
WOTUS Update: Breaking Down the Pre-2015 Regulatory Regime
- September 21, 2021
- Brigit Rollins
In late August, a court in the District of Arizona issued a decision vacating the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (“NWPR”), the...

Heat Safety and Wildfire Smoke Standards and Guidelines at the State and Federal Level
- September 16, 2021
- Elizabeth
Update: On September 20, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that OSHA will be taking steps to implement a workplace...

Legal Checkup on Checkoffs: R-CALF in the Ninth Circuit
- September 14, 2021
- Elizabeth
In July of 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued its latest and final decision in...

Back in the Lab: FSIS Requests Comments on Cell Cultured Meat Labeling
- September 9, 2021
- Elizabeth
On September 2, 2021, the Food Safety Inspection Service (“FSIS”), an agency housed within the United States Department of Agriculture, released...

Paraquat Receives Interim Registration Decision, Faces Legal Challenges
- September 7, 2021
- Brigit Rollins
On August 1, 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published documents in the Federal Register announcing the Agency’s Interim Registration Review...

Arizona Court Vacates WOTUS Rule
- September 2, 2021
- Brigit Rollins
UPDATE: Since the court’s ruling was issued, EPA has announced on its website that both it and the U.S. Army Corps of...

USDA Updates the Thrifty Food Plan
- August 31, 2021
- Elizabeth
On August 16, 2021 the Food and Nutrition Service (“FNS”), an agency housed within the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”),...

“Ag-gag” Laws: An Update of Recent Legal Developments
- August 26, 2021
- Elizabeth
State laws limiting photography or recordings on agricultural operations without the consent of the owner are commonly called “ag-gag” or “farm...

EPA Announces Decision to Revoke Chlorpyrifos Tolerances
- August 24, 2021
- Brigit Rollins
On August 19, 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) announced its intention to publish a final rule in the Federal Register...

Pandemic Payments: Aid under Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program
- August 17, 2021
- Elizabeth
Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) announced it is implementing a program for livestock and poultry producers who suffered unexpected...

California Court Finds State Law Claims Not Preempted by FIFRA in Glyphosate Ruling
- August 12, 2021
- Brigit Rollins
A California State Court of Appeal issued a ruling on August 9, 2021, upholding a jury verdict awarding millions of dollars...

Building Blocks: Basics of CRP
- August 5, 2021
- Brigit Rollins
First authorized in the Food Security Act of 1985, the Conservation Reserve Program (“CRP”) is a voluntary program that allows agricultural...

Judge Certifies Two Classes in Lawsuit Challenging Minority Debt Relief Payments
- August 3, 2021
- Elizabeth
In Miller v. Vilsack, five Texas farmers filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) alleging that its loan...

California State Court Issues Pretrial Ruling In Roundup Case
- July 29, 2021
- Brigit Rollins
A week before the trial of another lawsuit challenging the safety of Monsanto Company’s (“Monsanto”) Roundup products is scheduled to start,...

WOTUS Update: EPA Makes Announcement, Status Update for On-Going Lawsuits
- July 22, 2021
- Brigit Rollins
On June 9, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) released a joint statement announcing...

Proposed Tax Exemption for Community Ag Lenders
- July 20, 2021
- Elizabeth
A bill was recently introduced in Congress, known as the Enhancing Credit Opportunities in Rural America Act (“ECORA”) of 2021. ECORA...

New Law Changes Wetland Regulation in the State of Indiana
- July 15, 2021
- Brigit Rollins
In April, 2021, the State of Indiana adopted a new law concerning the regulation of interstate wetlands. Senate Bill 389 (“SB...

From Supreme Court to State Courts, Important Enviro Rulings from June 2021
- July 8, 2021
- Brigit Rollins
The past few month has seen a series of important environmental law decisions from various courts across the United States. The...

Judge’s Order Halts Minority Debt Relief Payments
- July 6, 2021
- Elizabeth
UPDATE: A group of five Texas farmers have filed a class action lawsuit against the USDA (Miller, et al. v. Vilsack, No....

Iowa Supreme Court Dismisses Raccoon River Lawsuit
- July 1, 2021
- Brigit Rollins
On June 18, 2021, the Iowa Supreme Court issued a decision in a lawsuit concerning regulation of the Raccoon River. The...