Category: Environmental

PFOA and PFOS Designated as CERCLA Hazardous Substances

Last month, the EPA announced a final rule designating two polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA): PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that are also referred to as “forever chemicals” because of their resistance to breaking down in the environment over time. They’ve […]

Final Rule Issued to Cut Methane Emissions, Strengthen GHG Reporting for Oil and Gas Industry

On May 6, 2024, the EPA announced it issued its final Subpart W rule to strengthen, expand, and update methane emissions reporting requirements for petroleum and natural gas systems under its Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP), as required by President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). “The final revisions will ensure greater transparency and accountability […]

EPA Releases Annual GHG Inventory Report

The EPA recently released its annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (GHG Inventory), which presents a national-level overview of annual GHG emissions from 1990 to 2022 and includes a preliminary outlook on anticipated 2023 emissions. The inventory covers seven GHGs: “Net U.S. greenhouse gas emissions were 5,489 million metric tons of carbon […]

EPA Approves Largest Offshore Wind Farm Off Virginia Coast

On April 12, 2024, the EPA announced it issued the final Clean Air Act (CAA) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) air quality permit for Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial (CVOW-C) project, located off the coast of Virginia Beach, Virginia. “Offshore wind energy is a cornerstone of the Permitting Council portfolio, representing nearly half of […]

Katie Martin

EHSDA Shorts: What is the Importance of Worker Safety and Environmental Responsibility for Gen Z?

In this episode of EHSDA Shorts, Katie Martin, Director of Sustainability of Avetta, explains the importance of worker safety and environmental responsibility for Gen Z. This clip was taken from a webinar titled “Panel Session/Town Hall | Future-Proof Your Safety Program: A Panel Discussion About Safety Culture” as part of EHS Safety Culture NOW.” The full […]

The Battle Continues Over SEC Climate Risk Disclosure Regs

As the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has seen in promulgating its Climate Disclosure Rule, you can’t please everyone. The latest twist in the legal challenges the regulation has faced came from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which offered to defend the SEC against claims from environmental groups that say the final rule doesn’t […]

Wetlands Protections After Sackett Decision

The consequences of last year’s U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision in Sackett v. EPA are revealing themselves across the nation, as exemplified on both sides of the Wabash River, which runs between Illinois and Indiana. That decision, which redefined “waters of the United States” (WOTUS), stated, “Wetlands that are separate from traditional navigable waters cannot […]

Who’s Paying for PFAS Cleanup?

With the EPA finalizing the first-ever national, legally enforceable drinking water standard to protect communities from exposure to harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the next obvious question becomes: Who is legally liable for both the consequences of their presence and the cost of removing these chemicals from drinking water? The U.S. Senate Committee on […]

EPA Finalizes Drinking Water Standard for PFAS Pollution Protection

On April 10, 2024, the EPA announced it issued the first-ever national, legally enforceable drinking water standard to protect communities from exposure to harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals.” Exposure to PFAS has been linked to deadly cancers, impacts to the liver and heart, and immune and developmental damage to […]