Gearing up for a potential final rule in summer 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on January 10 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 under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
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Welcome Back! These Are the Air Topics That Will Make News in 2022
To help reboot after the holiday break, here is a list of air topics we expect to make news in 2022 with a short discussion of why each one may be important to you.…
Court Decision to Vacate, Remand State Water Quality 401 Certification Rule
On October 21, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California vacated and remanded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2020 Clean Water Act Section 401 final rule (Certification Rule).
In response to the court’s ruling, EPA is implementing the previous water quality certification rule nationwide, which had been in effect since 1971,…
EPA Issues Section 401 Q&A
On Friday, December 17, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) quietly issued a Q&A document concerning the vacatur of the 2020 Section 401 Certification Rule (2020 Rule). The Q&A confirms EPA’s view that the 1971 certification regulation is now in effect nationwide, but does not present a policy or legal rationale for this decision. Although much…
Equitable Apportionment of Interstate Waters Sinks to New Levels
In a landmark ruling signaling a new lens with which to view the treatment of interstate water allocation, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision on November 22 in Mississippi v. Tennessee, et al., 595 U.S. ___ (Case No. 21o143) rejecting Mississippi’s claim to sole ownership of waters of the Middle Claiborne Aquifer within that…
Natural Gas Processors to Report to EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory Beginning 2023
In a final rule published in the Federal Register on November 24, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) quietly finalized a hotly contested proposed rule, adding natural gas processing facilities to the list of industry sectors required to report their releases of certain chemicals under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA),…
Natural Gas Processors to Report to EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory Beginning 2023
In a final rule published in the Federal Register on November 24, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) quietly finalized a hotly contested proposed rule, adding natural gas processing facilities to the list of industry sectors required to report their releases of certain chemicals under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA),…
EPA Issues Highly Anticipated Methane Rule for the Oil and Gas Sector
Earlier this week, EPA published its proposed new methane regulations for the oil and gas sector. These new rules will have significant practical implications for the industry and have the potential to set new precedent for EPA’s authority under the Clean Air Act to address climate change for other industries as well. While the proposal…
Supreme Court Will Hear Controversy Over EPA Regulation of Greenhouse Gases from Existing Power Plants
The U.S. Supreme Court has elected to hear a legal dispute over the scope of the authority granted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from existing power plants. In orders issued October 29, the Court granted certiorari to four petitioners — West Virginia, North…
Infrastructure Bill Provides Opportunities for Hydroelectric Industry
On November 5, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the more than $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the bipartisan infrastructure framework (BIF). The Senate had already approved the bill back in August, and it now heads to the president’s desk for signature. The BIF represents a core piece of…