Vibrant Environment
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All | Biodiversity | Climate Change and Sustainability | Environmental Justice | Governance and Rule of Law | Land Use and Natural Resources | Oceans and Coasts | Pollution Control
By Isabella Blanco
In recent years, federal funding has played a significant role in the deployment of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure across the United States. In November 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, launching a suite of climate and transportation initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
By Leah Fattor
Land Air Water, a student group at the University of Oregon School of Law, hosted the 43rd annual Public Interest Environmental Law Conference (PIELC) in Eugene, Oregon, from Friday, February 28 through Sunday, March 2, 2025. PIELC draws activists, advocates, attorneys, scientists, government officials, and concerned citizens together for the oldest and largest public interest environmental law conference in the world.
By James M. McElfish, Jr.
On January 21, President Trump signed an Executive Order revoking all prior executive orders that had served as the foundations for environmental justice (EJ) initiatives by the federal government.
By James M. McElfish, Jr.
On January 21, President Trump signed an Executive Order revoking all prior executive orders that had served as the foundations for environmental justice (EJ) initiatives by the federal government.
By Mathy Stanislaus
Recent political attacks against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and environmental justice have extended far beyond those terms’ original meanings and stated goals. Instead, the Trump Administration and chemical industry lobbyists are using them as cover to shield the industry’s worst actors from accountability for their actions.
By Margaret Von Rotz, By Amy Reed, By Jarryd Page
Given the doubts raised by recent federal court decisions on the scope of the Council of Environmental Quality’s (CEQ's) authority and the issuance of that agency’s recent “interim final rule” on Removal of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementing Regulations, it is unsurprising that NEPA’s fate feels uncertain.
By James M. McElfish, Jr.
Section 401 of the Clean Water Act provides that federal licenses and permits authorizing activities that include a point source discharge to the waters of the United States may only be granted after affected states have had an opportunity to review the activity and to certify that it will not cause a violation of state water quality standards. States (and some tribes with “treatment as a state”) have authority to grant or waive certification, to deny it, or to grant it subject to conditions.
By James M. McElfish, Jr.
As noted in a previous Vibrant Environment blog post, on January 20, President Trump signed Executive Order 14154, Unleashing American Energy.
By James M. McElfish, Jr.
On February 3, President Trump signed an Executive Order entitled A Plan for Establishing a United States Sovereign Wealth Fund. The Order directs the Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of Commerce to develop a plan within 90 days addressing the creation of such a fund, including funding mechanisms, investment strategies, fund structure, and a governance model.
By James M. McElfish, Jr.
On January 20, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order entitled Unleashing American Energy. Section 5(a) of the new order revokes President Jimmy Carter’s 1977 Executive Order 11991, which directed and empowered the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to adopt regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).