Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Thinking about trading impermeable parking lot pavement for green space with planters or bioswales? Low-impact development (LID) can be a lucrative option for new development, urban retrofitting, and redevelopment projects wanting to invest in LID as a stormwater management tool. Sure, saving money while simultaneously managing stormwater sounds ideal, but is it?
Q. What is considered “oil?” I have had some conversations with the EPA that the Coast Guard’s list of regulated oils is broad, including automotive gas, hexane, mineral spirits, jet fuel, etc.
Under a new federal rule effective September 6, 2016, owners and operators of stationary diesel engines—formally compression ignition internal combustion engines (CI ICEs)—may, in an emergency, temporarily override systems in those engines intended to force the use of emissions control devices.
Volkswagen AG (VW) has agreed with the EPA, the state of California, and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to an initial penalty settlement for alleged violations of federal and state laws following disclosures that the company installed emissions defeat devices in nearly 500,000 2.0-liter diesel vehicles sold in the United States between 2009 and […]
A Minnesota law that prohibits utilities from meeting state electricity demand with power from new plants that contribute to statewide carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions was found in violation of the Constitution’s dormant Commerce Clause because the law places an undue burden on interstate commerce.
Referencing an opinion by the U.S. Supreme Court, the EPA is proposing to remove a restriction on when a Clean Air Act (CAA) Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit may be rescinded. Specifically, the proposal would remove from 40 CFR 52.21(w) the provision indicating that a stationary source may request to have its PSD permit […]
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is proposing to renew its 50 existing nationwide permits (NWPs) and to add two new NWPs. The existing permits expire March 18, 2017, and the Corps wishes to have the reissued permits effective immediately after expiration.
Sediment and soil runoff from improperly managed construction sites can greatly contribute to surface water degradation and cause detrimental impacts to aquatic life. To minimize the impacts to surface water quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the states require that construction projects of a certain size follow stormwater regulations. One such regulatory measure […]
On this episode, What Hawkes Means for Wetland Determinations, we speak with attorney and water expert, Stan Millan about the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, Army Corps of Engineers v. Hawkes and what the ruling means for the future of wetland permitting.
In a ruling with no dissent—although several brief, separate, concurring opinions were filed—the U.S. Supreme Court found that an approved jurisdictional determination (JD) by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) about the Clean Water Act (CWA) status of a property is a final agency action subject to judicial review.