EPA’s Big Plans for 2023: Top Air Rulemakings We Are Watching -
An environmental lawyer walks into a cocktail party. An often-asked question is: What is happening at EPA in your world? What should we be watching that...more
4/4/2023
/ Air Quality Standards ,
CERCLA ,
Clean Air Act ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
EPCRA ,
Executive Orders ,
Final Rules ,
Hazardous Substances ,
NAAQS ,
NESHAP ,
Ozone ,
PFAS ,
Proposed Rules ,
RCRA ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Safe Drinking Water Act
As a general rule, the law will not allow plaintiffs to sit on legal rights indefinitely. Superfund actions are no exception. The 6th Circuit recently applied this principle, finding a declaratory judgment of liability...more
Two recent executive orders (“EOs”) issued by President Trump require additional efforts by federal agencies to facilitate regulatory reform and to expedite infrastructure projects, relying greatly on emergency and special...more
7/16/2020
/ CARES Act ,
CERCLA ,
Clean Water Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Economic Downturn ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Federal Funding ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Infrastructure ,
Investment ,
NESHAP ,
Public Projects ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Relief Measures ,
Trump Administration
It’s well-known that the Trump administration has sought policies of deregulation over the past several years. The administration places emphasis on proper enforcement of existing rules and regulations as a means of achieving...more
1/13/2020
/ Administrative Procedure ,
Carbon Emissions ,
CERCLA ,
Clean Air Act ,
Climate Change ,
Department of Environmental Quality ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Executive Orders ,
Gas Prices ,
Obama Administration ,
PFAS ,
Renewable Energy ,
Risk Management ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Transportation Industry ,
Trump Administration ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Waste Treatment Facilities ,
Wastewater ,
Waters of the United States
Some companies subjected to environmental enforcement or cleanup actions may believe others should take the blame or share in the costs. When environmental consultants have been involved, the finger can point in their...more
10/31/2019
/ CERCLA ,
Coal ,
Coal Ash ,
Coal Industry ,
Consultants ,
Enforcement ,
Environmental Liability ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Federalism ,
Hazardous Waste ,
Proposed Rules ,
Section 401 ,
Stormwater Discharge Permits
If your company is planning to buy commercial or industrial real estate, it’s probably your standard practice to have a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (“Phase I”) performed. When you do so, it’s important to ensure the...more
6/7/2019
/ Air Pollution ,
BFPP ,
Cap-and-Trade ,
Carbon Emissions ,
CERCLA ,
Chesapeake Bay ,
Clean Water Act ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Groundwater Management Plan ,
Hazardous Waste Pharmaceuticals Rule ,
NGOs ,
Pollution Control Board ,
Real Estate Development ,
State Funding ,
TMDL
EPA recently released a final regional office realignment plan in response to President Trump’s March 2017 Executive Order 13781. That order required EPA and other federal agencies to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and...more
12/20/2018
/ Agricultural Sector ,
Bureau of Land Management ,
CERCLA ,
Clean Air Act ,
Clean Water Act ,
Deregulation ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
EPCRA ,
Farm Animals ,
Government Reorganization ,
Groundwater Management Plan ,
Oil & Gas ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) ,
Utilities Sector
It seems to happen every year. A natural disaster disrupts fall football season, and interstates are full of evacuees gobbling up hotel rooms and squatting in the nearest safety zones. In those times, no one ever thinks of...more
EPA continues to walk-back Obama-era regulations. The beneficiary this time is the mining industry, with EPA stating its intention not to issue a final rule establishing financial responsibility requirements for hardrock...more
It seems to happen every year. A natural disaster disrupts fall football season, and interstates are full of evacuees gobbling up hotel rooms and squatting in the nearest safety zones. In those times, no one ever thinks of...more
Companies operating ammonia refrigeration systems are easy targets for EPA under a number of environmental programs. Recent history suggests release reporting under Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and under the...more
7/10/2017
/ CERCLA ,
Clean Air Act ,
Corporate Financing ,
Emergency Response ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
EPCRA ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Manufacturers ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Management
On June 1, 2017, President Trump announced that the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate agreement (“Paris Agreement”). The Paris Agreement was signed by 195 countries in December of 2015. The goal of the...more
7/10/2017
/ CERCLA ,
Clean Air Act ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
EPCRA ,
Landfills ,
Methane ,
Paris Agreement ,
Pesticides ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Burden ,
Superfund ,
Trump Administration
Earlier this year, EPA released revised guidance for remediation of contaminated sediments at sites being addressed by EPA under CERCLA (the “New Sediment Guidance”). The guidance identifies six key clarifications to EPA...more
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (“DEQ”) has clarified its approach to issuing “no further action” letters (“NFAs”) for sites with both petroleum and non-petroleum contamination. This clarified approach will...more
12/15/2016
/ CERCLA ,
Common Stock ,
Contaminated Properties ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
EPCRA ,
General Permit ,
NESHAP ,
New Guidance ,
Pesticides ,
Remediation ,
Solar Energy ,
Superfund ,
Underground Storage Tanks
EPA has revised its procedures for making certain changes to its “Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods,” also known as SW-846. The test method and its compendium of guidance documents provide...more
Dominion Virginia Power (Dominion) operates a coalfired power plant in Chesapeake, Virginia. It maintains permits for its operations, including a Virginia solid waste management permit and a Virginia Pollutant Discharge...more
Liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) results from “releases” of hazardous substances. The term “release” is usually used in the context of something spilled or...more
In a significant setback for the Obama Administration, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has temporarily blocked implementation of the Clean Water Rule issued jointly by EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...more
10/28/2015
/ Barack Obama ,
CERCLA ,
Clean Air Act ,
Clean Water Rule ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
EPCRA ,
Hazardous Waste ,
Importers ,
Imports ,
Proposed Amendments ,
RCRA ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) ,
U.S. Customs ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Waste Management ,
Waters of the United States
In this Issue:
- EPA Issues SIP Call to Eliminate SSM Defense
- EPA and Corps Define “Waters of The United States”
- Frequent Questions: EPCRA 313
- Generators Need to be Vigilant About TCLP Sampling...more
6/15/2015
/ CERCLA ,
Clean Air Act ,
Clean Water Act ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Final Rules ,
Hazardous Waste ,
Manufacturers ,
NAAQS ,
Ozone ,
Proposed Regulation ,
RCRA ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Sierra Club ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Waste Disposal