Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The Biden-Harris administration recently announced approximately $2 billion in funding available to support community-driven projects that deploy clean energy, strengthen climate resilience, and build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges. “The EPA’s Community Change Grants are the single largest investment in environmental justice going directly to communities in history, and will […]
The EPA recently announced a proposal to strengthen its Lead and Copper Rule that would require water systems across the country to replace lead service lines within 10 years. The Agency is also proposing additional improvements to protect public health, such as lowering the lead action level and improving sampling protocols used by water systems. […]
The EPA recently announced it’s planning to propose new rules to improve the management and recycling of end-of-life solar panels and lithium batteries. Plans for the proposed regulations include modifying the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Universal Waste Rule to add hazardous waste solar panels and to establish a new, distinct category of universal […]
A little-known rule under the Clean Air Act (CAA) known as the “exceptional events rule” allows local regulators to exclude certain high-pollution days from their National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) data reporting. “Exceptional Events are unusual or naturally occurring events that can affect air quality but are not reasonably controllable using techniques that tribal, […]
Recent data released by the EPA shows drinking water systems serving 46 million people have per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in concentrations at or above the Agency’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) minimum reporting level (MRL) and therefore above the agency’s Health Advisory (HA) levels. “Of about 3,200 systems included so far, 854 measured at […]
The EPA on October 31 hosted a two-hour webinar entitled “EPA Clean Ports Program—First Look!” The Clean Ports Program invests $3 billion in technologies to reduce harmful air and climate pollutants at U.S. ports and to create a zero-emission (ZE) shipping future. “This new funding program will build on EPA’s Ports Initiative that helps our […]
On November 9, 2023, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) filed a brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia against the EPA challenging federal regulations that will make it more difficult for the public to obtain information about chemicals the EPA reviews under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The court […]
On October 23, 2023, the EPA announced a proposed rule to ban all uses of trichloroethylene (TCE), an extremely toxic chemical known to cause serious health risks, including cancer, neurotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity. TCE is used in cleaning and furniture care products, degreasers, brake cleaners, and tire repair sealants. According to the EPA, a variety […]
On November 9, 2023, the EPA announced SA Recycling LLC of St. Louis, Missouri, will pay $68,000 in civil penalties to resolve alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). According to the Agency, the company failed to adequately control stormwater runoff from its scrap metal recycling and processing facility. The EPA says these […]
In October 2023, the EPA released 2022 greenhouse gas (GHG) data collected under the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP). For 2022, the report reveals emissions from large industrial sources were approximately 1% lower than in 2021. Cumulative data collected also shows an overall long-term decreasing trend in industry GHG emissions since 2011, which is […]