The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized regulations impacting a large swath of refrigeration and cooling equipment industries. The new regulations are the most recent EPA action addressing the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), greenhouse gases often used to replace ozone-depleting substances for refrigeration and cooling, under the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020
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Are Plastics the New PFAS?
A recent conference led by Connecticut Attorney General (AG) William Tong discussed the alleged problems and potential solutions associated with plastics use and waste. Conference attendees included nearly two dozen representatives from state AG offices, medical and public health researchers, and leaders in the recycling and reclamation industry. Conversations focused on plastics’ tendency to break…
US EPA Warns of Fraudulent NOVs
Phishing scams can pop up anywhere, as evidenced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General’s recent alert regarding fraudulent Notice of Violation letters (NOVs).…
SCOTUS Rulings Upend the Administrative Law Landscape
On June 28, in a highly anticipated ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Chevron USA Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council Inc., finding that Chevron deference, the 40-year-old precedent deferring to reasonable agency interpretation of ambiguous statutes, is no longer valid. This decision, in addition to other recent Supreme Court rulings, represents a significant shift…
PFAS Designated as CERCLA Hazardous Substances
On April 19, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a pre-publication version of the long-awaited final rule designating two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as “hazardous substances” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Cleanup, and Liability Act (CERCLA). This final rule comes right on the heels of EPA’s April 8 announcement of the final rule…
PFAS MCL Summary
On April 8, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan signed a final rule regulating six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The final rule, which will become effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, sets individual maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for PFOA and PFOS…
Final ESA Rules Include Fundamental Shift in RPMs
On March 27, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (collectively, the Services) issued three sets of final rules revising the Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulations. The effective date of the regulations will not be known until the regulations are published in the Federal Register. In the meantime, the…
FWS Prepares for Tricolored Bat Listing With New Guidance
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) continues to focus on protections for bat species that have been ravaged by white-nose syndrome. In 2023, the Northern Long-Eared Bat (NLEB) was uplisted to endangered status. The FWS proposed to list the Tricolored Bat (TCB) as endangered in 2022, with a target date of September 2024 to…
EPA Makes Major Changes to Risk Management Program Under Clean Air Act
On March 11, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the long-awaited Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention Rule (Final Rule), which concluded a nearly decadelong process — spanning three administrations — to update EPA’s Risk Management Program (RMP) under the Clean Air Act (CAA).…
SEC Issues Final Climate Disclosure Rules, Paring Down Its 2022 Proposal, With Implications for Greenwashing Claims
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued its long-awaited climate reporting requirements, making it mandatory for the largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. to annually disclose both greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and their material climate risks, with some requirements kicking in as early as 2025. On March 6, the SEC voted…