Polsinelli’s Post

News Update: Texas agency to vote Wednesday on expansion of Valero refinery in Corpus Christi Tomorrow, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is set to decide the fate of a planned refinery expansion in Corpus Christi, Texas. The three-member Governor-appointed group will vote on a permit that, if approved, would allow Valero to expand its oil refining capabilities at their Corpus Christi West plant. Valero faces an uphill battle after local opponents including Citizens for Environmental Justice secured a legal win from a Texas State administrative law judge last year. The judge is recommending that the permit be denied, because Valero’s planned expansion project fails to meet federal Clean Air Act rules to limit emissions of smog-forming nitrogen oxides, which damage people’s respiratory systems and are linked to long-term lung conditions. “We expect the Commission to accept the fact findings and legal conclusions of the judge who heard all the evidence and determined that this permit should be denied,” said Environmental Integrity Project attorney Ilan Levin. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eDC2EHvH Photo by Ted Auch, FracTracker Alliance, 2019. Citizens for Environmental Justice, Corpus Christi Caller-Times, KRIS 6 News, For the Greater Good, Deceleration News, Coastal Alliance to Protect Our Environment, FracTracker, Environment Texas, Chispa TX, Texas Campaign for the Environment #environmentaljustice #environment #justice #EIP #oilandgas #valero #expansion #tceq #pollution #nitrogenoxide #texas #corpuschristi

Last week, SCOTUS overturned a legal defense that’s been cited more than 18,000 times to defend environmental regulations, worker protections, health care policy, and more. Here’s what you need to know about the Chevron doctrine: The Chevron doctrine argues it’s up to federal agencies to interpret any ambiguities in the laws Congress passes. If the wording of a law is vague or unclear — as is often the case — experts at the EPA, IRS, FERC, and other federal agencies are tasked with making sense of it. Last week’s ruling overturned this defense, arguing against the idea that agencies are better suited to fill in the specifics. As a result, it’s now up to the courts to interpret ambiguous laws. SCOTUS says the new ruling won’t automatically overturn previous court decisions; still, this opens the door to legal challenges against existing regulations, such as IRA tax credits, FERC’s renewables procurement rules for utilities, and the EPA’s emissions regulations on power plants, vehicles, and more. Going forward, it will also be more difficult for federal agencies to create regulations based on decades-old environmental laws such as the Clean Air Act or the Endangered Species Act without the Chevron doctrine in place. Read more about this SCOTUS ruling and how it affects the clean energy industry below: – https://bit.ly/4ePL4iw (Sightline Climate (CTVC)) – https://bit.ly/3L9l58f (Axios) – https://nyti.ms/3XIDaS7 (The New York Times) – https://bit.ly/4eMGFgk (Grist) – https://bit.ly/4cLBcVm (SCOTUSblog) #CleanEnergy #SCOTUS #EnvironmentalRegulations #ChevronDoctrin

Last Friday, the Supreme Court overruled the 40-year-old Chevron doctrine, fundamentally changing federal regulatory power and posing significant implications for environmental regulations and climate accountability. In my latest blog, I dive into how this landmark decision benefits big oil and gas, allowing them to challenge and potentially block essential climate regulations. 📖 Read the full blog to understand five key implications of this decision and its impact on climate accountability. #ClimateChange #EnvironmentalRegulation #ChevronDoctrine #BigOil #SupremeCourt #ClimateAccountability

"For now, especially for members serving with a federal agency, it’s important to work towards environmental stewardship as one and recall our shared goals, especially with so much divide, change, and turmoil recently. Additionally, in such a dramatic phase of world events and such it’s necessary to practice our own climactic resilience by continuance of our service to the environment, eachother, and the wellbeing of Americans." ✍Emma Klemmensen, Mankato 2 Field Crew Member R️ead Emma's blog post about the recent Supreme Court ruling overturning the Chevron Deference Doctrine: https://lnkd.in/gy_vrKJH [Image Description] U.S. Supreme Court Building. Text on the side reads "New Blog Post"

When the Supreme Court overturned the so-called Chevron doctrine last June, it stripped federal agencies of much of their discretionary power to interpret laws that Congress grants them authority to administer. For my latest Policy Watch column in Green Building Advisor, I explore the decision's potential impacts on the housing industry and some of the laws and federal rulings (e.g., Clean Air Act, Inflation Reduction Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's new transmission rule, and others) that will likely suffer because of it. According to David Doniger, senior attorney and climate and energy strategist with Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the lawyer who represented NRDC in the original 1984 Chevron case, #ChevronDeference is important because "it provides judges with clear guidelines for resolving legal disputes regarding the administration of laws intended to safeguard the public.” That 40-year-old legal precedent has now been overturned by the highest court in the land. So, where do we go from here? https://lnkd.in/eM4h3KvC #Chevrondoctrine SCOTUSblog The White House Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Yesterday, the House Committee on Natural Resources, chaired by Bruce Westerman from Arkansas' 4th Congressional District, conducted a full legislative hearing on three bills concerning the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). These bills aim to amend and update NEPA by: ✅Addressing issues that have caused extended project timelines and increased litigation ✅ Reducing the level of analysis required in agency documents, ✅ Clarifying the conditions that trigger NEPA reviews, ✅ Setting clear limits and timelines for judicial review, ✅ Increasing transparency by requiring the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to publish an annual report on NEPA projects & their outcomes. "I commend Chairman Westerman and the House Committee on Natural Resources for their tireless efforts on federal permitting reform. A recent S&P Global report showed that it can take nearly 30 years to permit a mine from discovery to operation. Reform is essential if we are to strengthen critical mineral supply chains domestically and boost copper production through great projects like Resolution Copper's proposed mine, NewRange Copper Nickel's NorthMet project and Twin Metals Minnesota LLC's proposed Copper-Nickel-Cobalt mine to name a few. Permitting reform benefits rural communities, national security, and the environment alike." Ryan Sistad - Executive Director of Better In Our Back Yard For more information, visit the link below: https://lnkd.in/gQhk457R

Clients frequently face challenges with knowing if sites they want to acquire are contaminated, and they rely on our wide network of seasoned practitioners to support thorough environmental due diligence by conducting initial site evaluations and phase two evaluations. Learn more: https://hubs.ly/Q02DJ_VF0

U.S. EPA Grants Louisiana Primacy for Class VI Carbon Sequestration Wells. The Environmental Protection Agency on Jan. 5 issued a final rule granting primacy to Louisiana for regulating Class VI wells for geologic carbon sequestration. The rule allows the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources to issue underground injection control, or UIC permits for geologic carbon sequestration facilities as Class VI wells and ensure compliance under a...… The post U.S. EPA Grants Louisiana Primacy for Class VI Carbon Sequestration Wells appeared first on EnerKnol. https://lnkd.in/g3bnpJbW

As an environmental consultant, people often ask me "what do you ACTUALLY do?" and though there is quite the variety, one of my primary practice areas is transactional environmental due diligence. I love the fast-paced nature of the process and helping our clients understand the potential risks associated with acquisitions. If you would like to learn more about our work in this area or the numerous other practice areas we work in, please free to reach out! #geosyntec #duediligence #consulting #commercialrealestate