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Responding to a partial remand the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit issued in 2003, the EPA is proposing two substantial changes to its general permitting regulations for Phase II small municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s).
The EPA has proposed 30 chemical contaminants/groups for its 4th Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 4). The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) specifies that the UCMR must list no more than 30 contaminants or groups—called the contaminant candidate list (CCL)—and that the EPA must produce a revised list every 5 years. Also, as required by […]
Q. Is turpentine covered under Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) and what are the spill containment requirements for AST of turpentine?
Senate passage of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (S. 697) last week is a historic moment in U.S. environmental law. But a great deal of work remains to be done before the objective of the bill—comprehensive reform of the outdated and widely ineffective Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)—is complete. […]
Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical use. Four of those states and D.C. have also legalized the recreational use of marijuana. A growing number of other states are considering legalization. So, how are pesticides being regulated in marijuana fields, and what are the protections for field workers from pesticides […]
In a brief order, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has allowed the EPA to continue implementing its Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) for fossil-fuel power plants while the Agency works on finalizing a proposed determination that consideration of cost does not alter EPA’s previous determination that it is appropriate to […]
Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical use. Four of those states and D.C. have also legalized the recreational use of marijuana. A growing number of other states are considering legalization. So, how are pesticides being regulated in marijuana fields, and what are the protections for field workers from pesticides […]
When an unforeseeable emergency occurs at your retail motor fueling facility, are your employees adequately trained and prepared to respond to the situation? Retail motor fueling facilities, such as gas stations, have underground storage tanks (USTs) containing regulated substances. Unforeseen situations such as fires, spills, or severe-weather-induced power outages can have serious consequences on a […]
Did you know that the EPA estimates the average cost to clean up a spill or release from an underground storage tank (UST) system is $125,000? These high costs to clean up a spill or a release can cause significant anxiety and stress on any UST owner or operator.
The EPA has released a preproposal for a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) to carry out its Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) in states that do not have approved state implementation plans (SIP) showing how they will comply with the CSAPR.