Monthly Climate Change Briefing: June 2020

When
June 8, 2020 5:00 pm — 5:30 pm
Where
Teleconference

Staying on top of the legal and policy developments in the climate change arena is no small task. As a special service to our members, the Environmental Law Institute provides a series of monthly conference calls with national experts on climate law and policy to keep you up to date and to answer your questions.

SmokyPlanet

Topics addressed in this month's call:

  • The Ninth Circuit's rulings in the San Mateo case and the Oakland/San Francisco case concerning whether the lawsuits by several municipalities against energy companies for damages due to climate change belong in federal court or state court
  • The decision by the  U.S. District Court in Massachusetts on whether the lawsuit by the Massachusetts Attorney General against Exxon belonged in federal court or state court
  • The COVID19-induced upsurge in bicycling and resulting bicycle shortage
  • Maryland enacted legislation (SB457) in May authorizing local governments to establish Resilience Authorities with authority to finance costs associated with resilience infrastructure, including green space, building elevation, flood barriers, and stormwater infrastructure
  • CA releases Plan — California's Coast Resilient to Sea Level Rise: Principles for Aligned State Action
  • States sue to block Trump from weakening fuel economy rules
  • 14 AGs to court: Calif.-Quebec pact OK under state powers
  • Southern California Edison said late last week it had finalized what analysts called the nation's largest-ever purchase of battery storage, as the state of California seeks to ramp up renewables and retire gas-fired plants in coming years (770 MW)
  • Gov. Tom Wolf will not change his mind about his executive order including Pennsylvania in the multi-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
  • California's climate programs face a major threat as the state grapples with a potential budget deficit of $54.2 billion brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic
  • New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and New Jersey blocked key water permits Friday for a controversial multistate natural gas pipeline, handing climate activists a victory and setting the stage for a standoff with EPA ahead of a rollout on Clean Water Act guidance
  • Federal developments, including the House green infrastructure legislation, the EPA rule on state water quality certifications,  the IRIS proposed rule on tax credits

Speakers:
Vicki Arroyo, Professor from Practice and Executive Director, Climate Center, Georgetown University
Michael B. Gerrard, Professor, Columbia Law School; Director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law
Robert Sussman, Principal, Sussman & Associates

Materials:
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ELI Monthly Climate Briefings are made possible by the
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NOTE: This call/recording is for ELI members only. No comments may be quoted
or used without the express written permission of ELI and the panelist.