade: Unites States Requests USMCA Dispute Panel Over Mexican GMO Corn Ban
On August 17, 2023, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced that USTR has requested a three-member dispute settlement panel under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) regarding Mexico’s actions to phase out biotech corn in food products and animal feed.…

LNG Exports: Environmental Groups Petition Federal Appeals Court Over DOE Order Approving the Alaska LNG Project
On August 11, 2023, the Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit seeking to reverse the Biden administration’s approval of Alaska LNG Project.…

Local Food: PA Department of Agriculture Seeks Comments on Plans for USDA Funding from Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program
On August 15, 2023, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) released a public request for comment on the agency’s proposed priorities for its cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure…

Production and Operation: The Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Announces New Fuel Economy Standards for Cars and Trucks
On July 28, 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed updated fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks. A 60-day public comment period will follow…

Animal Welfare: Massachusetts to Develop Rule, Will Delay Enforcement for Question 3 ‘Transshipped Pork’
On August 7, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts entered an electronic order granting a joint stipulation and motion to extend stay for six months in a case filed in August 2022 challenging Massachusetts Question 3, which…

Methane Emissions: White House Holds Methane Summit
On Wednesday, July 26, 2023, the White House released a fact sheet describing the White House Methane Summit, which was held that day.  The Summit focused on strategies to reduce methane emissions and with a focus on methane leaks from the oil and gas industry. The fact sheet…