Category: Special Topics in Environmental Management

Truckers’ Expectations Met in Phase 2 Standards

American Trucking Associations (ATA) responded with “cautious optimism” to the final federal Phase 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) and fuel-efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. The standards were adopted jointly by the EPA, which developed the GHG portion of the regulations, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which wrote the fuel-efficiency section. Industry’s […]

Now Harley-Davidson Settles Defeat-Device Allegation

Following the $14.7 billion penalty leveled against Volkswagen®, EPA’s $12 million settlement with Harley-Davidson, Inc., over the company’s alleged sale of illegal defeat devices for use on its motorcycles, is a significant enforcement action that highlights the government’s militant stance against vehicle manufacturers it asserts are violating the Clean Air Act (CAA).

Court Refuses to Require Retroactive PM Deadlines

Two Clean Air Act (CAA) provisions governing deadlines for submission of state implementation plans (SIPs) to bring areas into attainment with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM) were at the core of a recent decision by a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Secondary Containment

Q. Would the interior of a building count as a secondary containment area if you can assure the nothing can leak out?

States Ask EPA to Delay CPP Incentive Program

The attorneys general (AGs) of states that successfully petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to stay EPA’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) while litigation on the CPP proceeds in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit are now asking the Agency to extend by at least 60 days the current August 29, 2016, deadline for […]

Compatibility Requirements for USTs with Blended Fuels

In today’s world, underground storage tanks (USTs) contain an assortment of products ranging from gasoline to diesel to biofuels to hazardous chemical substances. Because of the wide swath of fuels and chemical substances available, it is imperative for tank owners to ensure that the tank itself is compatible with the substance stored. Storing certain fuels […]

D.C. Circuit Issues Mammoth Ruling on Combustion Rules

In one of the more impressive displays of environmental law we have seen, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled on approximately 30 consolidated challenges—about half filed by industry and half by environmental groups—to three EPA rules issued to control emissions of air toxics from combustion units. Industry struck […]

earth

Climate Change Now a Big Part of NEPA Reviews

A little more than 3 years after President Obama introduced his national action climate plan in a speech at Georgetown University, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has released final guidance on how federal departments and agencies should consider greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the effects of climate change in reviews conducted under […]

A General Air Permit… Is It Right for Me?

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.

One-Year Compliance Alternative Issued for Cement NESHAP

In an amendment issued as a direct final rule, the EPA is providing a temporary alternative compliance demonstration method to sources subject to the Agency’s National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the portland cement manufacturing industry. The rule was originally promulgated in 1999 and has since been reworked with multiple, significant amendments.