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The EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently issued a report that found the Agency didn’t follow the typical intra-agency review and clearance process during the development and publication of the January 2021 perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS) toxicity assessment. During the final clearance process for the assessment, a Trump political appointee ordered a last-minute review […]
Last month, the Government Accountability Project (GAP), filed an Emergency Administrative Procedure Act (APA) petition with the EPA to spur the Agency to take action to warn residents in and around East Palestine, Ohio, not to eat homegrown garden produce due to dioxin and other chemical contamination in the soil from the Norfolk Southern train […]
On June 28, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) made history in issuing a landmark 6-to-3 ruling overturning a 40-year-old administrative law standard known as Chevron deference. The ruling opens the door for a tsunami of legal challenges to federal rulemaking. Federal regulations affect nearly every facet of daily life, from the cars we drive […]
A new study conducted by Johns Hopkins University found ethylene oxide (EtO) levels within Louisiana’s Cancer Alley average twice the threshold level set by the EPA for unacceptable cancer risks. Airborne EtO is dangerous for long-term exposure at any level above 11 parts per trillion (ppt), according to the study. That threshold is very low, […]
On July 12, 2024, the EPA announced a proposed settlement with OMG Partners of Turlock, California, to resolve claims of Clean Water Act (CWA) violations after one of the company’s tanker trucks overturned and a fuel product spilled into the roadway, Laguna Creek, Coyote Creek, and the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge. The fuel reached […]
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 […]
Pushback against the EPA’s new regulations for maximum contaminant levels (MCL) for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water continues to accelerate, with state and public drinking water system officials claiming the costs of removal will be much more than the EPA estimates. PFAS drinking water regulations In April, the EPA finalized the first-ever […]
In the second quarter (Q2), the EPA finalized 388 settlement agreements with companies small and large across the United States. This represents a large increase in enforcement actions—up from 235 penalties—issued in Q1 for 2024. The actions taken resulted in $11,061,445 in fines. Here are some of the highlights. CAA violations yield biggest fine from […]
Trade associations and public water utilities have wasted no time in filing lawsuits to stop EPA regulations requiring maximum containment levels (MCL) for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. On April 10, 2024, the EPA announced it issued the first-ever national, legally enforceable drinking water standard to protect communities from exposure to […]
Last month, the EPA demonstrated that stopping the installation of aftermarket defeat devices for vehicles and engines remains a top enforcement priority. These defeat devices are “aftermarket parts or software, such as modified exhausts or chip tuning products and services, that inhibit or bypass a vehicle’s emissions controls,” according to MotorTrend. On June 4, 2024, […]