The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced it has approved the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) new water quality standards for trash in state waters. The standards are part of California’s new Trash Control Policy, designed to keep trash out of streams, lakes, bays, estuaries, coastal, and ocean waters. EPA’s approval puts into effect amendments to the state’s Water Quality Control Plan for the Ocean Waters of California, […]

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U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the implementation of EPA’s Clean Power Plan, overruling the D.C. Circuit’s January 21 decision. As a result, EPA is now prevented from implementing the rule until the D.C. Circuit determines the validity of the rule, and the Supreme Court reviews that ruling. The question now before the D.C. Circuit (and to be before the Supreme Court upon review) is whether EPA has the authority […]

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EPA’s Clean Power Plan calls for existing power plants to cut carbon emissions by 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. States must start submitting implementation plans by 2018 and start showing emissions reductions by 2022. Industry representatives challenged the rule arguing the EPA doesn’t have the authority under the Clean Air Act to craft the rule. The petitioners requested a stay of its implementation until the challenge could be […]

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On Tuesday, January 19, 2016, President Obama vetoed the U.S. Senate’s resolution, S.J. 22, to nullify the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‘s Clean Water Rule (Waters of the United States or “WOTUS”). On Thursday, January 21, 2016, the U.S. Senate’s effort to override the veto failed. The vote on the override was 52-40.  The Senate needed 60 votes to move forward to a final vote, which then would have required 67 […]

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