Earlier this week, the U.S. EPA published the fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5). Pursuant to the rule, all public water systems serving more than 10,000 people, as well as  public water systems serving between 3,300 and 10,000 people (but only if sufficient funding and lab capacity is available), will be required to conduct…

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) are a group of man-made chemicals that contain nearly 5,000 different compounds. PFAS are ubiquitous and can be found in a variety of everyday products, including stain- and water-resistant fabrics and carpeting, cleaning products, cookware, paints, and fire-fighting foams.

While PFAS compounds remain largely unregulated at the federal level, the…

The U.S. EPA recently released the 15th installment of its Preliminary Effluent Guidelines Program Plan[1]. In addition to announcing the initiation of new rulemakings for certain categories of industrial dischargers, the report provides a window into where the agency is focusing its attention for potential future clean water act regulations. This year, landfills…

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VDEC) is currently in the process of reviewing and reauthorizing its Hazardous Waste Management Regulations. Mixed among the updates is a proposed provision that should be of great concern to generators of used oil wastewater. Section 7-805 of VDEC’s hazardous waste regulations delineates the requirements for wastewater to…

Developers, ranchers, farmers and others who fill or alter bodies of water have seen a never-ending carousel of regulatory changes to the federal rules that apply to such activities.  Earlier this week, an Arizona federal court made one more change while new rules are being written.

On August 30, 2021, the U.S. District Court for…

EPA recently issued an Enforcement Alert to owners and operators of metal recycling facilities about high levels of VOC emissions that have been identified at a number of large shredders.  The issue of VOC emissions from metal shredders has not previously been well known or understood.  EPA is now publicly acknowledging the issue and, finally,…

On July 21, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the PFAS Action Act of 2011, requiring EPA to establish nationwide drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS, two of the thousands of PFAS compounds.  EPA has previously established non-enforceable drinking water health advisories for PFOA and PFOS of 70 ppt.

The bill also…