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On June 1, 2023, the EPA issued a final rule to update confidential business information (CBI) requirements under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that increases transparency, modernizes the reporting and review procedures for CBI, and aligns with the 2016 amendments to TSCA. “The final rule allows EPA to release non-confidential information more quickly, demonstrating […]
In May, WildEarth Guardians filed suit against the EPA in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico. The purpose of the suit is to compel the EPA to revise Houston-based Targas Resources Corp’s operating permits in the Permian Basin. On November 16, 2022, in response to Guardians’ petitions to the EPA, the […]
The EPA has ordered chemical company Chemours to take corrective measures to address pollution from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in stormwater and effluent discharges from the Washington Works facility near Parkersburg, West Virginia. The order on consent also directs Chemours to characterize the extent of PFAS contamination from discharges. This action marks the first […]
Since the EPA announced its Phase 3 proposed greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles, there has been significant political and industry pushback. “Part of EPA’s proposal is to electrify 25% of new long-haul trucks by 2032, as well as 35% of new short-haul regional tractors and 50% of vocational vehicles,” says Overdrive Online. […]
While touring the Port of Savannah, Georgia, on May 5, 2023, EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan announced the initial steps in the development of programs that will invest $4 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in U.S. port infrastructure while reducing air pollution and advancing President Joseph Biden Jr.’s commitment to environmental justice. Ports […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Anheuser-Busch LLC resolving the brewing giant’s violations of the Clean Air Act’s chemical accident prevention requirements and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. Anheuser-Busch will pay $537,000 in penalties and implement a comprehensive safety review of all 11 of its breweries that use the refrigerant anhydrous […]
On May 25, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) issued its second opinion in Sackett v. EPA, ruling the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) improperly claimed jurisdiction over a private property wetland. In a unanimous ruling for the nine justices, Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, said, “Wetlands that are […]
The EPA recently announced its Draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution, which builds upon the Agency’s National Recycling Strategy and focuses on actions to reduce, reuse, collect, and capture plastic waste. With input from stakeholders, the Agency identified three key objectives for the strategy: Reduce pollution during plastic production. Reduce the production and consumption […]
The EPA announced proposed federal baseline water quality standards (WQSs) for water bodies on Indian reservations that don’t have Clean Water Act (CWA) standards, ensuring protections for over half a million people living on Indian reservations, as well as critical aquatic ecosystems. Congress’s established goal in passing the CWA 50 years ago was that waters […]
In April 2023, a coalition of 13 environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the EPA, alleging the Agency has violated the Clean Water Act (CWA) by failing to make mandatory updates to wastewater pollution regulations for seven industry sectors. The suit asks the court to direct the EPA to review its decision to not revise […]