PA Environment Daily

NOVEMBER 25, 2024

These penalties are in addition to a $670,000 civil penalty DEP accessed against Shell Falcon Pipeline and its contractor Minnesota Limited LLC for violations of its permit and other laws and regulations that occurred in 2019 and 2020 during pipeline construction. A similar lawsuit preceded the May 2023 penalty settlement.

Law

Law Columbia

MARCH 27, 2025

City of New York , plumbing and building trade groups challenged New York Citys Local Law 154 of 2021 , a piece of legislation that prohibits fossil fuel combustion in most new buildings. This blog post discusses Local Law 154, unpacks Judge Abrams decision, and ends with a refresher on California Restaurant Association v.

Law

PA Environment Daily

OCTOBER 12, 2024

Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) announced plans to introduce legislation to prohibit municipalities from receiving Act 13 drilling impact fees if they set more protective standards on the development of natural gas than required in state or federal law and while a challenge to local restrictions is being litigated. In October 2023, Sen.

Natural Gas

Legal Planet

NOVEMBER 4, 2024

In early 2024, the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) at UC Berkeley released evaluations of two state grant programs—the Adaptation Planning Grant Program (APGP) and the Regional Resilience Planning and Implementation Grant Program (RRGP).

Sea Level

Legal Planet

JULY 31, 2025

and a 2023 report estimated it at 12% despite data showing a 39% rise in global meat production and an increase in livestock emissions of 14% between 2000-2014. Guest Contributor Alexander Wood is a rising 2L at UCLA School of Law.

Fossil Fuels

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 15, 2025

One of the hackers who carried out this scheme, Aviram Azari, an Israeli private detective, was arrested in 2019 and pleaded guilty in US district court in 2023 to three counts: conspiracy to commit computer hacking, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The hacking, occurring between 2015 and 2018, targeted at least 128 individuals.

Fossil Fuels

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 7, 2025

A recent report from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that data centers used about 4% of total US electricity consumption in 2023, and that total is expected to grow as high as 12% within the next three years. Siddique opened by explaining Michigan’s climate law passed in 2023.

Clean Energy

Scientific American

JUNE 19, 2025

That group tracked trash collected at more than 45,000 volunteer-powered shoreline cleanups between January 2016 and December 2023. ” Law cautions that trying to copy and paste plastic bag bans and fees onto other products may backfire. She joined Scientific American in 2023 and is now a senior news reporter there.

Law

Law Columbia

MAY 23, 2025

As such, although EU and EEA law are distinct, their substance is identical with respect to the core rules of the internal market. In this sense, the EFTA Court also provides for an authoritative judicial clarification of EU law. The EEA Agreement aims to extend the core of the EU internal market to EEA/EFTA States (art.

Fossil Fuels

A Greener Life

JULY 27, 2025

In March 2023, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution requesting an advisory opinion on the following two questions: What are states’ obligations under international law to ensure the protection of the environment, and what are the legal consequences for countries under these obligations?

Paris Agreement

PA Environment Daily

JANUARY 7, 2025

During those inspections, DEP identified 35,237 violations, and resolved 32,699 of them, including some from 2023. DEP inspections include both scheduled and unscheduled on-site visits to permitted facilities, as well as document reviews to verify compliance with environmental laws and regulations. Read more here.

2024

Law Columbia

JULY 29, 2025

Echoing the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in its Advisory Opinion 32/25 , on July 23, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) unanimously held that this right constitutes a binding norm of international law. First, what are States’ obligations, under international law, to protect the climate system for present and future generations?

Fossil Fuels

Law Columbia

OCTOBER 25, 2024

Delayed action on emissions cuts may require even more (and more expensive) CDR – the 2024 United Nations Emissions Gap Report released this week found that 2023 greenhouse gas emissions set a new record, and current emissions reduction pledges for 2030 are insufficient to meet temperature goals.

Carbon Dioxide

PA Environment Daily

DECEMBER 17, 2024

In 2023, the Ohio River was named the 2nd most endangered river in the country, and it is the largest body of water in the United States that does not receive any dedicated federal funding for clean-up.

Conservation

National Law Center

JULY 29, 2025

Additionally, the Supreme Court found that when considering whether an agency’s NEPA report complies with the law, reviewing courts should grant “substantial deference” to the agency. National Environmental Policy Act NEPA was signed into law on January 1, 1970.

2013

Ocean Conservancy

JUNE 27, 2025

A 2023 report from the nearby Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary found that cigarette butts accounted for 23% of items collected on the sanctuary’s beaches. Not only will these laws help reduce plastic use and plastic pollution in these states, but they also show continued momentum in efforts to tackle problematic single-use plastics.

Ocean

PA Environment Daily

DECEMBER 3, 2024

below production in the third quarter of 2023-- 1,871 billion cubic feet. from 2023, but "Regional and national prices have been constrained in recent quarters due to unusually high storage levels." "The higher fee schedule implies an increase of $30 million in Impact Fee revenues." In 2023, impact fee revenue was $179.1

Natural Gas

PA Environment Daily

OCTOBER 25, 2024

Expect Much Less Community Support In June, the Ind ependent Fiscal Office issued a report on the latest projections of revenue from the Act 13 Shale Gas Drilling Impact Fee showing a drop in calendar 2023 revenue to $179.1 In 2023, DEP received just over 663 shale gas permit applications. Read more here.

Natural Gas

PA Environment Daily

DECEMBER 4, 2024

By Ken Sansone and Valentina Marastoni-Bieser, SL Environmental Law Firm Farmers, the backbone of our food supply, could be facing an invisible enemy that lurks in their soil and water: PFAS, the so-called “forever chemicals.” at the SL Environmental Law Firm in San Francisco. Upcoming Event -- Penn State Extension Hosts Dec.

Regulations

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 26, 2025

This is why the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s historic investments provided a long overdue federal commitment to improving and protecting water quality (and why current threats to it and the agencies like EPA administering funds are so misguided). Upgrading infrastructure is expensive!

Clean Water Act

PA Environment Daily

JUNE 20, 2025

Elizabeth Township approved the plan in January 2023 and the case made its way to Commonwealth Court. This ruling proves that zoning laws matter and exist to shield communities from exactly this kind of harmful development.” When residents organize, testify, and use the law to defend their children and neighbors, we can win.”

Law

PA Environment Daily

JUNE 12, 2025

2,070 conventional wells-- 66% of those abandoned wells were not required to have a well plugging bond by law. Of the wells with no reporting, 19,644 wells-- 83%-- of those wells are not required to have a plugging bond by law. 753 well owners covering 81,396 wells did report. 4,946 well owners were required to report. Read more here.

Waste

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 23, 2025

In 1976, the California legislature passed a law that effectively bans new nuclear power plants. To be more specific, the law forbids the California Energy Commission from issuing a permit to any new nuclear fission power plants until theres a way to dispose of toxic and long-lived nuclear waste.

Nuclear Power

PA Environment Daily

NOVEMBER 8, 2024

The legislation would prohibit municipalities from receiving Act 13 drilling impact fees if they set protective standards on the development of natural gas that “imposes a standard or condition on well development that conflicts with or exceeds those contained” in state law. In October 2023, Sen. Read more here. Bartolotta’s district.

Natural Gas

Law Columbia

JULY 2, 2025

Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision in 2023 finding that the EIS was deficient because it did not include estimates of GHG emissions and other impacts from induced oil production or oil refining. Most of these NEPA decisions entail mixed questions of law and fact. 3] See Prosser & Keeton on Torts, 5th Ed.

Fossil Fuels

PA Environment Daily

NOVEMBER 1, 2024

The Public Utility Commission imposed its own penalties for violations under its laws. It has been penalized over $24 million for violations related to the construction of the cross-state Mariner East Natural Gas Liquids Pipeline just by DEP. Read more here.

Natural Gas

Vermont Law

FEBRUARY 19, 2025

However, this federal scrutiny is clearer when considering Vermonts status as home to one of the nations leading environmental law schools, which trains attorneys to advocate for stronger environmental oversight. Vermont Law School cited numerous concerns with how ANR issued and enforced discharge permits to prevent water pollution.

Clean Water Act

Enviromental Defense

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

OTTAWA/TRADITIONAL, UNCEDED TERRITORY OF THE ALGONQUIN ANISHNAABEG PEOPLE — Ecojustice and Environmental Defence have uncovered that greenhouse gas emissions from Canada’s exported oil, gas, and coal ballooned to record levels in 2023. Since 2012, Canada’s annual exported emissions have increased a whopping 378 million tonnes.

Fossil Fuels

Vermont Law

DECEMBER 24, 2024

Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy in the Green Mountain State Written by Kathryn Keener and Diana Csank Cannabis laws are loosening, and recent legislative measures in some U.S. Both became classified Schedule I substances when President Nixon signed the Controlled Substance Act into law in 1970. Today, cannabis is poised for rescheduling.

Law

Enviromental Defense

NOVEMBER 28, 2024

While the Alberta Energy Regulator has the ability, and responsibility, to hold companies that break the law to account, it has repeatedly demonstrated an unwillingness to enforce its own laws when it comes to industry rulebreakers — leaving Albertans to bear the costs and clean up the mess. million in this case, but they opted not to.

Regulations

Enviromental Defense

JULY 24, 2025

A coalition of justice, health and environmental groups are calling on Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Julie Dabrusin to fully implement the landmark 2023 Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) amendments recognizing — for the first time in Canadian law — the right to a healthy environment.

Environmental Protection

Law Columbia

MARCH 25, 2025

The subsequent 2023-2024 El Nio event proved even deadlier, with 5 fatalities out of 127 reported cases of heat-related illnesses. Climate litigation follows a similar path of accountability objectives, urging governments to fulfill their international climate law pledges, among other commitments.

Climate Change

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 10, 2025

A 2023 report from NREL organizes these barriers into three categories: cost-based, socioeconomic, and historical. As it turns out, significant barriers remain. Like the roots of inequity itself, many of these barriers are systemic.

Electricity

Law Columbia

MARCH 10, 2025

On March 29, 2023, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on States obligations regarding climate change. State Responsibilities in Climate Change: What Law Applies?

Climate Change

Legal Planet

DECEMBER 12, 2024

The Supreme Court heard oral argument recently in the Seven Counties case. The issue in the case is the scope of an agencys duty to consider the environmental effects of its actions. Several arguments popped up in the discussion that appealed to at least some of the Justices. We think that they would do well to rethink them.

Clean Air Act

PA Environment Daily

JULY 22, 2025

Penn State University To Host 5th Annual Online Solar Law Symposium Aug. Click Here for video and photos. This pace of growth is remarkable,” said PUC Chairman Stephen M. PJM Decisions Have Driven Up The Cost Of Electricity [PaEN] -- PUC: Pennsylvania Doubles Solar Power Generation In Just 17 Months To 2 Gigawatts [PaEN] -- Registration Open!

Solar Power

PA Environment Daily

DECEMBER 18, 2024

In Civil Penalties For 12-Month Air Quality Violations After May 2023 Consent Order [PaEN] -- DEP Signs Consent Order Including $10 Million In Penalties, Local Payments With Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County To Resolve Air Quality Violations; Plant To Restart May 24 [PaEN] [Posted: December 18, 2024] PA Environment Digest

Air Pollution