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In July 2023, the EPA proposed stronger requirements for the removal of lead-based paint (LBP) hazards in pre-1978 buildings and childcare facilities. Although LBP was banned for residential use by the federal government in 1978, it’s estimated that more than 31 million pre-1978 houses still contain LBP and more than 3 million of them have […]
The EPA recently announced its final rule requiring reporting on all six fiber types of asbestos. Issued under Section 8(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the rule requires asbestos manufacturers (including importers) and processors to report certain use and exposure information from the past 4 years, including information on asbestos-containing products (including as […]
Effective August 14, 2023, the EPA’s rescission of the Trump-era rule “Increasing Consistency and Transparency in Considering Benefits and Costs in the Clean Air Act (CAA) Rulemaking Process” will be finalized. The rule (Benefit-Cost Rule) was rescinded “because the changes advanced by the rule were inadvisable, untethered to the [CAA], and not necessary to effectuate […]
The EPA recently announced its framework for addressing new per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and new uses of PFAS and published its final rule adding nine new PFAS to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). These actions advance the goals of the Agency’s PFAS Strategic Framework. New framework to prevent unsafe new PFAS from entering the […]
Biden administration officials announced final regulations to allow the easier relocation of animals and plants outside of their historical habitats. This action is considered a last resort measure for species that are on the verge of extinction due to climate change. “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has finalized revisions to section 10(j) regulations under […]
On July 27, the Department of Labor (DOL) published its regulatory flexibility agenda of rulemakings likely to have a significant economic impact on small entities, including six Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rulemakings (88 Fed. Reg. 48576). OSHA plans to issue proposed rules for two of the six by the end of the year. […]
On this week’s episode of EHSDA Shorts, we hear from Scott Selasky, Corporate OSHA and Workers Compensation Manager at L&F Distributors, on his thoughts about the importance of updating safety standards. Tune in to hear his insights.
In June 2023, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion in Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International, et al. v. EPA that eliminated the Agency’s authority to enact “complementary” implementation measures regarding the regulation of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs). The ruling also upheld the EPA’s authority to regulate HFCs and HFOs. […]
On July 17, 2023, the EPA announced proposed new regulations for the solvent carbon tetrachloride (CTC). The proposed regulations would impose new restrictions and ban some uses of CTC to better protect workers and communities. CTC is a solvent used in commercial settings as a raw material for producing other chemicals like hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) used […]
Last month, a Pennsylvania House of Representatives committee approved H.B. 652, a bill that would require developers of proposed industrial projects to be located in environmental justice (EJ) areas to develop and submit cumulative impact statements of the projects. “Environmental racism is a longstanding issue in the commonwealth,” Pennsylvania State Representative Donna Bullock said, according […]