Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

Northern Ireland: DEFRA Launches 'Get an Air Pollution Assessment' Service

In May 2026 DEFRA launched a GOV.UK guidance-backed online service that enables consultants and regulators in Northern Ireland to run standardised air pollution assessments for developments affecting sensitive ecological sites. This tool supports planning, permitting and strategic planning decisions and signals more structured, data-rich air quality evidence expectations that could later be extended across the wider UK.

13 May 2026, 12:38gov.ukUnited Kingdom

UK OPRED Updates Southern North Sea SAC Noise Activity Tracker

UK OPRED has issued an updated Southern North Sea Special Area of Conservation noise activity tracker for the week commencing 11 May 2026, detailing piling, seismic, geophysical and UXO operations planned or underway across the harbour-porpoise protected area. This refreshed view of cumulative underwater noise will shape Habitats Regulations assessments and may tighten scheduling constraints for new offshore oil, gas, carbon storage and wind projects in the SNS, so developers should check their planned campaigns against the tracker early.

12 May 2026, 18:15gov.ukUnited Kingdom

US BLM Final Rule Rescinds 2024 Conservation and Landscape Health Rule

The US Bureau of Land Management has issued a final rule, effective June 2026, rescinding its 2024 Conservation and Landscape Health Rule and reverting to the previous multiple-use planning framework for federal public lands. This reduces procedural burdens and removes the new restoration and mitigation leasing model, signalling a more permissive environment for energy, mining, grazing and other uses on BLM lands while keeping existing reclamation and land health obligations intact.

12 May 2026, 15:32federalregister.govUnited States

Wales Enacts Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Act 2026

Wales has enacted the Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Act 2026, creating statutory environmental principles, an independent Office of Environmental Governance Wales, and a binding framework for setting and meeting biodiversity targets. This will strengthen oversight of Welsh public authorities and drive new biodiversity targets, plans, and evaluation cycles over the next decade, increasing governance pressure for stronger environmental regulation, planning and enforcement affecting operators in Wales.

12 May 2026, 15:09legislation.gov.ukUnited Kingdom

Australia Opens Statutory Consultation on Environmental Offsets Standard Under EPBC Act

Australia’s environment department has opened statutory consultation on the exposure draft of a new Environmental Offsets Standard under the EPBC Act, with submissions due by 9 June 2026. The standard will set binding rules for how unavoidable environmental damage must be offset, so project proponents across sectors should review the draft now to understand future approval conditions and offset obligations.

12 May 2026, 15:07dcceew.gov.auAustralia

Castilla y León Issues Environmental Impact Report for Temporary Non‑Hazardous Waste Storage in Morales del Vino (Zamora)

In April 2026 Castilla y León’s environmental authority issued a simplified environmental impact report for a new temporary non‑hazardous waste storage facility in Morales del Vino, concluding that the project will not have significant environmental effects if stringent conditions are met. The operator must secure waste‑treatment authorisations, implement extensive safeguards on air, water, noise, soil and fire risk, and move the project to authorisation within four years or repeat the assessment, shaping local waste‑management capacity and compliance planning.

12 May 2026, 15:04bocyl.jcyl.esSpain

Castilla y León Opens Environmental Authorisation Consultation for Pre‑Cooked Food Factory in Roales del Pan (Zamora)

Castilla y León has launched a 30-business-day public consultation on an environmental authorisation application for a pre-cooked food factory in Roales del Pan (Zamora), promoted by FREIGEL FOODSOLUTIONS, S.A. This is a site-specific permitting step under existing Spanish and regional environmental laws, mainly relevant for local stakeholders managing permitting, community impacts, and compliance for this facility.

12 May 2026, 15:03bocyl.jcyl.esSpain

Castilla y León Issues Environmental Impact Declaration for Biomethane and Biofertilisers Plant in Palacios de Goda (Ávila)

Castilla y León’s environment authority has issued a favourable but highly conditioned environmental impact declaration for a large biomethane and biofertilisers plant in Palacios de Goda (Ávila), including associated power and gas infrastructure, under Spain’s environmental assessment and integrated pollution prevention laws. The promoter now faces stringent design, monitoring, odour, waste and digestate management requirements and a hard four‑year window to start works, making timely permitting, financing and compliance planning critical for the project’s viability and for similar waste-to-biomethane developments in the region.

12 May 2026, 15:02bocyl.jcyl.esSpain

US NMFS Seeks Comment on Renewal of Incidental Take Permit for Atlantic Sturgeon at Chesterfield Power Station

NMFS has opened a public comment period until 10 June 2026 on Dominion’s request to renew a 10-year incidental take permit for Atlantic sturgeon at the Chesterfield Power Station in Virginia. If granted, the permit would lock in significant long-term monitoring and mitigation commitments for sturgeon entrainment and eggs/larvae take, underscoring continued regulatory scrutiny of water-intensive power operations in critical endangered-species habitat.

12 May 2026, 14:58federalregister.govUnited States

UK OPRED Updates Habitats Regulations Assessment Spreadsheet for Offshore Oil and Gas Projects

In May 2026 the UK Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning refreshed its Habitats Regulations Assessment spreadsheet, adding recent assessments for offshore oil and gas and carbon storage projects in protected marine areas. The update underlines continued scrutiny of noise and seabed‑disturbing activities in SACs and SPAs, so operators should consult the latest entries to align survey, drilling and decommissioning plans with UK offshore habitats obligations and cumulative‑impact limits.

12 May 2026, 14:43gov.ukUnited Kingdom

Minnesota EQB Publishes 5 May 2026 EQB Monitor With New Environmental Review Notices and PWI Updates

Minnesota’s Environmental Quality Board has released its 5 May 2026 EQB Monitor, detailing new environmental review notices for waste, land development and transmission projects, along with Department of Natural Resources consultations on public waters inventory updates and related incident reporting. These notices signal time-bound comment and objection opportunities and confirm major permitting decisions, so developers, utilities and other operators in the affected Minnesota counties should review project specifics to understand local constraints on land and water use and any implications for current or planned investments.

12 May 2026, 14:29content.govdelivery.comUnited States

Castilla y León Issues EIA Declaration for Ilunion Batteries LFP Recycling Plant in Boecillo (Valladolid)

Castilla y León’s environment authority has approved the environmental impact assessment for Ilunion Batteries’ new LFP battery recycling plant in Boecillo, authorising a 3,900 tonne per year facility subject to strict environmental conditions. This decision moves the project into detailed permitting under Spain’s IPPC and waste laws, signalling the level of controls on emissions, waste management and financial guarantees that future large-scale battery recycling projects in the region will need to meet.

12 May 2026, 14:27bocyl.jcyl.esSpain

Greece Approves Special Environmental Study 11a for Natura 2000 Sites in Ioannina, Preveza, Grevena and Thesprotia

In April 2026 Greece’s Ministry of Environment approved Special Environmental Study 11a, setting zoning, permitted uses and management rules for 25 Natura 2000 sites across Ioannina, Preveza, Grevena and Thesprotia. This strengthens long-term biodiversity protection while clarifying conditions for projects such as the Vasilitsa ski centre and limited settlement expansion, signalling tighter scrutiny of future land-use and development in these protected areas.

12 May 2026, 12:52ypen.gov.grGreece

US House Committee Marks Up H.R. 689 (FREE Act) To Require Governmentwide Permitting-By-Rule With Automatic Approvals

In May 2025 a US House committee marked up H.R. 689 (the Full Responsibility and Expedited Enforcement (FREE) Act), which would require all federal agencies to adopt permitting-by-rule regimes with automatic permit approval if completed applications are not decided within 180 days. If enacted, this could significantly compress permitting timelines for infrastructure, mining, energy and other projects while shifting more responsibility onto applicants’ self-certifications and increasing scrutiny of how agencies manage environmental and other risk reviews.

12 May 2026, 12:49docs.house.govUnited States

Duero River Basin Authority Issues Unfavourable Opinion On Cidones Pig Farm Near La Cuerda Del Pozo Reservoir

Spain’s Duero River Basin Authority has issued a strongly unfavourable opinion on a proposed intensive pig farm near La Cuerda del Pozo reservoir, citing extreme pollution risks to protected drinking- and bathing-water resources and inconsistency with the 2022–2027 hydrological plan. This intervention heightens permitting risk for large livestock projects in sensitive water catchments in Castilla y León, signalling stricter scrutiny of siting decisions and greater weight for basin and regional land-use plans in future environmental authorisations.

12 May 2026, 12:49ecologistasenaccion.orgSpain

Castilla-La Mancha Adopts Decree 24/2026 Establishing the Natura 2000 Network Director Plan

Castilla-La Mancha has adopted Decree 24/2026 approving an indefinite Director Plan for the regional Natura 2000 network, which enters into force on 18 May 2026 and consolidates all existing site management under a single framework. This significantly tightens how agriculture, forestry, water management, infrastructure and other land uses in the region must align with Natura 2000 conservation, monitoring and climate-resilience objectives.

12 May 2026, 12:49docm.jccm.esSpain

California Senate Appropriations Committee Sets Hearing On CEQA Tribal Cultural Resources Bill SB 1326

California lawmakers have set a 14 May 2026 Senate Appropriations hearing on SB 1326, a bill to broaden the definition of tribal cultural resources under CEQA and make mitigation for such resources more prescriptive and evidence-based. If enacted, this would strengthen tribes’ role in CEQA reviews and push lead agencies and project proponents toward greater use of tribal knowledge, more robust avoidance and mitigation measures, and clearer documentation where projects may impact tribal cultural resources.

11 May 2026, 11:39leginfo.legislature.ca.govUnited States

US FERC Opens NEPA Scoping and Comment Period for Bakken East Pipeline Project in North Dakota

FERC has opened the NEPA scoping period and public meetings for WBI Energy’s proposed Bakken East natural gas pipeline across nine counties in North Dakota, with written comments on environmental issues due by 4 June 2026. This marks the early-stage federal environmental review of a large gas transmission project that could influence future routing, permit conditions, and environmental constraints for power, industrial and gas customers in the region.

11 May 2026, 11:35federalregister.govUnited States

Luxembourg Draft Grand-Ducal Regulation Eases EIA Rules for Renewable Projects in Acceleration Zones

Luxembourg has tabled a draft Grand-Ducal regulation to amend the 2018 environmental impact assessment (EIA) project lists so that certain renewable energy and network projects in designated acceleration zones can be exempted from full EIA when a new prior screening finds no significant impacts. If adopted alongside the pending reform of the EIA law transposing the latest EU renewables directive, this would materially simplify permitting for wind, solar, hydro and grid projects in priority zones while preserving a screening step to manage environmental risk.

10 May 2026, 18:57cc.luLuxembourg

US FEMA Correction Clarifies Applicability of Adjusted Public Assistance Thresholds for Floodplain and Wetlands Review

FEMA has corrected a November 2025 Federal Register notice to confirm that inflation-adjusted Public Assistance thresholds for floodplain and wetlands review apply to all major disasters declared by the President on or after 1 October 2025, regardless of when the incident began. This clarification broadens the number of FEMA-funded recovery projects that can use higher thresholds before triggering the full 8-step environmental review, slightly reducing procedural burden for infrastructure rebuilds in US disaster areas.

10 May 2026, 18:54public-inspection.federalregister.govUnited States