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The EPA recently announced it has proposed its eighth rule under the new Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) process to protect workers from inhalation exposure to C.I. Pigment Violet 29 (PV29), a chemical that presents a risk of lung damage. If finalized, the rule would require respiratory protection and cleaning programs in workplaces where PV29 […]
On December 19, 2024, the EPA released “Water Affordability Needs Assessment,” a report to Congress detailing water affordability across the nation. It summarizes decades of research by utilities, academics, and associations and includes recommendations in three areas: The issue The EPA “estimates that between 12.1 million and 19.2 million households throughout the U.S. lack access […]
On December 19, 2024, the EPA announced draft national recommendations for health-based levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water bodies. The recommendations cover three PFAS: PFAS are a large class of thousands of synthetic chemicals that have been in use in the United States and around the world since the 1940s. PFAS’ ability to […]
On December 9, 2024, the EPA announced it finalized the latest risk management rules for trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE) under the 2016 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) amendments. TCE is an extremely toxic chemical known to cause liver cancer, kidney cancer, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It also causes damage to the central nervous system, liver, […]
On January 15, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) terminated its healthcare COVID-19 rulemaking (90 Fed. Reg. 3665). The agency decided to focus its resources on developing an infectious diseases rulemaking for healthcare, describing the infectious diseases rulemaking as “the most effective and efficient use of agency resources” for protecting healthcare workers from occupational […]
In the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024, the EPA finalized 215 settlement agreements with companies small and large across the United States. This represents a decrease in enforcement actions—down from 482 penalties issued in Q3. The actions taken resulted in $7,739,116 in fines. Here are some of the highlights. CAA violations yield biggest fine from […]
In November 2024, the EPA released the final revised risk determination and final supplement to the risk evaluation for 1,4-dioxane. The evaluation determines that 1,4-dioxane presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health under the conditions of use. This chemical is used primarily as a solvent in a variety of commercial and industrial applications, such […]
The EPA recently released a draft of the Interim Framework for Advancing Consideration of Cumulative Impacts, which is intended to provide EPA employees and decision-makers with tools and principles to consider cumulative impacts in their work. The EPA defines cumulative impacts scientifically by the totality of exposures to chemical and non-chemical stressors and their effects […]
The EPA and the Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced two settlements with energy operators located in Pennsylvania. XTO Energy Inc. (XTO) and Hilcorp Energy Company (Hilcorp) agreed to resolve alleged Clean Air Act (CAA) and Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act violations involving their oil and gas production operations in the state. Under the settlement, […]
The EPA recently announced a proposed regulation to strengthen limits on emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from most new, modified, and reconstructed fossil fuel-fired stationary combustion turbines. The regulation, if finalized, will “ensure that new turbines built at power plants or industrial facilities—especially large ones that could operate for decades—would be among the most efficient […]