North America: Environment

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Environmental law articles, insights, podcasts, videos and webinars from expert sources across the legal world. Explore insights covering topics such as clean air/pollution, climate change, environmental law and waste management.
Podcast
TSCA Reform, Ten Years Later — Panel 4: Where Are We? (Podcast)
The 2016 Lautenberg Amendments promised to revolutionize chemical safety regulation in the United States, but have four administrations successfully implemented Congress's vision? This discussion brings together diverse stakeholders to debate whether EPA's decade-long implementation of TSCA reforms has achieved its public health goals, or if a fundamental reimagining of chemical regulation is needed.
United States Environment
BC
Bergeson & Campbell
Article
D.C. Circuit Rebuffs Challenge To EPA’s PFOA And PFOS Hazardous Substance Rule
In April 2024, EPA designated perfluorooctanoic acid (“PFOA”) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (“PFOS”) as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”). As previously discussed in Re:Torts, industry groups challenged the designation, arguing that EPA misread the phrase “may present substantial danger” as requiring only a “possibility” of harm. The groups also argued EPA gave inadequate notice of its cost-benefit methodology and acted arbitrarily and capriciously.
United States Environment
D
Dechert
Article
Trámites En Materia De Impacto Ambiental Habilitados En La Ventanilla Electrónica Ambiental
El 11 de septiembre de 2026, la Secretaría del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales publicó en el Diario Oficial de la Federación (“DOF”) el Acuerdo mediante el cual se dan a conocer los trámites a cargo de la Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales habilitados en la Ventanilla Electrónica Ambiental en materia de impacto ambiental.
United States Environment
GT
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Article
California Finalizes Foundational SB 253 And SB 261 Regulation As First SB 253 Reporting Deadline Nears
California's climate disclosure regulations have taken effect, establishing critical definitions for corporate greenhouse gas reporting under SB 253 and climate-related financial risk disclosure under SB 261. With the first emissions reports due November 10, 2026, companies must navigate complex applicability tests, voluntary reporting portals, and evolving regulatory expectations while legal challenges continue to unfold. Understanding which entities are covered, how to structure submissions, and what step
United States Environment
AP
Arnold & Porter
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EC
Environment and Climate Regulation

Environmental Law

Article
Accélération du processus d’autorisation des grands projets fédéraux : modifications proposées par le projet de loi C-39
Le gouvernement canadien propose des réformes majeures pour accélérer l'approbation des grands projets d'infrastructure et d'énergie. Le projet de loi C-39 établit des échéanciers d'un an pour les décisions fédérales, crée un cadre pour les régions d'intérêt national avec présomption d'approbation, et centralise les évaluations d'impact pour les projets énergétiques et nucléaires. Ces changements visent à ren
Canada Government
BC
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Podcast
TSCA Reform, Ten Years Later — Panel 4: Where Are We? (Podcast)
The 2016 Lautenberg Amendments promised to revolutionize chemical safety regulation in the United States, but have four administrations successfully implemented Congress's vision? This discussion brings together diverse stakeholders to debate whether EPA's decade-long implementation of TSCA reforms has achieved its public health goals, or if a fundamental reimagining of chemical regulation is needed.
United States Environment
BC
Bergeson & Campbell
Article
Second Life For Mine Waste: Turning Tailings Into A Critical Minerals Recovery And Environmental Remediation Opportunity
The United States imports nearly all of 13 critical minerals essential to national defense and advanced manufacturing, creating strategic vulnerabilities. Federal agencies are now moving to unlock domestic sources by recovering these minerals from abandoned mine tailings, which contain significant concentrations of rare earth elements, cobalt, and other strategic materials while offering environmental remediation benefits.
Global Energy
FH
Foley Hoag LLP
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Waste Management

Article
Ontario Finalizes Amendments To The Producer Responsibility Regime
Ontario has finalized significant amendments to its producer responsibility regime, introducing an 80% tire management target, expanding collection networks to 6,500 sites, and removing the $1 million cap on administrative penalties. The changes also establish new financial reporting requirements for producer responsibility organizations across multiple product categories, fundamentally reshaping compliance obligations for producers operating in the province.
Canada Environment
BJ
Bennett Jones LLP
Article
Federal Court Upholds Oregon's Packaging EPR Law in NAW v. Feldon
A federal judge in Oregon has upheld the state's packaging extended producer responsibility law against constitutional challenges, marking the first packaging EPR case to reach a decision on the merits. The ruling rejected claims that Oregon's program violates the dormant Commerce Clause and Due Process Clause, establishing important precedents that may influence similar litigation in other states. With the preliminary injunction now dissolved, producers covered by Oregon's EPR law face immediate compliance
United States Environment
S
Steptoe LLP
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Clean Air / Pollution

Article
Minnesota Finds Decrease In Certain Consumer Products Containing PFAS, Will Expand Product Testing In The Future
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has released new testing results showing that manufacturers have successfully transitioned away from PFAS-containing products in key consumer categories. The data reveals a dramatic improvement in compliance rates since Minnesota's PFAS prohibitions took effect, with over 92 percent of tested products now meeting state requirements for dental floss, menstrual products, and food packaging.
United States Environment
BC
Bergeson & Campbell
Article
District Court Enjoins EPA From Reclassifying California’s Clean Air Act Waivers
A federal district court has preliminarily enjoined the EPA from reclassifying California's Clean Air Act preemption waiver orders as "rules" subject to the Congressional Review Act. The court found that EPA's reclassification likely violated the Administrative Procedure Act and exceeded the agency's authority, though the order does not prevent Congress from proceeding with pending disapproval resolutions.
United States Environment
AP
Arnold & Porter
Article
New Jersey Supreme Court To Review NJDEP's Environmental Justice Rules
The New Jersey Supreme Court will review key provisions of the state's Environmental Justice Rules, including their application to facilities in unpopulated areas adjacent to overburdened communities, the classification of existing facilities as "new," and the validity of stricter air pollution control standards. The case could reshape environmental permitting requirements and determine whether long-operating businesses face permit denial or merely additional conditions.
United States Environment
RD
Riker Danzig LLP
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Climate Change

Article
California Finalizes Foundational SB 253 And SB 261 Regulation As First SB 253 Reporting Deadline Nears
California's climate disclosure regulations have taken effect, establishing critical definitions for corporate greenhouse gas reporting under SB 253 and climate-related financial risk disclosure under SB 261. With the first emissions reports due November 10, 2026, companies must navigate complex applicability tests, voluntary reporting portals, and evolving regulatory expectations while legal challenges continue to unfold. Understanding which entities are covered, how to structure submissions, and what step
United States Environment
AP
Arnold & Porter
Podcast
SPRingBoard Environmental Law Podcast Episode 10: “Environmental Law, Explained: Practice, Purpose, And The Future Of The Field”
In this Climate Week NYC special episode, SPRingBoard host Ahlia Bethea is joined by Dr. Adam Orford, Associate Professor of Law at Fordham University School of Law, and Katherine Ghilain Trudell, Principal at SPR, for a candid discussion about the realities of practicing environmental law, the many career paths that exist, and the trends shaping the future of the field.
United States Environment
SP
Sive, Paget & Riesel
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Latest Videos

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