United States: Environmental Law

California Assembly Bill 1603 mandates unprecedented public disclosure of PFAS-containing pesticides through a searchable database, annual reporting, and direct notification to county enforcement authorities. While the law imposes no immediate restrictions or labeling requirements on registrants, it explicitly signals legislative intent to phase out PFAS pesticides and creates a regulatory infrastructure that heightens reputational, enforcement, and litigation risks.

Explore the intersection of environmental law and endangered species protection through comprehensive legal analysis and policy developments. This resource examines regulatory frameworks, litigation trends, and conservation strategies that shape how species protection laws are interpreted and enforced. Discover how legal practitioners and policymakers navigate the complex balance between development interests and biodiversity preservation.

On September 11, 2026, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) issued significant new requirements for facilities that recycle renewable energy components, including components of wind turbine generators, solar energy devices, and battery energy storage systems (BESSs). See 51 Tex. Reg. 6742-6751 (September 25, 2026). The new rules and their authorizing legislation impose reporting, closure, financial assurance, and recordkeeping requirements on the recycling facilities.

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger's Executive Order 22 introduces a comprehensive Data Center Accountability Framework that fundamentally reshapes how data centers will be developed, permitted, and operated in the Commonwealth. The sweeping initiative addresses transparency, environmental protection, energy costs, grid reliability, and community engagement while establishing an AI Task Force and designating the Office of the Chief Energy Officer to coordinate implementation. With immediate changes to non

Beginning October 10, 2026, the European Union will restrict certain concentrations of PFHxA and related substances in clothing and footwear, marking a significant expansion of PFAS regulations affecting the apparel and textile industry. Companies face a complex patchwork of requirements as France, Denmark, and multiple U.S. states implement their own PFAS restrictions with varying scopes, thresholds, and compliance approaches. Navigating these divergent regulations requires careful supply chain evaluation

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Verra has launched Version 1.0 of its Scope 3 Standard Program, introducing a new framework for quantifying, verifying, and certifying greenhouse gas emission reductions within corporate value chains. The program adapts existing Verified Carbon Standard methodologies to enable companies to measure and report value-chain decarbonization investments with greater certainty. As corporate accounting frameworks evolve and the GHG Protocol develops new guidance, this initiative could reshape how companies approach

California has enacted seven new laws that fundamentally reshape how data centers are approved, powered, and supplied with water. These regulations eliminate fast-track environmental approvals, impose mandatory water supply assessments regardless of facility size, and require data centers to bear full grid interconnection costs through special utility tariffs.

California Governor Newsom signed seven data center bills into law on September 21, 2026, establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework that takes effect January 1, 2027. These bills create new tariff regimes administered by the California Public Utilities Commission, impose extensive reporting requirements on data center operators, and establish water disclosure mandates and CEQA treatment protocols.