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In response to the U.S. and E.U. pledge to slash methane emissions worldwide 30% by 2030 at COP26 in Glasgow, on November 2, 2021, the EPA announced a proposed rule to cut methane emissions, including reductions from existing sources nationwide. “As global leaders convene at this pivotal moment in Glasgow for COP26, it is now […]
Just as Present Joseph Biden Jr. was preparing for the global climate summit (COP26), the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) announced it will hear four cases, likely to be consolidated, to determine the EPA’s authority to regulate emissions from power plants under the Clean Air Act (CAA). The October 29, 2021, announcement was the equivalent of […]
In response to lawsuits brought by states and environmental groups, on October 29, 2021, the EPA filed a motion in the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit indicating it “will be reconsidering the 2020 Ozone NAAQS Decision, with the intention of completing the reconsideration by the end of 2023.” Under the Trump […]
The EPA on October 18 revealed its PFAS Strategic Roadmap: EPA’s Commitments to Action 2021-2024 as part of a multiagency frontal assault to address pollution from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are popular for their fire-resistant abilities and the properties that allow them to repel water, oil, stains, and grease. PFAS are also known […]
Three subsidiaries of a multinational chemical company reached a $3.4 million civil penalty settlement agreement with the EPA and Department of Justice (DOJ) in October 2021, the EPA announced. The agreement includes upgrades and “compliance measures estimated to cost $50 million to resolve allegations they violated the Clean Air Act (CAA) and state air pollution […]
The EPA will likely restrict the use of some common hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, including R134a, R410A, and R407C, in refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, as well as some foam production operations. The EPA has granted, or partially granted, 11 petitions submitted by industry and environmental groups in response to the recently passed American Innovation and […]
Dr. Stanley D. Young, a former member of the EPA’s Scientific Advisory Council, filed suit on October 7, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia accusing the EPA of purging its advisory boards of industry members. “The [EPA] has a problem with dissent. In an unprecedented purge, EPA eliminated all industry […]
The EPA announced a new guidance memo on September 30, 2021, withdrawing the previous guidance memo issued on October 9, 2020, that carved out exemptions for excess emissions in startup, shutdown, and malfunction (SSM) events for larger emitters. Industry analysts believe this signifies difficult permitting approvals ahead, as well as new State Implementation Plan (SIP) […]
The EPA has issued a draft policy assessment, “Policy Assessment for the Reconsideration of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter, External Review Draft,” dated October 2021, which concludes “scientific evidence, air quality analyses and the risk assessment for a type of pollution called fine particulate matter can ‘reasonably be viewed as calling […]
The EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a report on September 29, 2021, stating the EPA is lacking an agencywide strategic action plan to address harmful algal blooms (HAB). The OIG report indicates this has been a serious Agency deficiency since Congress appointed the EPA administrator “as the leader for federal actions focused on […]