EPA Inks Deal On RFS Study With Sierra Club Despite 'Sue-And-Settle' Bar

摘要

EPA and the Sierra Club have reached a draft partial consent decree that sets a March 2020 deadline for the agency to complete a long-overdue study to determine if its renewable fuel standard (RFS) has harmed the environment, in a case seen as an important test of former Administrator Scott Pruitt's bar against so-called "sue-and-settle" practices. Pruitt issued a memo barring "sue-and-settle," which he said led to "sweetheart deals" between environmental groups and the Obama EPA because groups could file suit, negotiate a deadline on an issue of their choosing, win legal fees and prohibit opponents from participating in the process.