The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expects companies to self-police their environmental compliance efforts. While the EPA regularly conducts inspections focused on assessing environmental compliance, it also...more
Though environmental justice (EJ) has been a cornerstone of the Biden Administration, it lacks federal enforcement laws. Executive orders and responses from federal agencies have shaped U.S. enforcement of EJ issues....more
President Biden is pushing in 2023 to strengthen Environmental Justice (EJ) initiatives and policies from the top down. This includes ordering more action and results from relevant federal agencies and pushing for the use of...more
The agenda-setting document promises rulemakings across multiple EPA programs to expand the scope—and accelerate the pace—of PFAS regulation. The Biden administration continues the beat on PFAS regulation by releasing its...more
PFAS continues to be an area of focus for EPA and state agencies, as well as an ever-increasing litigation risk for companies that have manufactured, imported, processed, or otherwise used products including chemicals...more
Regardless of what side of the political fence you reside on and regardless of whether under this current administration you believe environmental enforcement has taken a holiday, the fact remains that most manufacturers...more
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
Introduction - Let me be Captain Obvious here. When the title is that long, the topic, including its context and history, is convoluted. Let’s start at the end, work our way toward the beginning, and come full circle. On...more
EPA has released an interim final rule with penalty adjustments mandated by a new law (“Interim Rule” or “Rule”). Most importantly, the “catch up” adjustments under the Interim Rule carry quite a wallop for those subject to...more
CONGRESS FINDS THE FORMULA TO REFORM CHEMICAL REGULATION - The Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) is the primary federal law by which the manufacture, import and use of chemical substances are regulated in the United...more
Mid-to-late June 2016, federal and state authorities brought a variety of enforcement actions against food and beverage companies under environmental, health, and safety statutes, suggesting increased governmental oversight...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: EPA finalized its new per violation penalty rules that in some cases now increase by substantial amounts. In a federal rulemaking published last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)...more
A packaging company in Dudley, MA has agreed to pay $484,900 in penalties to settle EPA claims that the company violated numerous federal and state regulations. The violations occurred at the company’s liquid and aerosol...more
It is that time of year again. If your company has certain chemicals in quantities that trigger reporting requirements under Section 312 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), your annual Tier II...more
On January 3, 2013, the Environmental Appeals Board approved an administrative settlement that requires New Cingular Wireless PCS to pay a total of $1.375 million in fines and environmental projects for alleged violations of...more