The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under Administrator Lee Zeldin, has unveiled its anticipated strategy for addressing the pervasive issue of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often referred to as “forever chemicals.” While the announcement provides a broad framework, specific details (particularly regarding potential changes to previous rulemakings under CERCLA and the Safe Drinking Water
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It’s Official, the Transfer Act will be “Sunset”
For the last 40 years, the Connecticut Transfer Act has primarily driven the remediation of contaminated property in Connecticut—this will change early next year.
Currently, the Connecticut Transfer Act (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-134 et seq.) requires site-wide investigation, and potential remediation, upon the “transfer” of an “establishment” as defined by the Transfer Act. Establishments…
Cuts, Closures, and Confusion: A Quick Update on U.S. EPA
It has been 50 days since the Trump administration took office, and there remains a tsunami of activity surrounding executive actions and announcements across the federal government. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not been spared from deep cuts, office and grant program closures, and a fair amount of confusion.
On March 11, 2025, EPA…
Environmental, Health, and Safety Outlook for 2025
In putting together our thoughts on this post, it was hard not to think about the elephant in the room (see what I did there?). The change in administration has already brought significant changes in our nation’s environmental priorities. While time will show us all of the specific ways this will play out in 2025,…
New EPA Administrator, Same Freeze on EPA Activity
On January 29, 2025, Lee Zeldin was confirmed as the 17th Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator. After a week on the job, Zeldin continued to maintain several policies that had been put in place immediately after the Trump administration took office. Some of these policies are summarized below. While these actions are generally expected when…
New Wave of Executive Orders Seek to Redirect EPA’s Focus
Within hours of taking office, President Trump issued a flurry of Executive Orders (EO), including several that will undoubtedly affect a wide range of environmental policies nationwide. While the full implications of these EOs, as well as potential additional actions, are far from clear at this early stage, there are several takeaways for those who…
Court Approves EPA Settlement with 82 Passaic River Potentially Responsible Parties
The Diamond Alkali Superfund site in Newark, New Jersey, which includes the 17-mile Lower Passaic River Study Area, may be one of the country’s most expensive and hotly contested Superfund Sites. The remedy for the dioxin-contaminated river may cost as much as $2 billion when it is completed. The Newark site has been the subject…
OSHA Finalizes PPE Fitting Requirement for Construction Workers
On December 11, 2024, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it finalized a revision to the personal protective equipment (PPE) standard for the construction industry. The final rule adds specific language to the existing standard requiring employers to provide properly fitting PPE for construction industry workers. This change aligns the construction industry with…
EPA Releases PFAS Strategic Roadmap Third Annual Report
As the Biden-Harris administration draws to a close, EPA has issued its third annual report touting the progress made under the PFAS Strategic Roadmap.
In the report, EPA notes the major legal, technical, and policy developments it has enacted since the PFAS Strategic Roadmap was adopted in 2021. Those developments include the following:
- Designation
…
EPA Notice of Violation Letters Phishing Scam
On July 30, 2024, the U.S. EPA Office of Inspector General issued a fraud alert to bring attention to an increasing number of companies reporting that they have received fraudulent EPA Notice of Violation letters demanding payment. Businesses have received these fraudulent letters through email and U.S. Postal Service mail. The letters allege that the…