Previous Legal and Political News 2023
How the “Halliburton Loophole” lets fracking companies pollute water with no oversight 05-18-23
Fracking companies used 282 million pounds of hazardous chemicals that should have been regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act from 2014 to 2021. Read more
Outrage as Biden Admin Says Mountain Valley Pipeline Can Run Through National Forest 05-16-23
“The Forest Service has bent to the will of the oil and gas industry, and is placing fossil fuel profits above our environment and public safety.” Read more
In Another Blow to Big Oil, U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Effort to Kill Climate Suits 05-16-23
“The Supreme Court’s decision brings the people of Delaware and Hoboken one step closer to putting these polluters on trial and making them pay for their climate deception.” Read more
Democrats call for greater White House scrutiny of gas projects 05-08-23
Forty-four congressional Democrats are asking the White House to provide greater scrutiny of how liquefied natural gas projects contribute to climate change. Read more
Microsoft quietly supported legislation to make it easier to fix devices. Here’s why that’s a big deal. 04-28-23
Major tech companies have long opposed the right to repair, but Microsoft is finally engaging with lawmakers and activists. Read more
The Supreme Court just unleashed a flood of lawsuits against Big Oil 04-26-23
Climate court cases are about to get a lot more interesting. Read more
House GOP fail to stop Biden’s new water rule – but the courts might 04-19-23
House Republicans failed in their second effort yesterday to undo President Biden’s new rule expanding the definition of waterways protected under the Clean Water Act. Read more
EPA quietly signals to California it can set stricter train emissions rules 04-18-23
Why a little-noticed proposal in the EPA’s vehicle rules is a big deal Read more
The FTC is expected to crack down on ‘greenwashing’ 04-13-23
The Federal Trade Commission is soliciting public comments on its “Green Guides,” which seek to prevent companies from making deceptive environmental claims, as it updates them for the first time in a decade. Read more
Unheralded Environmentalist: Jimmy Carter’s Green Legacy 03-29-23
With the former president now in hospice care, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Kai Bird looks back on Jimmy Carter’s environmental record in the White House — from his sweeping protection of Alaska’s wild lands to his efforts to push the nation toward renewable energy. Read More
Biden administration urges Supreme Court to leave climate lawsuits to states 03-20-23
Big Oil has long counted on corporate-friendly federal courts to get rid of climate suits. Read more
Same Message, Bigger Audience: Sen. Whitehouse Flags Climate Costs 03-07-23
For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch. Read more
Nations agree on ‘world-changing’ deal to protect ocean life 03-05-23
More than 190 countries have reached a landmark deal for protecting the biodiversity of the world’s oceans, agreeing for the first time on a common framework for establishing new protected areas in international waters. Read more
Kentucky Residents Angered by U.S. Forest Service Logging Plan That Targets Mature Trees 03-05-23
Biden pledged to protect old-growth trees, but proposed clear-cutting in national forests collides with climate policy. Read more
Biden set for first veto on Senate bill opposing climate-friendly investing 03-01-23
Two Democratic senators joined with GOP lawmakers to pass the bill, revealing how vulnerable incumbents can be recruited to oppose climate policies. Read more
Georgians plead with state officials to protect the Okefenokee from mining 02-28-23
Even if the Supreme Court rules to protect certain wetlands, the fate of certain watersheds will be up to the states. Read more
Biden administration restores Obama-era mercury rules for power plants, eyes more regulations in coming months 02-17-23
The Biden administration on Friday finalized a decision to reestablish Obama-era rules that require coal and oil-fired power plants to reduce toxic pollutants, including mercury and acid gas, that come out of their smokestacks. Read more
Sen. Whitehouse wants the budget panel to be a climate committee 02-17-23
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) has a new platform for urging Americans to wake up to the threat of climate change.
Minnesota Has Passed a Landmark Clean Energy Law. Which State Is Next? 02-09-23
New Jersey, Michigan and Maryland are among the ones to watch, but one seems more likely than the others to pass energy major legislation this year. Read more
Republican senators challenge Biden water protection rule 02-02-23
Senate Republicans are attempting to repeal the Biden administration’s water regulations, though their effort faces an uphill battle. Read more
EPA issues rare veto, halting Alaska’s Pebble mine 02-01-23
Mining waste would have jeopardized the world’s largest sockeye salmon run. Read more
Public lands near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters withdrawn from federal mining leases 01-26-23
The decision follows a 2021 environmental assessment and withdrawal application from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service. Read more
How a defunct Trump policy still threatens Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp 01-31-23
The short-lived rule is helping the mining industry from beyond the grave. Read more
Biden climate law spurred billions in clean energy investment. Has it been a success? 01-29-23
Some analysts praised the progress while others warned that much more is needed. Read more
Meet the top House recipients of oil and gas money 01-26-23
The oil and gas industry donated millions of dollars to members of the House in the last election cycle. Now, many of the top recipients are well-positioned to advance its interests. Read more
Biden administration unveils roadmap for a greener, more equitable transportation sector 01-24-23
Federal agencies look beyond EVs to envision more convenient and efficient ways of getting around. Read more
Texas Environmentalists Look to EPA for Action on Methane, Saying State Agencies Have ‘Failed Us’ 01-22-23
Commenting on the EPA’s proposed new rule to reduce methane leaks, they said Texas regulators are resistant to take on emissions of the climate super-pollutant. Read more
How dark money groups led Ohio to redefine gas as ‘green energy’ 01-17-23
In Ohio, natural gas is ‘green’ now. Documents show how dark money groups led to this law. Read more
GOP thrusts gas stoves, Biden’s green agenda into the culture wars 01-12-23
Republicans thrust gas stoves, Biden’s green agenda into the culture wars Read more
EPA’s proposed air pollution standards for soot could save thousands of lives 01-09-23
Health experts say it doesn’t go far enough to limit the deadly pollutant. Read more
A new EPA proposal is reigniting a debate about what counts as ‘renewable’ 01-04-23
The agency wants more ethanol, biogas, and wood pellet power in the nation’s fuel mix. But is that actually a good thing? Read more
Republicans Are Primed to Take on ‘Woke Capitalism’ in 2023, with Climate Disclosure Rules for Corporations in Their Sights 01-03-23
Conservative politicians argue that environmental, social and governance principles—known as “ESG”—are diverting asset managers from their duties to investors, and may even amount to illegal collusion. Read more
Tracking Biden’s environmental actions 01-03-23
As Biden unwinds dozens of Trump’s energy and environmental policies, he’s forging his own. Read more
