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As hazardous waste large quantity generators (LQGs) and hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities (TSDFs) know all too well, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requires them to report every two years on the quantities, types, and management methods of hazardous wastes generated on-site and hazardous wastes received from off-site sources. Referred to […]
In their just-released final rule, the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers (EPA/Corps) provide a definition of the Clean Water Act (CWA) term Waters of the United States (WOTUS) that, the agencies say, is based in the commerce clause of the Constitution.
In February 2019, the EPA issued a final rule establishing a new set of regulations for the management of hazardous waste pharmaceuticals generated by healthcare facilities. There were several rationales behind the rule. For example, in contrast to staff at industrial facilities, healthcare personnel (e.g., doctors and nurses) are rarely trained to make hazardous waste […]
The EPA has issued its final list of the first 20 high-priority chemical substances in commerce that will undergo Agency risk evaluations over the next 3 years. The risk evaluation process for existing chemicals is arguably the most consequential part of the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
The EPA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently reported that the Agency failed to comply with two Clinton-era Executive Orders (EOs) when former Administrator Scott Pruitt decided to rush into publication the proposed repeal of an Obama-era rule intended to reduce air pollution generated by glider vehicles.
In the fourth quarter (Q4), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized 71 settlement agreements with companies small and large across the United States. This represents a significant decrease in enforcement actions, down from 158 penalties issued in Q3 and 106 in Q2. However, the actions taken resulted in almost $2.5 million in fines. In […]
In draft letters dated October 16, 2019, and addressed to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, the chair of the Agency’s Science Advisory Board (SAB) raised substantive concerns about four major EPA regulatory proposals.
In the second step taken under the Cleaner Trucks Initiative (CTI) it announced in November 2018, the EPA has released an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to solicit public comment on the outlines of proposed emissions standards for highway heavy-duty engines, which the Agency says it plans to issue in early 2020.
On February 7, 2020, hazardous waste aerosol cans will officially enter the national universal waste program. In addition to simplifying compliance with the hazardous waste regulations for handlers of hazardous waste aerosol cans, the EPA believes the rule will result in the diversion of large portions of these cans from landfilling to metal recycling.
Section 1313 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) directs that states must develop total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for water bodies that are impaired by pollutants or conditions (e.g., temperature or turbidity). The state submits these TMDLs to the EPA for approval. If the Agency approves the state’s submission, the TMDL takes effect. If the […]