On May 25, 2023, Staff Attorney Jackie Schweichler joined Penn State Extension for the webinar presentation, “Legal Considerations for Diversification Opportunities in Agritourism.”
See the event description below or view the recording here.
“Join us for an informative webinar on the legal issues that Pennsylvania agritourism operators must consider when diversifying their activities. During…

Air Quality: The EPA Announces Proposed Standards for Carbon Emissions from Fuel Fired Power Plants
On Thursday, May 11, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed rule which would impose new standards for carbon emissions for coal and natural gas power plants. The EPA is proposing these new standards under the Clean…

Water Quality: Consent Decree Directs Ohio EPA to Develop Western Lake Erie Watershed TDML
On April 25, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio Toledo Division issued a consent decree directing the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) to develop a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Maumee River Watershed.…

Pipelines: DOT Proposes New Pipeline Leak Detection Rules
On Friday, May 5, 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration proposed a new rule aimed at improving the detection and repair of leaks from old gas pipelines. The rule will take advantage of the $196 million in grants that were provided…

Animal Welfare: U.S. Supreme Court Finds California’s Proposition 12 Swine Confinement Standards Constitutional as Applied to All California-Retailed Pork Regardless of State of Origin
On May 11, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in the case of National Pork Producers Council, et al. v. Ross, et al., No. 21-468, affirming the decision…

Conservation Programs: USDA Begins Implementation Phase of Climate-Smart Commodities Program Projects
On April 27, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the beginning of the implementation phase of projects funded through the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program. With the implementation phase, USDA is launching the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Learning Network (Partnerships Network). This…

Pipelines: Supreme Court Reopens Landowner Eminent Domain Case Against Mountain Valley Pipeline
On Monday, April 24, 2023, the Supreme Court granted an appeal filed by six landowners in their case brought against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for a statute that has allowed private companies, like Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC, to exercise eminent domain…