PA Environment Daily

MARCH 13, 2025

The announcements cover 31 health protections, including standards on mercury, soot, and traffic pollution as well as the reconsideration of a decade-old, evidence-based conclusion that carbon dioxide, methane, and four other climate-warming pollutants endanger human health and welfare.

Toxic Substances Control Act

PA Environment Daily

MARCH 12, 2025

On March 12, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced sweeping plans to reconsider more than 31 major environmental regulations and programs, including pulling back regulations reducing methane emissions and regulating production wastewater from oil and gas operations. Click Here for the announcement.

Regulations

PA Environment Daily

MARCH 24, 2022

Seth Grove (R-York) introduced House Bill 2444 that contains a natural gas industry wish list of measures they want to expand natural gas drilling, subsidize pipeline expansion using DCNR Oil and Gas Fund revenue, automatically approve of well permits and preempting local government regulation of all facilities regulated by DEP.

Natural Gas

PA Environment Daily

OCTOBER 17, 2023

On October 17, the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee held an informational briefing on Project Canary , a company that measures, analyzes and reports on methane emissions from natural gas production and distribution infrastructure.

Natural Gas

Legal Planet

JUNE 30, 2022

CT , the Supreme Court said this: We hold that the Clean Air Act and the EPA actions it authorizes displace any federal common law right to seek abatement of carbon-dioxide emissions from fossil-fuel fired power plants. In 2011, in AEP v. at 528–529. We answered no, given the existence of Section 111(d).

Carbon Dioxide

Law Columbia

APRIL 18, 2023

The court overturned a District Court ruling to invalidate a Berkeley, California, prohibition on natural gas infrastructure in newly-constructed buildings. Berkeley’s so-called “natural gas ban” was the first local ordinance in the country to effectively require all-electric construction of new buildings.

Conservation

PA Environment Daily

MAY 11, 2023

The roughly $6 billion Shell Monaca plant transforms a product of natural gas (ethane), extracted through hydraulic fracturing in the region’s shale formations, into tiny plastic pellets used to manufacture single-use plastic goods like soda bottles and plastic packaging.

Air Pollution

The Energy Law

FEBRUARY 22, 2016

The group of petitioners challenging the EPA rules imposing strict limits on carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants filed its opening briefs on Friday, February 19. The Clean Power Plan usurps authority given to States by the U.S. Constitution and the Clean Air Act. The lawsuit, West Virginia v.

Clean Air Act

PA Environment Daily

NOVEMBER 20, 2022

21 Webinar DEP Invites Comments On Proposed Cryptocurrency Data Mining Operation On Shale Gas Well Pad In Elk County DEP Invites Comments On Texas Eastern Pipeline Replacement Projects Affecting Cambria, Fayette, Huntingdon, Indiana, Lebanon Counties Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Nov.

Natural Gas

PA Environment Daily

NOVEMBER 20, 2022

Of Justice Indicts Erie Coke (Coal) And Corporate Officer For Violating Federal Clean Air Act Over 4 Years [PaEN] -- Erie Times: Erie Coke (Coal), Ex-Plant Chief Indicted On Charges Of Violating Federal Clean Air Act -- Pittsburgh's Group Against Smog & Pollution Hosts Dec.

Conservation

Law Columbia

NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had failed to fulfill its non-discretionary obligation under Section 321(a) of the Clean Air Act to conduct evaluations of loss or shifts in employment that might result from implementation of the Clean Air Act. Murray Energy Corp. McCarthy , No. 5:14 -cv-39 (N.D.

2016

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 4, 2023

Shortly thereafter, the Supreme Court ruled that EPA had the authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from passenger cars and trucks under Massachusetts v. EPA , and Congress finalized the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 , requiring increasing fuel economy standards.

Electricity

Environmental Science

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018

Fossil fuel : Any mineralized formerly organic material extracted from the ground and used in energy production: coal, natural gas, oil. Greenhouse gas : A group of gases known to be responsible for increasing the “greenhouse effect” - that is, gases that absorb infrared radiation and increase atmospheric density.

Government

Environmental Science

JULY 22, 2018

By nature, they are warmer and more humid than a garden. The greenhouse gases are methane, water vapor, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide (12). Methane is a natural gas and one burnt as fuel in many parts of the world, but it too increases air density and the greenhouse effect.

Atmosphere

Legal Planet

MARCH 6, 2023

Critically, and as we’ll discuss in greater depth shortly, hydrogen combustion (as opposed to its use in fuel cells) also leads to greater emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), a toxic group of pollutants regulated under the Clean Air Act. All this is not to say there is no place for hydrogen in a clean energy future.

Natural Gas

PA Environment Daily

MAY 5, 2023

Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration proposed much-needed protections to improve oversight and reduce pollution from the nation’s network of natural gas pipelines today.

Natural Gas

PA Environment Daily

JULY 25, 2022

We know that, for children living, and pregnant mothers living close by well pads or other natural gas facilities, that they suffer tremendous amount of health impacts, from birth defects, to lower birth weight, to exposure to cancer-causing VOCs and other toxins; it's a problem.

Natural Gas

PA Environment Daily

NOVEMBER 11, 2022

“Our stronger standards will work hand in hand with the historic level of resources from the Inflation Reduction Act to protect our most vulnerable communities and to put us on a path to achieve President Biden’s ambitious climate goals.” Oil and natural gas operations are the nation’s largest industrial source of methane.

Natural Gas

PA Environment Daily

APRIL 18, 2023

The electricity sector represents America’s second-largest source of carbon pollution and the Pennsylvania power sector is currently the third-highest polluting in the country, emitting nearly 80 million metric tons of CO2 [carbon dioxide] in 2021 alone.

Clean Energy

Smith Enviorment

JULY 12, 2022

Supreme Court issued a decision striking down an Obama era rule regulating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing power plants. EPA held the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan Rule exceeded EPA’s authority under the Clean Air Act. The Clean Power Plan Rule.

Clean Air Act

Acoel

JULY 5, 2022

EPA as a decision depriving EPA of an important tool to address climate change under the Clean Air Act. First Court did not eliminate the Agency’s ability to require greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions reductions under section 111 or any other section of the Clean Air Act. McKinstry, Jr.

Clean Air Act

Law Columbia

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) authorization of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from three facilities in Louisiana, Maryland, and Texas. Second, it found that DOE had not acted arbitrarily and capriciously by not conducting more localized analysis of where exports would result in increased production. Sierra Club v.

2017

Law Columbia

NOVEMBER 2, 2021

On Tuesday, November 2, the Biden administration unveiled a suite of measures aimed at controlling methane emissions from oil and natural gas facilities. Key among those measures are new emissions controls proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under section 111 of the Clean Air Act.

Natural Gas

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 12, 2023

The Cuyahoga fire, along with a major oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara that same year, galvanized national attention and led to the first Earth Day, a slew of new air and water protection laws, and the creation of new federal departments to administer them, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Clean Water Act

Law Columbia

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

Circuit Court of Appeals found that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) failed to adequately analyze the climate change and environmental justice impacts of two liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals on the Brownsville Shipping Channel in Texas and two pipelines that would carry LNG to one of the terminals.

2021

Vermont Law

APRIL 8, 2022

Juris Doctor Candidate (VLGS '23) and Staff Editor for the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law April 8, 2022 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establishes air quality standards under the Clean Air Act. (1) 2) Therefore, various state agencies administer their jurisdiction’s “methane gas” policy. (3)

Carbon Dioxide

Columbia Climate Law

DECEMBER 2, 2019

On Friday, November 22, the Sabin Center submitted comments opposing an Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) proposal to rescind regulations limiting methane emissions from new oil and natural gas facilities (the “Methane New Source Performance Standards” or “Methane NSPS”). That view is, however, refuted by EPA’s own documents.

Regulations

Law Columbia

MARCH 6, 2018

California Federal Court Barred BLM from Enforcing Delay of Oil and Natural Gas Waste Prevention Rule; States, Trade Groups Asked Wyoming Court to Expedite Review of Rule and Suspend Deadlines. The standards are for portable air conditioners, air compressors, commercial packaged boilers, and uninterruptible power supplies.

2018

Legal Planet

JUNE 30, 2022

Here is the Court’s reasoning in a nutshell: Capping carbon dioxide emissions at a level that will force a nationwide transition away from the use of coal to generate electricity may be a sensible “solution to the crisis of the day.” New York v. The case has a complicated legal and regulatory background.

Natural Gas

Columbia Climate Law

MAY 8, 2020

In addition, Coal Industry Petitioners and another set of petitioners with members that included companies in the petroleum, trucking, forest products, and other industries, as well as individuals and nonprofit organizations, filed briefs arguing that EPA could not regulate carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants under Section 111.

2020

Law Columbia

APRIL 20, 2021

In the meantime, the Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases issued a technical document providing interim estimates, including a cost of $51 per metric ton of carbon dioxide, using estimates developed prior to 2017 and adjusting for inflation.

Fossil Fuels

Law Columbia

AUGUST 4, 2021

Federal Court Rejected Federal Preemption Challenge to Berkeley Natural Gas Ban. The court also noted that states and localities “expressly maintain control over the local distribution of natural gas under related federal statutes” such as the Natural Gas Act.

2021

Law Columbia

JULY 2, 2021

The federal district court for the Western District of Louisiana issued a nationwide preliminary injunction barring the Biden administration from implementing a “Pause” on new oil and natural gas leases on public lands or in offshore waters. Circuit Vacated Approval for Natural Gas Pipeline in St. 20-472 (U.S. Louis area.

2021

ESA

APRIL 19, 2021

Carbon dioxide levels in atmosphere reach record high – The Guardian. Big Businesses Say They Want a Price on Carbon – Scientifc American/E&E News. Seismic Shift’ At FERC Could Kill Natural Gas Pipelines – SEJ/E&E News. EPA – Clean Air Act Advisory Committee: Request for Nominations.

2021

Vermont Law

DECEMBER 19, 2016

At a recent victory tour rally in West Allis, Wisconsin President-elect Trump succinctly stated his energy policy: “On energy we will cancel the restrictions on the destruction of American energy, including shale, natural gas and clean beautiful coal.”. [1]. Additionally, under attack is the carbon pollution standard rule. “If

2016

Law Columbia

MAY 7, 2021

The first petition was filed by West Virginia and 18 other states that had intervened to defend the repeal and replacement rule, known as the Affordable Clean Energy rule. Lawsuit Challenged 2021 Reissuance of Nationwide Permit for Oil and Gas Projects. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission , No. 20-1161 (D.C. 66,496 (Dec. 15,2 2009).

2021