Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Having failed to reach the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone by July 20, 2021, the EPA announced a final proposed action to downgrade the following five regions from “Serious” nonattainment status to “Severe”: Dallas-Fort Worth, TX Denver-Boulder-Greeley-Ft. Collins-Loveland, CO Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, TX Morongo Band of Mission Indians, CA New York-N. New […]
The EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a press statement on September 13, 2022, announcing it will begin an investigation into the Jackson, Mississippi, severe water crisis. The city’s water system has been plagued with issues for years, having been the subject of many EPA enforcement actions, including emergency orders and notices of noncompliance. […]
The EPA’s proposed rulemaking to designate two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), including their salts and structural isomers—as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) hit a snag after its Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review. The review identified the proposal as “economically […]
On August 31, 2022, the EPA published proposed amendments to its Clean Air Act (CAA) Risk Management Program in the Federal Register. The proposed revisions include changes to the accident prevention program requirements, enhancements to the emergency preparedness requirements, increased public availability of chemical hazard information, and changes/points of clarification to certain regulatory definitions. These […]
The EPA recently proposed revisions to strengthen the Risk Management Program (RMP) rule, including enhanced employee participation and transparency for communities on safety decisions. The RMP rule requires industrial facilities with high accident rates to prevent accidental air releases of dangerous chemicals that could cause deaths, injuries, or property and environmental damage or require evacuations […]
On August 26, 2022, the EPA proposed to designate perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), including their salts and structural isomers, as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as “Superfund.” These substances are two of the most widely used per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are […]
In recent weeks, the EPA has made two announcements about new chemicals added to its Safer Chemicals Ingredients List (SCIL). The SCIL is a “living list of chemicals by functional-use class that EPA’s Safer Choice program has evaluated and determined meet the Safer Choice Standard.” Products containing chemicals on the SCIL are the gold standard […]
In July 2022, the EPA finalized amendments to its requirements for Significant New Use Rules (SNURs) to better protect the health of workers. One of the uses of SNURs is to require notice to the EPA before chemical substances and mixtures are used in new ways that might create health concerns. These amendments strengthen requirements […]
Much news has been written about the U.S. Supreme Court’s (SCOTUS) June 2022 decision in West Virginia v. EPA. There have been dire headlines and equally dark predictions about what limited regulatory authority lies ahead for the EPA. In reality, the ruling has little to no impact on current EPA regulations. However, careful analysis of […]
In August 2022, the EPA issued a proposed rule to add a Di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) category to the list of toxic chemicals subject to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reporting requirements under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA). DINP is commonly found in toys, fabric coatings, and […]