On October 20, 2023, EPA released a final rule under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (“EPCRA”) relating to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”). The Rule makes important revisions to EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory (“TRI”) program relating to 189 specified PFAS.
Inside Energy & Environment
Developments in law and policy of energy, commodities and environment
Latest from Inside Energy & Environment - Page 7
Commerce Final Rule Heightens Uncertainty as to How Treasury Will Interpret “Foreign Entity of Concern” for EV Credits Under Section 30D of the Inflation Reduction Act
On September 22, the Commerce Department published a final rule implementing the national security-related restrictions and obligations on recipients of incentive funds under the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (the “CHIPS Act”). The final rule clarifies in some respects, and substantially expands in other respects, the definition of “foreign entity of concern” that appeared…
Law Enacted by California Legislature Would Require Companies to Disclose Key Details About Voluntary Carbon Offsets and Claims Made in Reliance Upon Them
On September 13, 2023, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 1305 (AB 1305), which imposes wide-ranging disclosure requirements on (1) entities that market or sell voluntary carbon offsets and (2) entities that purchase and rely on these offsets to advertise their climate goals. The bill has been enrolled and is currently on Governor Newsom’s desk.…
Key Takeaways from EPA’s PFAS Reporting Rule
On September 28, 2023, EPA released a final rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (“TCSA”) mandating reporting relating to past manufacturing of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”). Below are key takeaways companies that may be subject to these reporting requirements should keep in mind.…
California Legislature Passes Landmark Climate Disclosure Laws: Spotlight on SB 253
Last week, the California Legislature passed two bills comprising the core of a landmark “Climate Accountability Package.” Together, the two bills will impose extensive new climate-related disclosure obligations on thousands of U.S. public and private companies with operations in California. Senate Bill 253 (SB 253) would require companies with greater than $1 billion in annual…
California Legislature Passes Landmark Climate Disclosure Laws: Spotlight on SB 261
Last week, the California Legislature passed two bills as part of the state’s landmark “Climate Accountability Package.” If signed by Governor Newsom as anticipated, the two laws—Senate Bill 253 (SB 253) and Senate Bill 261 (SB 261)—will usher in significant climate-related disclosure requirements for thousands of U.S. public and private companies that do business in…
Q&A: Navigating Climate and ESG Amid Regulatory Uncertainty
The following interview originally appeared in the National Law Journal.
What you need to know
- One of the significant issues many of their multinational clients have is the growing divide between how they operate and what’s expected of them in the U.S. versus Europe.
- At the same time the legal field has experienced this anti-ESG
…
EPA Webinar Addresses Pesticidal Device Efficacy Data
On September 6, 2023, EPA held a webinar relating to pesticidal devices, focused on air cleaning devices. The webinar highlighted EPA’s expectations for data that manufacturers must have on file to substantiate efficacy claims for these devices. This provides important additional guidance to manufacturers regarding the types of testing EPA expects to be conducted.…
Corporate Reporting in the UK: The International Sustainability Standards Board
On 26 June 2023, the International Sustainability Standards Board (“ISSB”) published its inaugural International Financial Reporting Standards Sustainability Disclosure Standards (the “ISSB Standards”) (read our previous blog post on this here). In August 2023, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) published Primary Market Bulletin 45, confirming its intentions to update its climate-related disclosures…
The First Year of the Inflation Reduction Act
On August 16, 2022—one year ago today—President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”), the most significant clean energy and climate law in U.S. history. As we described in a series last summer, the IRA created durable tax credits and other fiscal programs to revitalize domestic manufacturing and incentivize clean energy solutions in nearly every…