On December 16, 2024, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) requested public feedback to “help inform its work to implement” the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (SB 253) and the Climate-Related Financial Risk Act (SB 261) (see our summary of these 2023 laws here). The “information solicitation” was issued
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California Offers Enforcement Relief on GHG Disclosures
On December 5, 2024, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) issued an Enforcement Notice regarding the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (SB 253), which will require companies “doing business” in California to report their Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), with reporting for 2025 Scope 1 and 2 emissions beginning
California Open to Input on Endangered Species Listing for Burrowing Owl
Burrowing owl female with three owlets at Pawnee National Grasslands, Danita Delimont, Unsplash License
The western burrowing owl was just recently elevated to a “candidate species” under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). As a candidate species, the owl now has legal protection from being hunted,
California Proposes Significant Changes to Product Packaging Regulations
What Happened
On Monday, October 14, 2024, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecyle) opened a public comment period on changes to the previously proposed regulations implementing the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (Act). The 15-day written comment period runs through Tuesday, October 29, 2024.
The Act establishes California’s extended
California Law Highlights the Need to Prepare for Climate Disclosures
The march toward mandated corporate disclosures for climate-related risks continues. Despite significant pushback and substantial legal challenges, state legislatures and regulators are continuing to advance laws and rules that will require disclosures of both greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate risks.
California Senate Bill (SB) 219, signed into law on September 27, 2024, by
EPA’s Newest Emission Reduction and Reclamation Program Breaks Refrigerants and Cooling Status Quo
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized regulations impacting a large swath of refrigeration and cooling equipment industries. The new regulations are the most recent EPA action addressing the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), greenhouse gases often used to replace ozone-depleting substances for refrigeration and cooling, under the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020
Are Plastics the New PFAS?
A recent conference led by Connecticut Attorney General (AG) William Tong discussed the alleged problems and potential solutions associated with plastics use and waste. Conference attendees included nearly two dozen representatives from state AG offices, medical and public health researchers, and leaders in the recycling and reclamation industry. Conversations focused on plastics’ tendency to break
US EPA Warns of Fraudulent NOVs
Phishing scams can pop up anywhere, as evidenced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General’s recent alert regarding fraudulent Notice of Violation letters (NOVs).
According to the EPA, fraudulent NOVs have been sent by a fraudster through mail and email. The fake NOVs allege violations of environmental laws and include a
SCOTUS Rulings Upend the Administrative Law Landscape
On June 28, in a highly anticipated ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Chevron USA Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council Inc., finding that Chevron deference, the 40-year-old precedent deferring to reasonable agency interpretation of ambiguous statutes, is no longer valid. This decision, in addition to other recent Supreme Court rulings, represents a significant shift
PFAS Designated as CERCLA Hazardous Substances
On April 19, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a pre-publication version of the long-awaited final rule designating two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as “hazardous substances” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Cleanup, and Liability Act (CERCLA). This final rule comes right on the heels of EPA’s April 8 announcement of the final rule