Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
On September 4, 2024, the EPA announced it issued draft Class VI permits to Oxy Low Carbon Ventures LLC for three proposed wells to be dug for the geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in Ector County, Texas. These are the first draft permits the EPA has issued in Texas for Class VI wells under […]
Officials from the EPA, the City of Detroit, and the Detroit Water & Sewage Department (DWSD) gathered on August 9 to celebrate the city’s progress in removing lead from its drinking water. “Since 2022, Detroit has received $90 million in federal funding to help replace lead pipes, including $85 million distributed by the Michigan Department […]
Water is an important resource, but there are serious concerns about the contamination of drinking water with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals.” With that in mind, the Song of the Week’s is PJ Harvey’s dark and foreboding 1995 classic “Down by the Water.” The song is the first single from […]
On April 10, 2024, the EPA announced it issued the first-ever national, legally enforceable drinking water standard to protect communities from exposure to harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals.” Exposure to PFAS has been linked to deadly cancers, impacts to the liver and heart, and immune and developmental damage to […]
On December 1, 2023, the EPA issued orders to Inhance Technologies LLC (Inhance) directing it not to produce per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), chemicals that are created in the production of its fluorinated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic containers. “This action, taken under the authority of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), will help protect the […]
The EPA recently announced a proposal to strengthen its Lead and Copper Rule that would require water systems across the country to replace lead service lines within 10 years. The Agency is also proposing additional improvements to protect public health, such as lowering the lead action level and improving sampling protocols used by water systems. […]
Recent data released by the EPA shows drinking water systems serving 46 million people have per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in concentrations at or above the Agency’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) minimum reporting level (MRL) and therefore above the agency’s Health Advisory (HA) levels. “Of about 3,200 systems included so far, 854 measured at […]
On March 14, 2023, the Biden-Harris administration announced its proposal for a first-ever National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The legally proposed enforceable limits are 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). If finalized as proposed, public water systems (PWSs) have 3 […]
On June 15, 2022, the EPA released four drinking water health advisories for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the latest action under President Joseph Biden Jr.’s action plan to deliver clean water and EPA Administrator Michael Regan’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap. Drinking water health advisories indicate a level of a contaminant below which adverse health […]
On March 31, 2022, the EPA announced it will not regulate perchlorate in drinking water. Perchlorate is a chemical commonly used in rocket fuel, fireworks, airbag initiators, matches, and signal flares. The EPA announcement followed its review of a July 2020 determination with the same conclusion. The previous determination concluded “that perchlorate is not found […]