Reporting on the Evolving Field of Environmental Law
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) recently announced that it will be extending its COVID-19 Implications for Signing Paper Hazardous Waste Manifests policy (“Temporary COVID-19 Manifest Signature Policy” or “Policy”) until November 30, 2020.
On May 18, 2020, EPA issued its Temporary COVID-19 Manifest Signature Policy concerning how handlers of hazardous waste can address generator…
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) recently announced that it will be terminating its temporary enforcement discretion policy on August 31, 2020 at 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Saving Time. In general, this means that EPA will not base any exercise of enforcement discretion on this temporary enforcement discretion policy for any noncompliance that occurs…
In a matter of days, Americans have been asked to stay home as states across the country issue orders requiring non-essential businesses to cease operations. Given the essential public health role of the waste and recycling industries, however, these industries must continue service. This alert explores how the Department of Homeland Security and most states…
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) has recently released guidance for solid waste and wastewater management workers and employers handling waste with potential or known COVID-19 contamination. This blog post details what that guidance means for employers.
While OSHA previously recommended treating this waste as regulated medical waste, OSHA now states that “the management…
Last week, a federal judge denied a request from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) seeking to shift its timeline for implementing a 2016 rule targeting landfill emissions. As a result, EPA is required to finalize its federal implementation plan for landfill methane emissions by January 14, 2020.
This ruling marks the latest turn in…
The regulation of PFAS substances has become a matter of contention between U.S. EPA, states and local governments, environmental groups, and industry participants. EPA is under pressure by health experts, environmental groups, and affected communities to set a Maximum Containment Level (“MCL”) for PFAS, but has yet to do so. States, however, are beginning to…
No Further Remediation Letters have become an established part of the regulatory landscape. These letters serve many purposes, including reducing uncertainty over future clean-up obligations and signifying that the property is “clean enough” for development. But the process can take time, which in some instances delays transactions and increases cost.
To address these delays, the…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) released a much-anticipated draft document to address groundwater contaminated with PFOA and/or PFOS.
According to EPA, the guidance is based on EPA’s current understanding of PFAS toxicity and is intended to provide clear and consistent guidance for cleanup programs. Specifically, the guidance provides interim recommendations for addressing groundwater contaminated…
On April 15, 2019, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued a new interpretation of the Clean Water Act (“CWA”), stating that the CWA does not require permits for groundwater pollution. The CWA regulates pollution to surface water and requires permits for point-source discharges. However, the question as to whether a discharge of pollutants into groundwater…
On Thursday, the Trump Administration announced that it will issue a draft regulation by the end of the year placing a limit on two chemicals frequently found in drinking water. The steps to eventually regulate two types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) known as PFOA and PFOS were announced by U.S. EPA head Andrew…
The longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history continues to affect around 800,000 federal workers and major agencies, including the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”). Despite the shutdown, however, many EPA employees are being called into work without pay.
On January 14, 2019, EPA updated its contingency plan for shut down to increase the…
