EPA has proposed to establish “baseline” water quality standards that would apply to all Indian reservation waters where the tribe has not received “treatment as a state” (TAS) authority, the state does not have authority, and the federal government has not already promulgated water quality standards. Under the proposal, tribes will have a limited opportunity
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President Biden Signs Executive Order on Environmental Justice
*Chelsey Noble is a law clerk in the Richmond office and is not licensed to practice law in any jurisdiction.
On April 21, President Biden signed Executive Order No. 14096 (EO), titled “Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice For All.” The EO builds on prior executive orders by President Biden related to environmental justice,…
New Jersey Moves Forward with Implementation of First-of-Its-Kind Environmental Justice Statute
*Chelsey Noble is a law clerk in the Richmond office and is not licensed to practice law in any jurisdiction.
In 2020, New Jersey enacted a first-of-its-kind environmental justice statute, the Environmental Justice Law (EJ Law). The EJ Law requires that permit applicants for certain water, waste, and air facilities located, wholly or partially, in…
EPA Proposes Class VI Primacy Approval for Louisiana
With little fanfare, EPA has finally proposed to approve Louisiana’s Class VI underground injection control (UIC) well program. The proposal to approve Louisiana’s program comes nearly two years after the state submitted its package for consideration.
The pre-publication version of EPA’s proposal walks through the agency’s process and substantive consideration of Louisiana’s statutes, regulations,…
Biden’s WOTUS Rule Enjoined in 26 States
After the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota’s April 12 ruling, the majority of the United States can no longer implement or enforce the Biden administration’s definition of waters of the United States (WOTUS). This comes as a major blow to the administration that has repeatedly touted the so-called “durability…
EPA Advances PFAS Strategic Roadmap With Proposed Drinking Water Standards
On March 13, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took the long-anticipated step of proposing maximum contaminant level goals (MCLGs), as well as individual maximum contaminant levels (MCLs), for six PFAS compounds under the Safe Drinking Water Act. PFAS are a large family of synthetic chemicals that have been in use since the 1940s. Many PFAS…
Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes New Section 10 Regulations Under the Endangered Species Act
On February 8, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) proposed regulatory changes (Proposed Rule) focused on the application and approval process for Endangered Species Act (ESA) permits issued under Section 10. Section 10 of the ESA authorizes FWS to permit take of listed species where such take is necessary for scientific purposes…
CEQ issues Notice of Interim Guidance on Greenhouse Gas Emissions in NEPA Reviews
On January 9, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) issued an Interim Guidance on Consideration of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and Climate Change (Interim Guidance) “to assist Federal agencies in their consideration of the effects of GHG emissions and climate change when evaluating proposed major Federal actions in accordance with the National Environmental…
White House Releases New Version of the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool
On November 22, 2022, the White House released a new version of the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, an online interactive map that uses datasets on various “burdens” environmental justice communities may face, such as climate change, energy, health, housing, legacy pollution, transportation, water and wastewater, and workforce development. Communities will be identified as…
Federal Water Policy Coordination Codified
President Biden recently signed the Flood Level, Observation, Operations, and Decision Support Act (FLOODS Act), codifying an important leadership and management tool that helped modernize federal water policy in the United States. In 2018 a “federal water sub-cabinet” was informally established to coordinate water policy across the major federal agencies responsible for developing, managing,…