2025 Environmental and Energy Forecast

January 17, 2025

Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox examines the environmental and energy law issues to watch in our 2025 Federal Forecast, and provides key updates for Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.

A -pdf of the complete Forecast can be found here.

Throughout the year, stay updated with MGKF’s Special Alerts.  You can also follow our Litigation Blog, where we discuss a range of notable cases, covering Superfund and cost recovery, citizens’ suits, toxic torts, and environmental real estate matters. And as always, please feel free to reach out to any of our attorneys for more information.  

FEDERAL

Overview of Trump Administration Expectations
Michael Dillon, Esq. and Wesley S. Stevenson

Trump Announced Appointments to Key Environmental Positions
Shoshana (Suzanne Ilene) Schiller, Esq.

Republican-Controlled Congress Expected to Invoke Congressional Review Act to Invalidate Numerous Recent Environmental Regulations
Katherine L. Vaccaro, Esq.

Environmental Justice
Feds Attempted to Advance Environmental Justice Priorities in 2024, but Future Approach Will Undoubtedly Change
Todd D. Kantorczyk, Esq.

Litigation:
Environmental Litigation Trends 2025
Garrett D. Trego, Esq.

PFAS Litigation Expected to Continue to Grow and Evolve in 2025
Kate Campbell, Esq.

Supreme Court Decisions
Shoshana (Suzanne Ilene) Schiller, Esq. and Wesley S. Stevenson, Esq.

Air:
EPA Finalizes Toughest Emission Standards to Date for Large Volatile Organic Liquid Storage Vessels
Katherine L. Vaccaro, Esq.

Proposed New Source Performance Standards for Stationary Combustion Turbines
Katherine L. Vaccaro, Esq. and Natalia P. Teekah, Esq.

Clean Air Act Risk Management Program Rule and Predictions for 2025
Kelly A. Hanna, Esq. and Technical Consultant Michael C. Nines, P.E., LEED AP

Hazardous Substances and Remediation 
Rules Regarding Remediation of PFAS Under CERCLA And RCRA Advanced in 2024, but 2025 Fate Uncertain
Todd D. Kantorczyk, Esq. and Technical Consultant Will Hitchcock

Water:
EPA Proposes Significant Changes to List of Approved Methods for Analyzing Effluent under the Clean Water Act, Including PCB and PFAS Methods
Brenda H. Gotanda, Esq., and Michael C. Nines, P.E., LEED AP

EPA Invites Comment on Proposed 2026 Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) for Stormwater Associated with Industrial Activities that Includes Requirements for PFAS Monitoring
Brenda H. Gotanda, Esq. and Technical Consultants Michael C. Nines, P.E., LEED AP and Will Hitchcock

Water Quality Standards Handbook Updates
Michael Dillon, Esq. and Kelly A. Hanna, Esq.  

OSHA
Expect a Leaner and More Focused OSHA under Trump
Jill Hyman Kaplan, Esq. and Brandon P. Matsnev, Esq.

Oil and Gas
Trump Administration Poised to Reverse Direction on Oil & Gas Industry Regulation
Todd D. Kantorczyk, Esq. and Kelly A. Hanna, Esq.

Marcellus Shale a New Potential Source of Domestically Produced Lithium
Diana A. Silva, Esq. and Technical Consultant Darryl D. Borrelli

Other Federal Issues
2024 TSCA Review
Carol F. McCabe, Esq. and Reilly Wright, Esq.

PENNSYLVANIA

How The Shapiro Administration Will Respond to Changing Federal Priorities
Diana A. Silva, Esq. and Reilly Wright, Esq.

PADEP’s SPEED Program Seeks to Improve Pennsylvania’s Permitting Process but Significant Questions Remain
Todd D. Kantorczyk, Esq. and Reilly Wright, Esq.

Pennsylvania’s Implementation of Climate Change Initiatives
Jessica D. Hunt, Esq. and Reilly Wright, Esq.

Act 2 Changes Anticipated in 2025
Jonathan H. Spergel, Esq. and Technical Consultant Will Hitchcock

PADEP Expected to Raise the Bar for Residual Waste Coproduct Determinations
Rodd W. Bender, Esq.

PADEP Proposing Changes to Spill Reporting under 25 Pa. Code Section 91.33
Jessica D. Hunt, Esq.

NEW JERSEY

Anticipated Murphy Administration Response to Changing Federal Priorities
Natalia P. Teekah, Esq. and Reilly Wright, Esq.

New Jersey Environmental Justice Initiative Reviews and Takeaways
Jill Hyman Kaplan, Esq. and Jessica D. Hunt, Esq.

New Jersey’s Site Remediation Program Changes to Expect in 2025
Natalia P. Teekah, Esq. and Michael C. Nines, P.E, LEEP AP

New Jersey’s Coastal Flood Rules
John F. Gullace, Esq., Danielle N. Bagwell, Esq. and Natalia P. Teekah, Esq.

NEW YORK

New York Appellate Court Curtails Enforceability of Green Amendment Claims
Giselle F. Mazmanian, Esq. and Technical Consultant Michael C. Nines, P.E., LEED AP

New York Finalizes Policy for Evaluating Permit Impacts on Disadvantaged Communities
Giselle F. Mazmanian, Esq. and Technical Consultant Michael C. Nines, P.E., LEED AP

New York’s New Climate Superfund Law Signed
Giselle F. Mazmanian, Esq. and Technical Consultant Michael C. Nines, P.E., LEED AP

New York State PFAS Update
Giselle F. Mazmanian, Esq. and Technical Consultant Michael C. Nines, P.E., LEED AP