Category: Special Topics in Environmental Management

The What and When of Revised Refrigerant Regulations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently finalized broad changes to its refrigerant management regulations under 40 CFR 82. Those owning, operating, maintaining, servicing, repairing, or disposing of air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment will all be impacted by these revisions. The most significant change extends the regulations for ozone-depleting refrigerants to non-ozone- depleting substitutes through an […]

Groups Sue to Force Action on Fairbanks’ Air

The air pollution in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska (Fairbanks), is among the worst in the nation, and the EPA is doing nothing about it. That’s the view of several citizen groups that with the assistance of major U.S. environmental organizations are now suing the Agency for inaction for the third time in 2 years. […]

EPA Must Evaluate Job Losses, Says Judge

A U.S. district court judge in West Virginia has ordered the EPA to meet the requirement in Section 321(a) of the Clean Air Act (CAA), which states that the Agency “shall conduct continuing evaluations of potential shifts in employment” and “threatened plant closures and reductions in employment” resulting from “administration or enforcement” of the Act. […]

EHS on Tap Episode 12: The 2016 Election and the Environment

On this episode of EHS on Tap, we speak with Senator Rob Hogg from the great state of Iowa. Senator Hogg has a rich history of public service and is currently serving his third term as a state senator for Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Rob has passionately advocated for policies and practices to improve natural resources. […]

Evaluating Your UST System After a Flood

Recently, the southeastern United States was slammed by a monster storm—Hurricane Matthew. The destructive hurricane created significant storm surges and caused severe flooding along much of the Atlantic coast. When major flooding occurs, underground storage tank (UST) systems can lift out of the ground, rupture, and release oil or other regulated substances. A single UST […]

States Argue Jurisdiction in WOTUS Case

Industry and many states are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to decide a critical jurisdictional matter related to the Clean Water Rule ((CWR), June 29, 2015, Federal Register (FR) promulgated by the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). More commonly called the waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, the action provided […]

EPA Names Five PBT Chemicals for Expedited Action

The new section 6(h) of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which greatly expanded the reach of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), requires that within 3 years of the June 22, 2016, date of enactment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must propose rules to reduce risks (by reducing […]

Northeastern States Sue EPA Over Transport Inaction

Six downwind northeastern states in the Ozone Transport Region (OTR) have filed suit in federal court asking that the EPA be ordered to take action on a December 2013 request that nine upwind states be added to the OTR. The designation would require that the added states develop plans to reduce the transport of pollutants […]