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In a letter dated April 16, 2024, the attorneys general (AGs) of 23 states, led by the state of Florida, demand that the EPA “amend its regulations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to bring them in line with the text of that statute and with the Equal Protection Clause of […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
On March 21, 2024, a federal appeals court ruled the EPA overstepped its authority in ordering Inhance Technologies, LLC, to stop producing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during the fluorination of plastic containers. Background On December 1, 2023, the EPA issued orders to Inhance, a Houston-based plastics treatment company, directing it not to produce PFAS […]
The EPA recently released the draft risk evaluation for formaldehyde under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for public comment and peer review. Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable gas at room temperature and has a strong odor. It’s also found nearly everywhere. People and animals produce and release formaldehyde, and it’s produced when organic materials […]
On March 21, 2024, the EPA announced the release of its 2022 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis showing that environmental releases of TRI chemicals from facilities covered by the program were 21% lower in 2022 compared with 2013, which included a 26% decrease in air releases. The data shows releases from manufacturing facilities decreased […]
On March 14, 2024, EPA Administrator Michael Regan signed a final rule requiring certain facilities to develop facility response plans (FRP) for a worst-case discharge of Clean Water Act (CWA) hazardous substances or the threat of such a discharge. Worst-case discharges are defined as the largest foreseeable discharge in adverse weather conditions, including extreme weather […]