Tag: SDWA

Zero Pretreatment Effluent Limits for O&G Fracking

A U.S. district judge in Wyoming has “set aside” the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final rule imposing environmentally protective requirements on hydraulically fractured oil and gas (O&G) wells on federal and Indian lands.

Small Water Systems Awash in Noncompliance

Taking enforcement action against violating small community water systems (SCWSs) can be a complete waste of time, which makes it clear that other approaches are needed to bring the thousands of such systems into compliance with their Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) obligations.

Cyanotoxins Dominate Proposed Contaminant List

The EPA has proposed 30 chemical contaminants/groups for its 4th Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 4). The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) specifies that the UCMR must list no more than 30 contaminants or groups—called the contaminant candidate list (CCL)—and that the EPA must produce a revised list every 5 years. Also, as required by […]

ATE: Lead in Drinking Water

Q. Regarding the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act: In the FAQ guidance from EPA, I cannot find any mention of water meters. Are they exempt?

Asbestos Regulation: A Cross-Cutting Issue, Part 2

Hardly a month goes by without the EPA publishing enforcement actions against companies and individuals that have run afoul of the many regulations related to asbestos. Although most involve violations related to lack of training, lack of public notification, and other abatement-specific failures, many also cite violations of regulations protecting air and water. The Clean […]

Election 2012: Where Do the Candidates Stand on Hydraulic Fracturing?

Where do the candidates stand on EHS issues?   Issue: Hydraulic Fracturing By Amanda Czepiel, J.D. , BLR Water Expert aczepiel@blr.com Barack Obama: Supports the practice of hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as “fracking”, stating, ” We have a supply of natural gas that can last America nearly 100 years, and my administration will take every […]

The Cost of Clean Water

EPA estimates that there are 156,000 water systems in the United States, with more than 94 percent serving fewer than 3,300 persons. Obtaining a representative financial picture for such a large universe of regulated entities is a complex undertaking. However, the Agency periodically attempts to do so in its Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and […]