Environmental Policy & Mediation (Podcast)

Minnesota has again delayed its first-in-the-nation reporting deadline for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in products. On April 15, 2026, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency...

The EPA has released decisions on 34 small refinery exemption petitions from 2025, granting full or partial exemptions that total 1.76 million RINs - significantly more than initially estimated. This discrepancy has prompted the agency to announce a new rulemaking that will reallocate 100 percent of exempted volumes to 2026 and 2027 renewable volume obligations, potentially increasing compliance burdens for nonexempt obligated parties.

The Fifth Circuit's decision in East Fork Enterprises v. EPA vacates EPA's methylene chloride risk management rule and underlying unreasonable risk determination, fundamentally challenging the agency's approach to TSCA administration. The ruling addresses critical issues including the "whole chemical" versus "condition of use" methodology, EPA's treatment of personal protective equipment in risk assessments, and the interpretation of "unreasonable risk" under TSCA.

President Trump issued a new Executive Order (EO) that directs agencies to streamline reviews, prioritize high-capacity projects, and support infrastructure critical to AI and national security.

The US Department of the Treasury and IRS have released new guidance establishing emissions rate tables and feedstock practices for the Section 45Z clean fuel production credit. The Notice addresses emissions rates for animal manure-derived transportation fuels and outlines how regenerative agricultural practices factor into credit calculations. Concurrently, the Department of Energy updated the 45ZCF-GREET model to include additional renewable natural gas pathways.

The California Air Resources Board has refined its approach to implementing SB 253's greenhouse gas reporting requirements, proposing a phased category-based system for Scope 3 emissions and aligning regulations with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Companies with over $1 billion in annual revenue doing business in California face November 2026 deadlines for initial Scope 1 and 2 reporting, with expanded requirements and third-party assurance mandates taking effect in 2027.

In a sign that electric vehicles are serious business indeed, French automaker Renault fired two employees who are accused of selling corporate secrets about EVs.

On January 5, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its draft Pesticide Registration (PR) Notice, entitled "Pesticide Registration Notice 2026-NEW...

Among other measures, the Executive Order directs the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to pause its review of incomplete permit applications for the construction or expansion of data centers that consume or can consume at least 50 megawatts of energy, while the Department of Public Service (DPS) develops a Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS).

On this episode of the Environmental Law Monitor, Daniel Pope, Taylor Stuart, Kevin Ewing and Ann Navaro discuss the shift in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulation and break down...