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The EPA recently announced a proposed rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that would protect workers and consumers from exposure to the solvent n-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). The “EPA’s 2020 risk evaluation found that this chemical causes serious health effects, including miscarriages and reduced fertility, as well as damage to the liver, kidneys, immune system […]
In United States of America v. Denka Performance Elastomer LLC and DuPont Specialty Products USA LLC, Denka recently told a federal appeals court that it will have to permanently close its Louisiana facility if it’s forced to comply with an EPA mandate to reduce emissions within 90 days. Background Denka operates a chemical manufacturing plant […]
On June 11, 2024, the EPA announced a settlement with Andersen’s Sales and Salvage Inc., based in Greeley, Colorado, resolving alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) associated with releases of refrigerants. The consent agreement and final order require the company to pay a $195,000 penalty for these violations. “Andersen’s Sales and Salvage failed […]
EPA Clean Water Act (CWA) wastewater regulations are set to face U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) scrutiny. In the case City and County of San Francisco v. EPA, San Francisco is suing the EPA over generic water quality prohibitions in permitting decisions. “The EPA had urged the Supreme Court to decline the petition, insisting narrative limitations […]
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 […]