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In its final rule adding an applicability date for the Obama administration’s 2015 Clean Water Rule (more commonly called the waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule), the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) state that action simply maintains the status quo (i.e., the definition of waters of the United States that prevailed before […]
So, your employer is making long-term capital improvement plans, and it should be a terrific opportunity to incorporate low-impact development (LID) principles from the ground up. But not everyone’s on board, and some of their objections must be dealt with. Here are some common objections to sustainable development—and how you can overcome them.
In a final amendment, the EPA has eliminated a costly Clean Air Act requirement that was included in a 2015 rule affecting off-site waste and recovery operations (OSWROs). The 2015 rule comprised residual risk and technology reviews (RTRs) of the 1996 National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the OSWRO sector. In that […]
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has made Superfund reform a top Agency mission. The latest step in that effort is the release of a list of 31 National Priorities List (NPL) sites “with the greatest expected redevelopment and commercial potential.”
Reforming the federal environmental review process for infrastructure projects figures prominently in a new report issued by the Problem Solvers Caucus. The Caucus comprises 48 members of the House of Representatives—24 Democrats and 24 Republicans—“committed to forging bipartisan cooperation on key issues.” Called Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure, the report was developed by the Caucus’s Infrastructure Working […]
Two reports issued by the EPA indicate that automakers are reducing tailpipe greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, meeting their GHG-reduction requirements, and increasing fuel economy. The Agency describes the first report, Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975–2017 (Trends Report), as “the authoritative reference for real world fuel economy, technology trends and […]
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s listing of 21 Superfund sites for “intense and immediate action” has prompted the expected skepticism from at least one liberal group. But what has not been expected is a comparable level of concern about the value of the list expressed by several Republican lawmakers.
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s directive establishing a policy to purge Agency science advisory committees of members who are receiving EPA monetary grants has spurred a strong reaction from environmental and public health groups. In the latest development, several groups have sued Pruitt for allegedly violating provisions in federal statutes that direct formation of the committees […]
In letters to 10 public interest, environmental, and animal welfare groups, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Agency was denying the groups’ 2009 petition to develop New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) as well as regulations for state performance standards for existing CAFOs. The main reason for the denial, according […]
If you run an operation that generates pollution—or if you are responsible for reducing pollution that comes from somewhere else, as with public wastewater treatment plants or public drinking water systems—you likely use or will at some point need to obtain the services of an environmental testing lab.