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In a report dated May 12, 2021, the EPA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) concluded that the Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics, and Training (OCEFT) and its National Enforcement Investigations Center (NEIC) continue to struggle with safety concerns and staffing constraints, which may jeopardize the offices’ ability to achieve their mission of holding criminal polluters […]
The dictionary describes a brownfield as a former industrial or commercial site where future use is negatively impacted due to real or perceived environmental contamination. According to the EPA, there are more than 450,000 brownfields in the United States.
On May 13, 2021, the EPA announced it is rescinding the “Increasing Consistency and Transparency in Considering Benefits and Costs in the Clean Air Act Rulemaking Process,” also known as the Benefit-Cost Rule. The rule was categorized as “unnecessary.”
The EPA issued a final rule on May 21, 2021, rescinding its October 18, 2020, rulemaking that established the Agency’s procedures for issuing, modifying, withdrawing, and using guidance documents.
The EPA is proposing to phase down the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are highly potent greenhouse gases (GHGs) commonly used in refrigerators, air conditioners, and many other applications. This is the EPA’s first proposed ruling under the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act of 2020.
Analysts predict that the Biden administration will see an increase in environmental justice (EJ) claims during the public review process for both air permit renewals and new permit applications.
On April 29, 2021, the EPA announced it will be expanding Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reporting requirements to include additional chemicals and facilities and provide more tools for communities to increase access to environmental information.
The EPA announced $6.5 billion in new funding for water infrastructure projects on April 27, 2021. $5.5 billion is being made available in this round of funding under the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program, with another $1 billion in funding for the state infrastructure financing authority WIFIA (SWIFIA) program.
On April 8, 2021, the EPA published proposed clarifications and technical revisions to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLs) established in the March 26, 2020, final rule.
On April 14, 2021, the EPA announced in a press release the release of its 28th annual “Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (GHG Inventory), which presents a national-level overview of annual greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2019.”