Appeals Court Upholds GHG Rules
On Tuesday, the federal Circuit Court for the District of Columbia upheld greenhouse gas rules promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency. The American Farm Bureau Federation was a party in the cases on this, which were consolidated in the D.C. Circuit Court. The decision is seen as a blow to the coal industry and a win for environmental activists. The decision preserves the status quo...
Read MoreList Could Spur More Wetlands
With the addition of more than 1,400 plant species to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ database of plant life that it, the Environmental Protection Agency and other entities use for wetlands designations, the number of marginal wetlands that may require Clean Water Act permits could also be on the rise, according to Inside EPA. The Corps says the 1,472 additional plant species increase the...
Read MoreE15 Clears Final Hurdle
After three years, the American ethanol industry has finally satisfied all federal requirements for E15 commercial sales as set by the partial E15 waiver granted by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to Growth Energy. On Monday, 99 ethanol producers had funded a nationwide fuel survey as required by the partial waiver that represents the final hurdle to E15 availability. “Americans...
Read MoreSCOTUS Sides with Sacketts
A recent Supreme Court ruling asserts that landowners are entitled to a day in court. In a unanimous decision the Supreme Court ruled that property owners are entitled to their day in court when the Environmental Protection Agency asserts jurisdiction over their land. In Sackett v. EPA, the EPA told the Sacketts, an Idaho couple, they had to stop building their new home because it was on...
Read MoreEPA Pushes Water Rules
EPA is moving forward with its controversial “waters of the U.S.” guidance, which would significantly expand the agency’s regulatory reach. The guidance will extend federal regulatory authority over isolated wetlands and all tributaries, which the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers will define as virtually any water body with a hydrological connection. Within as few as 30 days, the agency...
Read MoreAnother Legal Victory for Farm Bureau
In the second major legal victory for Fam Bureau in as many days, a U.S. District court in Florida rejected the EPA’s nutrient criteria for Florida streams and unimpaired lakes are unlawful because they are arbitrary and have no scientific basis. On Tuesday the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that landowners and not the state, own the land under rivers and streams. The Florida ruling resolves...
Read MoreLegislative Tracking 2013
