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On July 8, 2024, the EPA announced it issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) to Suncor Energy (U.S.A.) Inc., alleging the Commerce City refinery failed to comply with air emissions laws. The NOV was issued in partnership with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). The agencies allege Suncor violated or is violating […]
Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine how to comply with OSHA’s lockout/tagout standard. Lockout/tagout, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) standard that’s more formally known as “control of hazardous energy,” addresses the hazards posed by equipment […]
The EPA recently announced four final power plant rules (PPR) to reduce pollution from fossil fuel-fired power plants, with the goal of protecting “communities from pollution and improve public health without disrupting the delivery of reliable electricity,” according to an Agency news release. These rules are part of the Biden administration’s push to transition to […]
The EPA announced it has issued an emergency fuel waiver to allow E15 gasoline, or gasoline blended with 15% ethanol, to be sold during the summer driving season. “This action will provide communities with relief at the pump from ongoing market supply issues created by the ongoing war in Ukraine and conflict in the Middle […]
On May 6, 2024, the EPA announced it issued its final Subpart W rule to strengthen, expand, and update methane emissions reporting requirements for petroleum and natural gas systems under its Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP), as required by President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). “The final revisions will ensure greater transparency and accountability […]
The EPA recently released its annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (GHG Inventory), which presents a national-level overview of annual GHG emissions from 1990 to 2022 and includes a preliminary outlook on anticipated 2023 emissions. The inventory covers seven GHGs: “Net U.S. greenhouse gas emissions were 5,489 million metric tons of carbon […]
On April 12, 2024, the EPA announced it issued the final Clean Air Act (CAA) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) air quality permit for Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial (CVOW-C) project, located off the coast of Virginia Beach, Virginia. “Offshore wind energy is a cornerstone of the Permitting Council portfolio, representing nearly half of […]
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), worldwide annual clean energy investments need to reach $4 trillion by 2030—more than triple the current amount of investments—to reach 2050 net-zero goals. “Governments across the globe are rising to the challenge, launching a host of measures to boost investment in clean energy technologies such as electric vehicles, […]
On December 2, 2023, the EPA announced a final rule that’s expected to sharply reduce emissions of methane and other harmful air pollution from oil and natural gas operations. First announced at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), the rule includes standards to reduce methane and […]
On July 27, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) cleared yet another legal hurdle for the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), a 303-mile pipeline with capacity to carry 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily from northern West Virginia to southern Virginia. The reprieve, while only temporary, may give the project enough time to […]