U.S. EPA Releases its PFAS Strategic Roadmap
On Monday, October 18, 2021, U.S. EPA released its PFAS Strategic Roadmap (Roadmap) outlining the agency’s three-year strategy for addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
EPA Honors 2021 Green Power Leaders
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the Green Power Leadership Award Winners for 2021, honoring five Green Power Partners across the United States: Boston University; Dane County, Wisconsin...
CERCLA – EPA Sharpens CERCLA Enforcement Tools to Focus on Environmental Justice Communities
The Comprehensive Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA or “Superfund”) imposes strict, joint and several liability on responsible parties for remediation of contaminated properties.
Solar panels offer landfills second chance at a useful life
Owners of closed landfills have increasingly found ways to repurpose capped and closed sites, with one new option also tying into America’s quest to decrease its dependency on fossil fuels.
Practical Tips for Managing the Risks of PCBs in Building Materials
Even though polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have not been manufactured in the U.S. for over forty years, they continue to be present in building materials, including in caulk and joint materials, paint, siding, roofing, and light ballasts.
PFAS Enforcement and Liability Is on the Rise—Insurance Can Help
A key component of a company’s risk management function is to keep a close eye on new and developing sources of liability and to put in place appropriate insurance to respond in the event those liabilities ripen.
National Contingency Plan now requires monitoring of chemical dispersants
The US government promulgates a “National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan” – more commonly referred to as the National Contingency Plan (NCP) – as the blueprint for responses to spills of oil and hazardous substances.
Mapping the Movement: The Future of Identifying and Addressing Cumulative Impacts
Charles Lee, long-standing activist, advisor, and policymaker, is in a unique position to assess developments within the environmental justice (EJ) movement by virtue of his nearly 40-year career dedicated to advancing EJ.
Federal Government Takes More Steps Toward Regulating PFAS
On July 21, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill to designate two PFAS as hazardous substances under CERCLA, commonly referred to as the Superfund law.
Mapping the Movement: The Future of Identifying and Addressing Cumulative Impacts
Charles Lee, long-standing activist, advisor, and policymaker, is in a unique position to assess developments within the environmental justice movement by virtue of his nearly 40-year career dedicated to advancing EJ.
The US EPA’s proposed per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) reporting rule would impose a myriad of obligations on business, and apply to those not usually subject to TSCA’s requirements...
NGOs and PFAS: A New Element of Disclosure
Non-governmental entities are applying more public pressure on regulators and companies regarding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
New TSCA Section 8(d) Rule Adds 50 Chemicals to Reporting Requirements
Section 8(d) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) had been effectively a dead provision of TSCA for over a decade.
House passes bill requiring EPA to regulate PFAS contamination
The proposed legislation would demand the EPA to regulate PFOA and PFOS, as well as designate the two compounds as hazardous substances.
We’re one step closer to comprehensive Federal regulation of PFAS
Yesterday the US House of Representatives passed a bill that would require EPA to regulate PFAS under every Federal environmental law that might possibly apply.
‘Burden falls on exposed people’ as EPA weighs PFAS rules
Part of a family of chemicals known as PFAS, GenX has been linked to liver and blood problems, as well as certain types of cancer. But EPA, tasked with regulating contaminants in drinking water, has no action planned to immediately crack down on the compound.
EPA Proposes Retroactive PFAS Reporting
On June 28, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a proposed rule that would require a one-time report from companies that manufactured or imported PFAS in any year since January 1, 2011.
Will Increased Enforcement Speed Cleanup of Superfund Sites in EJ Communities?
Earlier this month, EPA circulated a memorandum on “Strengthening Environmental Justice Through Cleanup Enforcement Actions.”
CERCLA – One Potential Landing Spot for Regulation of PFAS
PFAS are a broad category of man-made chemicals that have been manufactured since the 1940s and have been used in a variety of products for their heat- and stain-resistance, including stain- and water-repellant fabrics, nonstick products, paints, lubricants, cleaning products and...
Environmental Justice Coming into Focus Under Biden’s USEPA
In its June 25, 2021 Press Release, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“USEPA”) presented its plan for utilizing $50 million dollars, allocated to the agency under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021/Covid-19 stimulus package, to EJ initiatives.
