Legal Analysis Adapting Superfund Remedial Plans for Climate Change With the effects of climate change becoming increasingly dire, hundreds of Superfund sites are in danger of destabilizing and releasing toxic chemicals into nearby neighborhoods and the environment.[1] A 2019 […] March 12, 2021
Explainer A New Automotive Era? Promoting Electric Vehicles in the Biden Administration Introduction 2021 appears to be a banner year for electric vehicles (EVs). Major automakers are launching a range of light- to heavy-duty EV models and have made bold promises to […] March 3, 2021
EPA’s New Aviation Emissions Standard: Why It’s Already Obsolete Aviation is responsible for 3.5% of anthropogenic climate change. Until this year, however, the United States lacked any regulation addressing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from aircraft. In the final days […] February 25, 2021
Explainer Update: E-Bikes Rules Finalized with Few Changes After reviewing approximately 57,000 public comments, BLM, BOR, FWS, and NPS finalized rules in October and November regarding e-bike use on federal public lands. E-bikes are motor-assisted bicycles controlled with […] February 4, 2021
Legal Analysis EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule: Examining Challenges and Prospects Lead-contaminated drinking water continues to disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of color, with dangerous long-term health implications. To combat this problem, EPA promulgated the 1991 Lead and Copper Rule […] January 28, 2021
Legal Analysis A New Approach to Disaster Relief Funding? The Disaster Recovery Reform Act’s Promise for Pre-Disaster Mitigation Climate change is likely to increase the frequency and cost of natural disasters in the U.S., underscoring the importance of a robust and proactive federal natural disaster response. January 28, 2021
Legal Analysis Section 401 of the Clean Water Act from Trump to Biden Overview Under section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), any applicant seeking a federal permit or license for an activity that “may result in any discharge into the navigable […] January 25, 2021
Legal Analysis President-Elect Biden Supports a “Carbon Enforcement Mechanism” – Could that Mean a Price on Carbon? As part of his climate agenda, President-elect Joe Biden promises to pass legislation that “establishes an enforcement mechanism” to curb harmful greenhouse gas emissions.[1] What this means is far from […] November 14, 2020
Abandoning structures to rising sea levels, what are the legal issues and solutions? Shifting property lines and flooded structures are not new problems, but with climate change increasing their occurrence, we need new legal tools and better policy to address them. Land loss […] November 3, 2020