Jul 29, 2022
EPA: game not over, says environmental agency leader after supreme court blow
The Biden administration will work around court ruling by setting new limits on ozone and coal ash to hasten closing of coal plants.
Industry News
Jul 14, 2022
EPA ‘forever chemical’ health advisory spurs lawsuit
EPA’s dramatic new health advisory for a contentious “forever chemical” is facing a lawsuit from its manufacturer over claims that the agency overstepped its authority in one of its most significant actions around the compounds to date.
Mar 28, 2022
PFAS: Massive Class Action, Due Diligence, and PFAS in Containers
There have been some (more) developments with respect to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Some of the recent developments are potentially very significant.
Mar 23, 2022
You don’t need to wait for EPA to tell you to do the right thing!
This morning we read that it might take EPA a bit longer than anticipated just a few days ago to bless the new ASTM standard for environmental site assessments.
Mar 21, 2022
Fitzpatrick offers bipartisan bill listing PFAS as harmful air pollutants
A bipartisan bill introduced on March 17 by U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) would add per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to a federal list of toxic air pollutants.
Mar 16, 2022
EPA Continues to Take Actions to Address PFAS in Commerce
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing two important actions to safeguard communities from products containing Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).
Mar 15, 2022
Reduction in Enforcement and Reduction in Toxics Released
Is the long-term trend of declining environmental enforcement activity one that will continue or will we see an uptick in activity? Further, will increased enforcement lead to better environmental protection?
Mar 08, 2022
Addition of Certain PFAS to the TRI by the National Defense Authorization Act
Section 7321 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (NDAA) immediately added certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the list of chemicals covered by the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) under Section 313...
Feb 18, 2022
EJScreen: Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool
EPA has developed a new environmental justice (EJ) mapping and screening tool called EJScreen.
Feb 07, 2022
EPA unveils cybersecurity action plan for water utilities
As the U.S. formulates a national plan to increase the resilience of its critical infrastructure against cyberattacks, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has laid out an action plan to ramp up protections for the water and wastewater sector over the next three months.
Jan 31, 2022
PFAS Update: CERCLA Listing for PFOA and PFOS Is One Step Closer
On January 10, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) submitted a proposed rule to the White House Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) to designate perfluorooctanoic acid (“PFOA”) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (“PFOS”) as ”hazardous substances”...
Jan 27, 2022
EPA adds four PFAS to Toxics Release Inventory
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the addition of four per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI).
Jan 26, 2022
EWG: At least 1,500 U.S. textile mills likely dischargers of ‘forever chemicals’
The Environmental Working Group has identified more than 1,500 textile mills that may be releasing the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS that are responsible for contaminating drinking water across the U.S.
Jan 14, 2022
The Top 5 New Environmental Issues for Commercial Property Owners or Managers
The Biden-Harris administration is quickly establishing new federal environment requirements affecting commercial property owners and managers.
Jan 12, 2022
PFAS Update: A Retrospective on Federal PFAS Regulation in 2021
As anticipated, 2021 was an eventful year for the regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) at the federal level.
Dec 28, 2021
A Year-End Review of the Environmental Regulatory Landscape
Anne Austin recently joined Industry Insights host Joel Simon to discuss the key considerations and drivers of the Biden administration’s major regulatory initiatives.
Dec 20, 2021
All (New and Improved?) Appropriate Inquiry
ASTM announced revisions to its standard practice for Phase I environmental site assessments (E1527-21) on November 1, 2021 (the “Standard”).
Dec 17, 2021
All (New and Improved?) Appropriate Inquiry ALL
Phase I environmental site assessments (“Phase I ESAs”) play an important part in real estate due diligence and can constitute “All Appropriate Inquiry” (“AAI”) under the liability protections afforded by the U.S. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”)...
Dec 10, 2021
An Update on Recent PFAS Regulation and Enforcement and the Resulting Insurance Implications
In August, we provided an overview of the recent increase in regulatory and private litigation activity around per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), colloquially known as “forever chemicals,” and...
Dec 02, 2021
Environmental Justice: EPA’s New Focus in Inspection and Enforcement
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an online tool, EJSCREEN, that can identify EJ communities across the country by address.