News

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Division of Water Resources (DWR) has reaffirmed DWR's previous denial of Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) Southgate Project's request for a Clean Water Act 401 Water Quality Certification. DEQ first denied the request in August 2020. On MVP's appeal of the decision, the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals found that the DEQ had not adequately explained its decision and vacated the agency's denial.

NCDEQ Reissues Denial for MVP WQ 401 Certification

In a letter to Senate Appropriations Chair, Patrick Leahy, Acting Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young outlined President Biden's discretionary funding request for fiscal year (FY) 2022. The administration's $1.5 trillion spending plan is only one element of the Administration's broader agenda. The President plans to release a comprehensive budget that would include mandatory spending for Social Security and Medicare later this Spring. Mandatory spending is outside the annual budget process that governs discretionary spending.

OMB Sends Biden’s $1.5T Budget Plan to Congress

In a press release on Wednesday, April 8, 2021, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan directed all EPA offices to clearly integrate environmental justice (EJ) considerations into their plans and actions. The directive comes in response to President Biden's January 20 Executive Order to advance racial equity and support underserved communities through the Federal Government.

Regan Directs Agency to Integrate EJ in Plans and Actions

President Biden announced his $2 trillion dollar American Jobs Plan on March 31 just weeks after his $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan was signed into law on March 11. The rescue plan was an economic stimulus bill to speed recovery from the impact of COVID-19. The jobs plan is a proposal to rebuild America's infrastructure which Biden said is ranked 13th in the world.

Biden Announces American Jobs Plan

Bloomberg is reporting an industry perspective on the Biden Administration’s swift movement toward regulating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Attorneys are bracing for “a wave of corporate liability and litigation” in anticipation of regulations designed to control PFAS levels in drinking water and effluent discharges, as well as compel cleanup at hazardous waste sites.

Corporate Liability and Litigation Expected as Biden Administration Moves to ...

Yesterday (March 10, 2021) the Senate voted 66-34 to confirm Michael Regan as the next Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator. Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE)  said, "Michael Regan is the right person for the job at this critical moment." He called him a man of deep faith who believes we have a moral obligation to be good stewards of this planet. [...]

Senate Confirms Regan for EPA Administrator