Written by: Rachel Schade Photo Provided by Dylan Baddour/Inside Climate News at https://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/30/texas-tceq-1-mile-rule-pollution-citizen-complaints/ In the hustle and bustle of our busy modern society, there remains one silent and often ignored threat: our own air quality. As we strive to meet the growing demands of our nation, air pollution has […]
Legal Voice
First Smuggling Charge of Greenhouse Gases into the United States
Written by: Natalee Codispot First Smuggling Charge of Greenhouse Gases into the United States On March 4, 2024, Michael Hart was arrested in violation of the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act (“AIM Act”) of 2020.[1] The AIM Act[2] authorizes the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) to phase […]
Should Fracking Brine Be Disposed in Plum Borough Outside Pittsburgh?
Written By: Kate Sullivan A local Pittsburgh suburb, Plum Borough, has fought its zoning hearing board (“ZHB”) on its approval of a request by Penneco Environmental Solutions, LLC (“Penneco”) to add another underground injection well on its property to dispose of fracking waste for customers.[1] There are limited means to […]
The Hidden Threat of Forever Chemicals
Written By: Jack Indzonka Last November, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals heard a class action lawsuit against 3M and nine other manufacturers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) alleging negligence, battery, and conspiracy claims under laws of Ohio and other states, seeking declaratory and injunctive relief including medical monitoring.[1] […]
The Impact of Held v. Montana on Future Climate Change Litigation
Written by: Daniel Larimer A group of young people have taken the issue of climate change to their state’s Supreme Court in Montana.[1] In 2020, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of sixteen minors between two and eighteen years old challenging a provision of the Montana Environmental Policy Act (“MEPA”) […]
Preventing 2024 From Becoming the Hottest Year on Record
Written By: Alexandra Brooks As 2024 begins, it is important to reflect on the impact that 2023 had on the planet. A report published by Berkeley Earth, an independent climate research group, reported earlier this year that “2023 was the warmest year on Earth since 1850, exceeding the previous record […]
The Inevitable Controversy Around Mitigating the Dakota Access Pipeline Protests
Written By: Lachlan Loudon In 2019, the state of North Dakota sued the federal government for $38 million in damages for the cost of policing protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline.[1] The pipeline, which moves oil from North Dakota to Illinois, has been a subject of controversy for the […]
2023 Recap: Climate Litigation in 2023 in the United States
Written by: Wendy Salazar Galvan 2023 is officially the warmest year in global temperature, and data records go back to 1850. [1] According to Copernicus, the European Union’s climate monitor, the average temperatures were 2.66 Fahrenheit, above preindustrial levels.[2] Evidence suggests that Earth hasn’t been this warm in at least […]
Unilever’s United Kingdom Woes: Greenwashing Investigation
Written By: Meghan Wright In the United Kingdom, Unilever, which owns many popular brands such as Dove and Hellman’s, is being investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) regarding concerns of the use of greenwashing tactics.[1] ‘Greenwashing’ is a term used to describe deceiving efforts by a brand to […]
The Chevron Debacle
The Supreme Court is set to decide the fate of a landmark administrative law case, Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council,[1] during the 2023 term when it hears Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo[2] and determines whether Chevron should be overruled.[3] Chevron, in which the Supreme Court upheld a regulation from […]