Environmental groups in the United States and Europe have filed complaints against Coca Cola and other companies accusing them of “greenwashing” their environmental sustainability claims. Companies are accused of greenwashing when they make claims that something is more eco-friendly, green, or sustainable than it really is. In 2021, Earth Island Institute brought a lawsuit against…
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The vast expansion of the renewable energy sector has prompted the EPA to modify existing universal waste requirements regarding the disposal of lithium-ion batteries and expand the universal waste rule to cover photovoltaic solar panels. The universal waste program was implemented in May 1995, as a subsection of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), to…
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On October 3, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) announced it was accepting for investigation an Administrative Complaint filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Natural Resources Council against the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (“ADEM”). The Complaint alleges that ADEM engages in racially discriminatory practices against residents in the Black Belt region…
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On September 8, 2023, the Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency published new standards defining “waters of the United States” as it relates to regulations under the Clean Water Act. The new regulations took effect immediately to fill a void left by the Supreme Court’s ruling in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, 598…
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On August 3, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued a proposed denial of Alabama’s permit program to manage coal ash in landfills and surface impoundments. The EPA claims Alabama’s program is significantly less protective of people and waterways than required by federal regulations. This is the first time the EPA has proposed denying a…
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On April 12, 2023, the EPA and Biden Administration proposed new rules governing emissions from new vehicles manufactured in the United States between 2027 and 2032. The EPA bases its authority to enact the regulations on section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act. The Biden administration previously laid the groundwork for more stringent vehicle emissions…
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On May 25, 2023, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, 143 S. Ct. 1322 (2023) to narrow the scope of the Clean Water Act’s (“CWA”) regulations governing wetlands. The Court held that for wetlands to be regulated under the CWA, the wetlands must be connected to traditional navigable waters…
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On April 28, 2023, President Biden signed an executive order entitled “Executive Order on Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All” (“the Order”). The purpose of the Order is to renew a pledge made in Executive Order 12898 of February 11, 1994 (“the 1994 Order”) and more effectively implement the tenets in the…
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On March 30, 2023, the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) filed suit against railway operator Norfolk Southern Corporation for violations under the Clean Water Act (“CWA”) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) in connection with a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The February 3, 2023, derailment resulted in at…
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On March 14, 2023, the EPA announced proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for six PFAS chemical compounds. The rule would limit the amount of PFOA perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) to four parts per trillion (or ng/L) in drinking water across the nation. Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA,…
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