Tag: environmental

Biden Administration Revokes Trump Administration MBTA Rule and Initiates Rulemaking for MBTA Incidental Take Permitting Program

Earlier this month, the Fish and Wildlife Service (“Service”) published a final rule revoking the Trump Administration’s rule on incidental take under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (“MBTA”), as well as an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (“ANPR”) aimed at codifying the Biden Administration’s interpretation of the MBTA’s incidental take provision and creating new incidental … Continue Reading

U.S. Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Landmark Case on Federal Greenhouse Gas Regulation

My colleague, Daniel Lee, followed oral argument yesterday in the U.S. Supreme Court’s consideration of federal greenhouse gas (GHG) regulation in Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA, and provides this analysis: During oral argument for Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA this Monday, the Supreme Court conflicted over a number of issues including the application of Chevron deference,  … Continue Reading

Nebraska Sues U.S. EPA Over Proposed Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for New Power Plants

Nebraska filed suit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in federal court on Wednesday, challenging the agency’s newly proposed standards for greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants. Nebraska argues that EPA’s proposed regulation, officially released last week, violates the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The Act prohibits EPA from considering new technology or a level … Continue Reading

Newly Published CEQA Decision Sets Precedent Regarding EIR Project Alternatives

A legal update from my colleagues Barbara Brenner and Kristen Castaños: We are pleased to report that the California Third District Court of Appeal recently granted our request to publish its decision in a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) case in which we were lead counsel. In a challenge to the certification of an environmental … Continue Reading

D.C. Circuit Reject’s EPA’s Transport (Cross-State Air Pollution) Rule

Yesterday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision in EME Homer City Generation, L.P. v. EPA that rejects the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s approach to regulating upwind pollution from coal- and natural gas-fired power plants, among other sources. The so-called Transport Rule, also known as the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, had sought to … Continue Reading

U.S. Department of Interior Moves to Streamline Solar Development in the West

As my colleagues Kristen Castaños and Melissa Foster posted on the Stoel Rives California Environmental Law Blog, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced today that it will publish the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (“Solar PEIS”) for solar energy development in six southwestern states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.  The Solar PEIS is a … Continue Reading

California Judicial Council Announces Expedited CEQA Litigation Court Rules for Qualifying Development Projects

From our colleague Wayne Rosenbaum: As Juliet Cho blogged about in our California Environmental Law blog, California Governor Jerry Brown  signed the Jobs and Economic Development through Environmental Leadership Act of 2011 (also known as AB 900) into law last September. The law aims to provide an incentive for applicants to move forward with their … Continue Reading

BioEnergy Law Alert: EPA Issues Notice of Violation to Absolute Fuels

On February 2, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") issued a Notice of Violation ("NOV") of the Renewable Fuel Standard ("RFS") to Absolute Fuels, a company located in Lubbock, Texas. The NOV alleges that between August 31, 2010, and October 11, 2011, Absolute Fuels generated over 48 million Renewable Identification Numbers ("RINs") and that all … Continue Reading

Legal Challenge to Avenal Energy Project’s PSD Permit Filed with the Ninth Circuit

On November 3, 2011, the proposed Avenal Energy Project, a 600-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant proposed in the city of Avenal near Kettleman City in Kings County, California, encountered another legal challenge to providing electricity to the southern San Joaquin Valley. Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, and Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice challenged the … Continue Reading

Renewable Energy Law Alert: EPA Releases Draft 2012 Renewable Fuel Standards

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has released a series of proposed rules relating to the Renewable Fuel Standard (“RFS”). Originally enacted by Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and expanded by the Energy Independence Act of 2007, the RFS represents the country’s most comprehensive and effective policy in the energy security and … Continue Reading

New Stoel Rives California Environmental Law Blog

Stoel Rives LLP is pleased to present the California Environmental Law Blog (http://www.californiaenvironmentallawblog.com), which will focus on emerging environmental and natural resource issues specific to California. The Stoel Rives California Environmental Law Blog is written by leading environmental and natural resources attorneys, whose posts will discuss comprehensive legal and business issues involving water rights, water quality, … Continue Reading

Renewable Electricity and Wine – A Perfect Pairing

An entry from our colleague Jake Storms: While wineries and vineyards have long been moving toward being “green,” several have taken the next step by installing renewable energy generation onsite. One of the most recent is August Cellars, just outside Newberg, Oregon. The winery recently installed a 150-foot-tall, 50-kilowatt wind turbine. August Cellars maneuvered around … Continue Reading

Energy Law Alert: EPA Publishes CO2 Geologic Sequestration Rule in Federal Register

On Friday, December 10, 2010, EPA published in the Federal Register its final rule governing the underground injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) for geologic sequestration (GS) under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). EPA released a pre-publication version of this rule back on November 22, 2010. Stoel Rives previewed the pre-publication version on our Renewable … Continue Reading

Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force Issues Final Recommendations

On Monday, July 19, 2010, the White House Council on Environmental Quality ("CEQ") issued the Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force.  The Final Recommendations are the culmination of a process that began on June 12, 2009 when President Obama formed the Task Force and tasked it with developing recommendations to enhance national … Continue Reading

Evaluating Climate Change Impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act: Center for Biological Diversity v. Town of Yucca Valley

Query this:  the California legislature has passed the California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) and Senate Bill 97, making it clear that the impact of a project’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has to analyzed under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  Your project is one GHG source among literally thousands of sources in California contributing … Continue Reading
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