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In a Priority Open Recommendations document released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on May 28, 2024, the federal watchdog detailed 12 open high-priority recommendations the EPA has yet to address: For more information about EPA progress and plans to address these items, see the Priority Open Recommendations document. “Priority open recommendations are the GAO […]
The EPA recently announced four final power plant rules (PPR) to reduce pollution from fossil fuel-fired power plants, with the goal of protecting “communities from pollution and improve public health without disrupting the delivery of reliable electricity,” according to an Agency news release. These rules are part of the Biden administration’s push to transition to […]
In March 2024, the EPA issued its final Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention Rule (SCCAP rule), which became effective on May 10, 2024. The SCCAP rule amends the Risk Management Program (RMP) regulations that were established to prevent the accidental release of toxic and explosive substances, reduce the severity of any accidents that may […]
The EPA in April denied a petition to remove stationary combustion turbines from the list of sources subject to regulation for emissions of air toxics, maintaining public health protections for communities near these facilities. “The agency denied the joint petition filed in 2019 by groups including American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers and the American Petroleum […]
The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) sharply criticized the EPA’s decision to retain the existing secondary standards for nitrogen oxides and particulate matter (PM) without revision. “The EPA failed to seize this important opportunity to better protect plants and animals from these toxic pollutants,” said Ryan Maher, CBD staff attorney, in the organization’s press release. […]
The EPA recently announced a new Strategic Civil-Criminal Enforcement Policy, designed to achieve fairness in enforcement actions and ensure criminal enforcement is reserved for the “most egregious violations.” For many, the policy is long overdue. “The EPA’s determination of what facts justify criminal treatment has traditionally been inconsistent and dependent on local decision-making by regional […]
The EPA announced it has issued an emergency fuel waiver to allow E15 gasoline, or gasoline blended with 15% ethanol, to be sold during the summer driving season. “This action will provide communities with relief at the pump from ongoing market supply issues created by the ongoing war in Ukraine and conflict in the Middle […]
On May 6, 2024, the EPA announced it issued its final Subpart W rule to strengthen, expand, and update methane emissions reporting requirements for petroleum and natural gas systems under its Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP), as required by President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). “The final revisions will ensure greater transparency and accountability […]
In a letter dated April 16, 2024, the attorneys general (AGs) of 23 states, led by the state of Florida, demand that the EPA “amend its regulations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to bring them in line with the text of that statute and with the Equal Protection Clause of […]
The EPA recently released its annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (GHG Inventory), which presents a national-level overview of annual GHG emissions from 1990 to 2022 and includes a preliminary outlook on anticipated 2023 emissions. The inventory covers seven GHGs: “Net U.S. greenhouse gas emissions were 5,489 million metric tons of carbon […]