Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
In a lengthy interpretive statement, the EPA takes the position that a pollutant discharged from a point source, which reaches a water of the United States via a hydrologic connection provided by groundwater, is not subject to permitting under the Clean Water Act’s (CWA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).
Two types of jurisdiction were central to a case in which two plaintiff companies deposited hazardous waste generated in Colorado into industrial wells in Illinois. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) found that the injections were conducted without the required Class I permit and brought charges against the companies before the Illinois Pollution Control Board […]
Now that we are about halfway through the 5-year permit cycle for the federal 2015 Multi-Sector General Permit for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity (MSGP), it’s a good idea to turn our attentions toward what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has in store for the 2020 MSGP.
Two environmental groups have filed a suit in a U.S. District Court against the Department of the Interior (DOI) for allegedly failing to comply with federal law regarding the impact of hydraulic fracturing and acidizing being conducted at oil production platforms in California’s Santa Barbara Channel.
In the world of stormwater, certain “qualified” professionals have hefty responsibilities, such as conducting facility inspections, monitoring, and developing and certifying the stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP). But, what does it really mean to be a qualified professional? Often, in National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater permits, there is language referring to a qualified […]
Q. We recently purchased an existing building, but renovations need to be completed prior to moving into the building. What types of indoor/outdoor activities would trigger the need for a permit?
In its continuing effort to bring its Clean Air Act (CAA) greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations in line with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA (UARG v. EPA), the Agency is proposing several amendments to provisions in its Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program. Essentially, the proposal describes specific conditions […]
In a case that set several precedents, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit denied an appeal from environmental groups seeking to have the court review a final decision by the EPA to grant a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit for a new biomass-burning power plant planned by Sierra […]
More than 20 years after first issuing rules governing the process by which parties can petition the EPA to consider possible Clean Air Act (CAA) infractions contained in Title V operating permits, the Agency is proposing a new set of requirements pertaining to such petitions and the overall petition process. The stated intent of the […]
Obtaining an air permit is not often a quick or simple process, but under the correct circumstances the process can be streamlined by using a general permit. Regulatory agencies often develop general permits for common source categories with similar operations, similar emissions, and similar regulatory requirements.