Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
In March, the EPA announced a hazardous waste enforcement action settlement with a Pennsylvania-based chemical manufacturer. The company will pay a penalty in the amount of $44,800 and has now certified its compliance with Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requirements.
On March 4, 2021, in a 7–2 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled against the Sierra Club, declaring documents related to the EPA’s Cooling Water Intake Structures Rule are exempt from Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. The ruling prevents access to certain draft agency documents used to formulate regulatory requirements.
As a new administration arrives in Washington, D.C., few things are certain except that 2021 is sure to be an eventful year.
On February 16, 2021, the EPA announced it “will refine its approach to selecting and reviewing the scientific studies that are used to inform Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) chemical risk evaluations (known as systematic review).”
In December 2020, the EPA issued an Enforcement Alert regarding aftermarket defeat devices that “bypass or render inoperative required emissions control systems, resulting in significant increases in harmful air emissions” from motor vehicles and nonroad equipment.
The Biden administration indicated it will not be reviving the Clean Power Plan (CPP), which should bring a sigh of relief for industry, according to a memo issued on February 12, 2021, to EPA regional administrators by Joseph Goffman, the acting assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation.
In a move welcomed by many, the use of Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) is back as part of settlement agreements in federal environmental enforcement cases.
On February 5, 2021, the EPA posted updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for its Audit Policy, formally titled “Incentives for Self- Policing: Discovery, Disclosure, Correction and Prevention of Violations.” This policy provides incentives, such as penalty waivers, for regulated entities to prevent, discover, disclose, and correct environmental violations on a voluntary basis.
Between 2017 and 2021, five government agencies, including the EPA, lost more than 1,000 scientists, according to data collected and published in an article by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). Other impacted agencies include the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), U.S. Geological Survey, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Institute of Education Services.
President Joseph Biden Jr. has promised to up the ante for environmental justice (EJ) communities by “rooting out the systemic racism in our laws, policies, institutions, and hearts.” Although a complete rollout of Biden’s plan has not yet been revealed, his campaign plans and initial actions allow for some educated analysis as to what industry […]