🛢️Final Rule on Oil and Gas Leasing Definitions by BLM
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is amending its rules governing oil and gas leasing to effectuate changes to the definitions for "eligible" and "available" as required by the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (OBBB) enacted on July 4, 2025.
Learn More🚗EPA Proposes Repeal of Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards
In this action, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to repeal all greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles and engines to effectuate the best reading of Clean Air Act (CAA) section 202(a). We propose that CAA section 202(a) does not authorize the EPA to prescribe emission standards to address global climate change concerns and, on that basis, propose to rescind the Administrator's prior findings in 2009 that GHG emissions from new motor vehicles and engines contribute to air pollution which may endanger public health or welfare. We further propose, in the alternative, to rescind the Administrator's prior findings in 2009 because the EPA unreasonably analyzed the scientific record and because developments cast significant doubt on the reliability of the findings. Lastly, we propose to repeal all GHG emission standards on the alternative bases that no requisite technology for vehicle and engine emission control can address the global climate change concerns identified in the findings without risking greater harms to public health and welfare.
Learn More⛽New Regulations on Oil and Gas Leasing Affecting Industry Compliance
This direct final rule (DFR) removes existing Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regulations pertaining to stipulations and mitigation measures to effectuate changes required by the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (OBBB) enacted on July 4, 2025.
Learn More💰Changes to Federal Coal Royalty Rates Effective 2025
This direct final rule (DFR) revises existing Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regulations pertaining to coal royalties to effectuate changes required by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) enacted on July 4, 2025.
Learn More🎓VA Proposes Changes to Overpayment Recovery Regulations for Education
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposes to amend the Veteran Readiness and Employment and Education regulations to implement section 1019 of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (Isakson Roe Act), which was effective January 5, 2021. These proposed amendments would update regulations governing the waiver or recovery of overpayments to address the assignment of financial responsibility for benefits paid directly to an educational institution on behalf of the student.
Learn More🌫️EPA Proposes Approval of NJ's Second PM2.5 Maintenance Plan
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve, under the Clean Air Act (CAA), the limited maintenance plan (LMP) for the 2006 PM<INF>2.5</INF> national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for the New Jersey portion of both of New Jersey's multi-state maintenance areas: the Northern New Jersey portion of the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT (Northern New Jersey) maintenance area and the New Jersey portion of the Philadelphia-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE (Southern New Jersey) maintenance area. This LMP was submitted on July 6, 2023, and supplemented on June 6, 2024, by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The plan addresses the second 10-year maintenance period for particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal 2.5 micrometers, known as PM<INF>2.5</INF>. The EPA is proposing approval of New Jersey's LMP submission because it provides for the maintenance of the 2006 24-hour PM<INF>2.5</INF> NAAQS through the end of the second 10-year portion of the maintenance period. In addition, the EPA completed the adequacy review process of this New Jersey PM<INF>2.5</INF> LMP for transportation conformity purposes on June 7, 2024.
Learn More🌍EPA Reclassifies Shinnecock Indian Nation as Serious Nonattainment
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is determining that Indian country under the jurisdiction of the Shinnecock Indian Nation located within the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island nonattainment area (Shinnecock Indian Nation area) failed to attain the 2015 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) by the applicable attainment date. The effect of failing to attain by the applicable attainment date is that the area will be reclassified by operation of law to "Serious" nonattainment for the 2015 ozone NAAQS on September 2, 2025, the effective date of this final rule. This action fulfills the EPA's obligation under the Clean Air Act (CAA) to determine whether ozone nonattainment areas attained the NAAQS by the attainment date and to publish a document in the Federal Register identifying each area that is determined as having failed to attain and identifying the reclassification.
Learn More🌍EPA Extends Deadlines for Oil and Natural Gas Emissions Compliance
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking interim final action to extend certain deadlines within the final rule titled "Standards of Performance for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources and Emissions Guidelines for Existing Sources: Oil and Natural Gas Sector Climate Review," 89 FR 16820 (March 8, 2024) (hereafter "2024 final rule"). Specifically, the EPA is extending deadlines for certain provisions related to control devices, equipment leaks, storage vessels, process controllers, and covers/closed vent systems in "Subpart OOOOb--Standards of Performance for Crude Oil and Natural Gas Facilities for Which Construction, Modification or Reconstruction Commenced After December 6, 2022" (NSPS OOOOb). The EPA also is extending the date for future implementation of the SuperEmitter Program. Finally, the EPA is extending the state plan submittal deadline in "Subpart OOOOc--Emissions Guidelines (EG) for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Existing Crude Oil and Natural Gas Facilities" (EG OOOOc). The EPA is requesting comments on all aspects of this interim final rule and will consider all comments received in determining whether amendments to this rule are appropriate after the conclusion of the comment period.
Learn More🎓Update on 81-Month Rule for Dependents' Education Assistance
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is issuing this final rule to update its regulation governing a beneficiary's receipt of education assistance from two or more programs. This action is necessary to implement a statutory amendment enacted in August 2012, which authorized an 81-month aggregate period for use of Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (Chapter 35) benefits in combination with other programs listed in the statute. This rulemaking amends the regulation to align it with the current statutory text.
Learn More🌫️Proposed Rule for South Carolina's Regional Haze Plan
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a regional haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) dated March 3, 2022, as satisfying the applicable requirements under the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) and EPA's Regional Haze Rule (RHR) for the program's second planning period. South Carolina's SIP submission addresses the requirement that states must periodically revise their long-term strategies for making reasonable progress toward the national goal of preventing any future, and remedying any existing, anthropogenic impairment of visibility, including regional haze, in mandatory Class I Federal areas. The SIP submission also addresses other applicable requirements for the second planning period of the regional haze program. EPA is proposing this action pursuant to sections 110 and 169A of the Act.
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