Trump Administration
The Questionable Legal Basis of the “Transparency” Proposal
EPA seems unsure of the legal authority for its proposal — and for good reason.
“They sat at the Agency and said, ‘what can we do to reimagine authority under the statutes to regulate an area that we are unsure that we can but we’re going to do so anyway?’” When he said those words, Scott Pruitt was talking about the Obama Administration. But it seems to be a pretty …
Continue reading “The Questionable Legal Basis of the “Transparency” Proposal”
CONTINUE READINGAnalyzing a CAFE Rollback
Rolling back the CAFE standards is going to be a heavy analytic lift at best.
The Trump Administration has begun a review of the second phase of fuel efficiency standards adopted by the Obama Administration. Ann Carlson has already blogged about the harmful effects of such a rollback. A new paper by researchers at Resources for the Future sheds some additional light on the situation. Although the study does not …
Continue reading “Analyzing a CAFE Rollback”
CONTINUE READINGLaw professor comment on BLM proposal to revoke methane rule
Comment ids flaws in BLM’s proposal to revoke rule restricting methane emissions from oil and gas development on federal lands
I’ve already posted a couple of times on BLM’s proposal to revoke a rule that limits methane emissions (a major greenhouse gas) from oil and gas operations on federal lands. The period for public comment on BLM’s proposal closes today. A group of environmental law professors just filed a comment noting major legal problems with …
Continue reading “Law professor comment on BLM proposal to revoke methane rule”
CONTINUE READINGNative American Treaties, Declining Salmon Populations, Broken Promises & Environmental Justice
Pending Washington v. U.S. Supreme Court Decision Offers Hope & Vindication for Tribes, Coastal Fisheries
Truth be told, the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2017-18 Term has been an unsually quiet one for environmental and natural resources law. Until now. This week the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a last-minute addition to the Court’s current docket. Washington v. United States, No. 17-269, a case the justices only accepted for review in January, …
CONTINUE READINGTales From the Front: A Field Trip to the Utah Monuments
Personal Reflections on the Raging Debate Over Trump’s Utah Monument Reductions
One of most highly visible disputes arising out of the Trump Administration’s multifaceted efforts to roll back and nullify the natural resources policies of previous administrations is the decision by President Trump and Secretary of the Interior Zinke to substantially reduce two national monuments in Utah created by former President Obama under the Antiquities Act. President Trump’s December …
Continue reading “Tales From the Front: A Field Trip to the Utah Monuments”
CONTINUE READINGNutrition & Food Safety at Trump’s FDA
I posted earlier about an FDA move to remove nicotine from cigarettes in the hope of preventing addiction. FDA is also moving forward on some food nutrition issues. That makes FDA’s Commission, Scott Gottlieb, an oasis of sanity within the Trump Administration. First, as of May, FDA will begin enforcing a regulation requiring restaurants to …
Continue reading “Nutrition & Food Safety at Trump’s FDA”
CONTINUE READINGPromoting Energy Innovation
Novel energy technologies need special care and feeding if they are to develop and enter the marketplace.
An MIT professor has a great idea for a molten metal battery that could outperform lithium batteries. Of course, like many great ideas, this one might not pan out. But even if it does pan out technically, Grist explains one reason why it might never get to the commercial stage: “Ultimately, the thing that makes …
Continue reading “Promoting Energy Innovation”
CONTINUE READINGEnquiring Minds Want to Know (Ryan Zinke edition)
Depending on the Fall elections, Secretary Zinke could face some difficult oversight sessions.
Control of the House matters for many reasons, but perhaps most importantly because of the power to conduct investigations. We can’t be sure of how the election will come out, of course, but if the Democrats do take the House, they may have some questions for Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. Here are a …
Continue reading “Enquiring Minds Want to Know (Ryan Zinke edition)”
CONTINUE READINGUnited States v. California and SB 50
Federal lawsuit against California’s law to protect federal public lands may not be an easy win
Monday the federal government filed a lawsuit against the state of California challenging SB 50, a state law that attempts to give the state the ability to purchase federal public lands that are sold or disposed of. The lawsuit has gotten a lot of attention in the press, some with assessments that the federal government’s …
Continue reading “United States v. California and SB 50”
CONTINUE READINGWhy California gets to write its own auto emissions standards: 5 questions answered
Authored by Nicholas Bryner and Meredith Hankins
Rush hour on the Hollywood Freeway, Los Angeles, September 9, 2016. AP Photo/Richard Vogel This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Editor’s note: On April 2, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt announced that the Trump administration plans to revise tailpipe emissions standards negotiated by the Obama administration for motor …
CONTINUE READINGJoin Our Mailing List
Climate policy is changing rapidly. Stay in the loop with expert analysis via email Monday - Friday.
