Sidley Energy Blog

On June 11, 2021, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Representative A. Donald McEachin (D-VA) announced the reintroduction of the Environmental Justice Pollution Cleanup Act of 2021 – a bill first introduced in 2020, which would provide for significant investment in environmental justice communities to address the health and environmental effects of pollution. This marks the latest of a series of proposed legislation addressing environmental justice. In March 2021, we reported on the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which allocated $100 million in funding to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for programs, including the retrofitting or replacement of diesel engines or equipment, cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields sites, and technical assistance for small community water systems.

Environmental Justice; Legislative Corner

EPA Adds Three Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) to the Toxics Release Inventory

Jun 08 2021

Samuel Boxerman and Allison H. In

On June 3, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published in the Federal Register a rule adding three more per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the list of chemicals requiring toxic chemicals release reporting under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act and the Pollution Prevention Act, that is, Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). The PFAS added are perfluorooctyl iodide, potassium perfluorooctanoate and silver(I) perfluorooctanoate, which must be included in TRI reports due July 1, 2022.

Environmental Trends; EPA; PFAS; TSCA

TSA Issues Directive to Enhance Pipeline Cybersecurity

Jun 04 2021

Lorrie Marcil, Emily P. Mallen, Colleen Theresa Brown, Sujit Raman and Mark Prior

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration (“TSA”) issued a Security Directive, “Enhancing Pipeline Cybersecurity” on May 28, laying out new cybersecurity requirements for operators of liquids and natural gas pipelines and LNG facilities designated as critical infrastructure.

Energy; Pipelines

FERC Climate Change Concerns to Delay Five Pending Natural Gas Pipeline Projects

Jun 02 2021

Emily P. Mallen

On May 27, 2021, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) indicated that it would increase the timeline for making a decision on five pending applications for Natural Gas Act (NGA) Section 7 certificates of public convenience and necessity when it issued notices of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to each of the project sponsors. Each of the applications concern pipeline expansion projects that were the subject of environmental assessments (EAs) performed by FERC staff. The notices state that the new EISs will tier off of the existing EAs and will be limited in scope to assisting FERC in its consideration of the subject projects’ contribution to climate change in the FERC decision-making process.

Emissions; FERC; GHG; Greenhouse Gases; Natural Gas; NEPA; Pipelines

EPA Formally Repeals Trump Administration Transparency in Science Rule

Jun 01 2021

Samuel Boxerman and Joseph Zaleski

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) has formally repealed regulations establishing how the Agency would consider the availability of dose-response data (“Strengthening Transparency in Pivotal Science Underlying Significant Regulatory Actions and Influential Scientific Information,” 86 Fed. Reg. 469) (the Science Rule). The Science Rule, which was finalized and went into effect immediately on January 6, 2021, related specifically to studies describing the quantitative relationship between the dose or exposure of a pollutant, contaminant, or substance and its effect; the rule required, among other things, that EPA identify and give greater consideration to studies constituting “pivotal science” (defined as “the specific dose-response studies or analyses that drive the requirements or quantitative analyses of EPA significant regulatory actions or influential scientific information”) and make public all science that served as the basis for a significant regulatory action.

Environmental Trends; EPA; Science Rule; Trump

SEC Climate Disclosure Bill Clears U.S. House Committee Vote

Jun 01 2021

Samuel Boxerman and Brittany A. Bolen

The U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee advanced another piece of legislation related to disclosures of environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) metrics on Wednesday, May 12, 2021. Introduced by Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., HR 2570, the Climate Risk Disclosure Act, cleared the committee with the full support of the majority members in a vote of 28 to 24.

Climate Change; ESG; Greenhouse Gases; Legislative Corner; SEC; Securities

U.S. Supreme Court Provides Procedural Victory to Defendants Seeking to Keep Climate Change Nuisance Litigation in Federal Court

May 28 2021

Samuel Boxerman and Allen S. Braddock

On May 24, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated and remanded First, Ninth, and Tenth Circuit rulings that sent climate change litigation to state courts (Order List: 593 U.S. – May 24, 2021). The Supreme Court’s orders come fresh off its May 17, 2021, decision in Mayor and City Council of Baltimore v. BP P.L.C., et al., in which the Supreme Court addressed appellate court review of a district court’s remand orders.

Climate Change; Environmental Trends

Environmental Justice Pollution Cleanup Act to Be Reintroduced

EPA Adds Three Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) to the Toxics Release Inventory

TSA Issues Directive to Enhance Pipeline Cybersecurity

FERC Climate Change Concerns to Delay Five Pending Natural Gas Pipeline Projects

EPA Formally Repeals Trump Administration Transparency in Science Rule

SEC Climate Disclosure Bill Clears U.S. House Committee Vote

U.S. Supreme Court Provides Procedural Victory to Defendants Seeking to Keep Climate Change Nuisance Litigation in Federal Court

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