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EPA Issues Notice of Intent to Conduct an EIS for the Proposed Reissuance of CAFO General Permits for Oklahoma and New Mexico

Client Alert | 1 min read | 05.18.06

EPA's Region 6 Office in Dallas announced this week that it intends to prepare a full environmental impact statement (EIS) in connection with the NPDES general permit now being developed for CAFOs. The general permit, which has not yet been formally proposed, will implement EPA's revised NPDES rules for CAFOs issued in February 2003. Although Region 6 covers five states (Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico) the new general permit will be directly applicable only to CAFOs within Oklahoma and New Mexico — the other states in the Region will issue CAFO NPDES permits themselves. Some have questioned the reasons for preparing an EIS because NPDES permits are exempt from EIS analysis except federal permits for “new sources.” But Region 6 reasons that an EIS makes sense given the large number of CAFOs already in existence. An EIS is not required when a state issues an NPDES permit, so most CAFO NPDES permits will not be subject to the EIS process. The scope of the Region 6 EIS will be decided at meetings to be held in Oklahoma City on June 22 and Las Cruces, N.M. on June 24. Click here for the full text of EPA's May 18 Federal Register notice.

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Client Alert | 8 min read | 12.11.25

Director Squires Revamps the Workings of the U.S. Patent Office

In March 2025, President Trump nominated John A. Squires for the positions of Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). After being approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 20-2, Squires was confirmed by the Senate on September 17, 2025, by a vote of 51-47 after anti-filibuster measures were invoked. During and after the confirmation process, Squires emphasized several goals for the USPTO during his time as Director. Such goals included:...