On March 6, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) approved the long awaited and controversial Climate-Related Disclosure Rules. The proposed rules were originally published in March 2022 and have undergone significant revisions since then. Per the SEC,
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EPA Targets PFAS in RCRA Rulemakings
On January 31, 2024, EPA published a press release announcing the impending publication of two proposed rules relating to PFAS and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA): (1) “Definition of Hazardous Waste Applicable to Corrective Action from Solid Waste…
Washington Adopts New Refinery Process Safety Management (PSM) Rule
The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) adopted CR-103, creating a new Part B to chapter 296-67 WAC, on December 27, 2023. Specifically applicable to petroleum refineries, Part B includes and updates existing PSM requirements as well as…
OSHA’s proposed HazCom standard update imposes new burdens
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) has recently submitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) a final rule to update its Hazard Communication Standard (“HazCom”), which regulates the classification and labeling of hazardous chemicals in…
How to Prepare for California’s New Workplace Violence Prevention Law
On September 30, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB-553 into law. SB-553 is the nation’s first workplace violence prevention law. The law adds a new section 6401.9 to the California Labor Code, which will be implemented by Cal/OSHA. The…
Coming Soon: California Climate Disclosure Bills
California Governor Gavin Newsom recently pledged to sign two groundbreaking climate disclosure bills into law. These bills will mandate most large U.S. companies to reveal their complete emissions along their value chains and report on their financial risks and adaptation…
In Light of Sackett, EPA Announces “Revised Definition of ‘Waters of the United States’” Rule
On August 29, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its final Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. The new WOTUS rule makes major changes to clarify which wetlands are protected under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The new…
A Nation Divided: The ESG Fight at the Federal and State Level
What is “ESG”?
“ESG” is perhaps the most divisive acronym of this year’s legislative session. But what does it mean?“Environmental, Social, Governance” is a framework used to evaluate investments and business decision’s impacts on the environment and society. ESG criteria…
Updates to SB 253: California’s Comprehensive Carbon Disclosure Legislation
As previously reported, California may soon pass the most stringent Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) disclosure requirements in the nation, surpassing even the current U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) proposed rules.
Since the California Climate Corporate Data Accountability…
California Hydrogen Updates
As we previously covered in our blog last week, both the Federal and certain State governments are proposing legislation to subsidize or otherwise enhance the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from selected “hard…