Philip Comella, in a recently published article, writes about how everyone in the landfill gas industry knows how contracts are a necessary evil.
The parties understandably focus on the engineering aspects of the design; how many wells and engines to install; how to increase or extend gas production; how the gas production translates into revenue; the status of carbon
Continue Reading Avoiding Disputes Down the Road: The Top Ten Problems With Landfill Gas Contracts
By Philip L. Comella and Craig B. Simonsen
In another move to implement the President’s Climate Action Plan, the Obama Administration today announced a new goal to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40 to 45 percent from 2012 levels by 2025.
According to EPA, methane emissions accounted for nearly ten percent of U.S. greenhouse
Continue Reading EPA Plan for Methane Controls In Oil and Gas Industry
By Patrick D. Joyce and Craig B. Simonsen
This week at the U.N. Climate Change Summit in New York City, President Barack Obama, joined by leaders from more than 120 countries from around the globe, announced his Executive Order on Climate-Resilient International Development. 79 Fed. Reg. 58231 (September 26, 2014).
The Executive Order directs all federal agencies to factor climate
Continue Reading President Issues Executive Order on Climate-Resilient International Development
By Wan Li and Craig B. Simonsen
The State Council recently announced new Guidelines for pilot programs for trading emissions permits to reduce air and water pollution.
Key pollutants to be traded under the pilot programs include sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide in the air, and chemical oxygen demand and ammonia nitrogen in wastewater. Speaking of these pollutants, Huang Xiaozeng,
Continue Reading Business Interests in China? State Council Issues Guidelines for Pilot Emissions Trading Program
By Jeryl L. Olson and Craig B. Simonsen
In a letter this week to Administrator Gina McCarthy, the Partnership for a Better Energy Future, a coalition of business organizations provides initial feedback to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on its proposed carbon emissions regulations for existing electric generating units.
The National Association of Manufacturers serves as co-chair of the
Continue Reading Energy Industry Group Notifies EPA Proposed Rules for Existing Electric Generating Units Fail to Make the Grade
By Robert J. Carty, Jr., Dennis A. Clifford, Philip L. Comella, A. Donald Lepore III, Esteban Shardonofsky, Clark Smith
We have just published Seyfarth Shaw’s Energy Insights Newsletter, prepared by the Energy and Clean Technologies team. It covers important developments in the second quarter of 2014 for the energy industry, including: 1) the Department of
Continue Reading Energy Insights: An Update from the Second Quarter of 2014
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released a proposed rule that would update air standards for new municipal solid waste landfills (landfills). 79 Fed. Reg. 41796 (July 17, 2014).
The Whitehouse had, earlier this year, issued an update to President Obama’s Climate Action Plan “Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions.” The update specified that in the
Continue Reading EPA Proposes Updated Methane Limits for New Municipal Landfills and Requests Comment on Whether and How to Update Emissions Guidelines for Existing Landfills
As we indicated in our blog last week, on Monday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a proposed rule, known as the “Clean Power Plan,” to drastically cut carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants across the United States by the year 2030. 79 Fed. Reg. 34830 (June 18, 2014).
In a video on
Continue Reading EPA “Clean Power Plan” to Drastically Cut Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Existing Power Plants
By Jeryl L. Olson and Eric E. Boyd
On August 7th, in Summit Petroleum Corp. v. EPA, a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit vacated a decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that Summit Petroleum’s natural gas operations plant and wells located in a 43-square mile area near the plant were
This is a supplement to our June 12, 2011 post on the Seyfarth Environmental and Safety Law Update advising that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that certain information submitted under the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rules will not be treated as confidential business information. On February 22, 2012 EPA published a proposed rule with respect
Continue Reading Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rules – Electronics Manufacturers