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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been busy lately and that’s not going to change over the next few years. EHS Daily Advisor wrote last week about the EPA’s enforcement and compliance initiatives for 2024-2027. This inspired the Song of the Week, an environmentally themed classic from Pixies called “Monkey Gone to Heaven.” The song […]
Last year, lawsuits against major chemical manufacturers resulted in settlements totaling more than $11 billion. This year, as the EPA brings even more regulations into play and awareness of the extent of the harm from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination continues to grow, analysts predict substantially more lawsuits will be filed, resulting in even […]
A draft risk assessment published by the EPA reveals the potential for elevated cancer risk from radiation from the use of coal ash as fill material in building sites. Coal ash is the residual “leftover” from burning coal for energy, and it contains many toxic metal contaminants like mercury, cadmium, and arsenic. “Coal ash … […]
With 2024 underway, it’s a good time for regulated industry to put the EPA’s 2024–2027 National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives (NECI) front of mind. Every four years, across administrations, the EPA selects enforcement and compliance initiatives to allow the Agency and its state partners to prioritize issues and determine the necessary resources to address the […]
Last month, a coalition of six organizations petitioned the EPA to immediately suspend and cancel all glyphosate registrations. The petition was filed by the Center for Food Safety (CFF), which was joined by Lideres Campesinas, Beyond Pesticides, the Farmworker Association of Florida, Rural Coalition, and Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, Inc. These nonprofits work to protect […]
In a news release, the EPA announced it moved further and faster than ever in 2023 to deliver on its mission to protect human health and the environment by tackling climate change, advancing environmental justice, and protecting the health and safety of communities across the country. “President Biden believes every person in this country deserves […]
In December 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) declined to hear a case challenging the EPA’s authority to address climate pollution under the Clean Air Act (CAA). The Concerned Household Electricity Consumers Council (CHECC) and the FAIR Energy Foundation (Fair), the two groups requesting SCOTUS review, have taken a well-known stance that denies the integrity […]
Last month, the EPA announced settlements with two interstate trucking companies over claims of violating the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Truck and Bus Regulation. Capurro Trucking and Republic Services operate diesel-fueled heavy-duty trucks in California and other states. The EPA alleges the companies failed to install controls to reduce pollution, upgrade model year engines, […]
On December 27, 2023, the EPA published annual inflationary increases to the fine amounts for civil penalties assessed under its authority. Federal agencies have been required to issue regulations adjusting for inflation the statutory civil monetary penalties that can be imposed under the laws administered by them since 1996. Adjustments to the penalty amounts are […]
After a four-year process, on December 28, 2023, the EPA signed a final rule that grants the state of Louisiana authority, known as primacy, for the permitting, compliance, and enforcement of Class VI (carbon sequestration) wells as part of the Underground Injection Control Program (UIC). The rule will likely facilitate carbon capture and storage (CCS) […]