Category: Sustainability

GAO Recommends RMPs Include Climate Risks

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released recommendations on February 28, 2022, indicating the EPA should provide more direction to facilities for including climate change risks in their risk management plans (RMPs). Many facilities that manufacture, use, and store hazardous chemicals are regulated by the EPA and are required to have RMPs in place to […]

Federal ‘Good Neighbor Plan’ Proposed to Reduce Downwind Smog

The EPA’s proposed “Good Neighbor” plan is expected to cut pollution from power plants and other industrial sources for millions of Americans living downwind of those sources. This type of pollution significantly contributes to ground-level ozone, or smog. The proposal relies on commonly used and affordable pollution controls to help 25 states fully resolve their […]

Climate Change Budget Falls Short in Congress

On March 9, 2022, the U.S. Congress passed the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Omnibus Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2471) and sent it to President Joe Biden’s desk, where it was signed into law on March 15, 2022. The bill reflects a 3.3 percent budget increase for the EPA. After years of budget cuts under the Trump […]

EHS Now: Implementing Sustainability Throughout the Supply Chain

Day 2 of EHS Now’s exclusive free online summit closes with a fireside chat about improving sustainability compliance in the supply chain. Day 2: Thursday, March 24 Fireside Chat | Implementing Sustainability Throughout the Entire Supply Chain Time: 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM EDT Sponsored by Avetta Presented by: Danny Shields, Quality, Health, Safety, Sustainability Professional, Avetta While companies recognize […]

California Allowed to Move Ahead with Tougher Vehicle Emissions Standards

On March 9, 2022, the Biden administration EPA announced it is reinstating the “California Waiver,” which provides the Golden State with its regulatory authority to set more stringent fuel efficiency and vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards. This decision reverses the previous administration’s action that had removed this authority. “Today, we proudly reaffirm California’s longstanding […]

States Challenge EPA Over Tougher Emissions Standards

Texas Attorney General (AG) Ken Paxton led a 15-state coalition in filing a petition for review of the EPA’s final rule for tougher emissions standards in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals entitled “Revised 2023 and Later Model Year Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards.” “At a time when American gas prices are skyrocketing at […]

USPS Fleet Purchasing Decision Draws Criticism

On February 23, 2022, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) issued a record of decision (ROD) and announced it will move ahead with plans to purchase 148,500 new gasoline-powered vehicles over the next decade in spite of Biden administration objections. The decision is the result of the USPS’s completion of its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on […]

EPA Announces New Actions to Comply With Endangered Species Act

Abandoning decades-long practices, on January 11, 2022, the EPA announced it is taking meaningful actions to comply with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) before registering new active ingredients (AI) in pesticides. Moving forward, before the Agency registers any new conventional AI, it will evaluate the potential effects of the AI on federally threatened or endangered […]

Back to Basics: Women in EHS

Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine the issues that women face in EHS workplaces. In recent years, EHS leaders have been shifting focus towards becoming more sustainable and embracing concepts such as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). […]

Biden Launches Clean Manufacturing Initiative

On February 15, 2022, the Biden administration announced plans to support clean manufacturing initiatives, including the creation of a Clean Task Force, to source low-carbon materials in federal purchasing and new trade policies to incentivize manufacturers of low-carbon aluminum and steel. The industrial sector currently produces almost one-third of domestic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according […]