The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a decision last week stating that revisions to the federal regulations for the management of wastes from the exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and geothermal energy (i.e. oil and gas wastes from hydraulic fracturing and directional drilling) are not necessary at this time. EPA
Landfill News
Environmental Groups Claim Victory While Dropping Lawsuit Against EPA Over Landfill Methane Emissions Rules
By Ann Zwick on
Posted in Landfill News
Last May, the Trump EPA issued a 90-day stay of two Obama-era landfill methane rules, namely the Standards of Performance for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills (NSPS Subpart XXX) and the Emissions Guidelines (EG). EPA was responding to concerns by industry groups to reconsider portions of the rules. After the stay was put into place, the…
Receiving Facilities Will Be Responsible For Payment of User Fees Under the E-Manifest User Fee Final Rule
By Ann Zwick on
Continuing on our discussion of the electronic manifest (e-Manifest) system, EPA Administrator, Scott Pruitt, signed the e-Manifest User Fee Final Rule on December 20, 2017. EPA expects the final rule to be published in the Federal Register in the coming weeks. The pre-publication version of the final rule is attached here.
Under the final…
Illinois Court Finds that Landfill Post-Closure Monitoring Period not Limited to 15 Years by Statute
By Ryan Rudich on
Posted in Landfill News
An Illinois appellate court recently ruled that the 15 year post-closure monitoring requirement for sanitary landfills under the Illinois Environmental Protection Act sets the minimum, not maximum, period, and that that the operator will be required to continue post-closure monitoring if the threat of future violations of the Act is present.
D&L Landfill, Inc., the…
EPA Stays Newly Adopted New Source Performance Standards and Emissions Guidelines for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills
By Ann Zwick on
Posted in Landfill News
By rule published in the Federal Register today, EPA is staying the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and Emissions Guidelines (EG) final rules for municipal solid waste landfills, in their entirety, for 90 days pending reconsideration. The rules are found at 40 CFR Part 60, Subparts Cf and XXX and had been published…
EPA Rulemaking in the Trump Administration
By Ryan Rudich, Philip Comella & Ann Zwick on
Posted in General Environmental, Landfill News
Mr. Trump made cutting regulations a central promise of his campaign. At one point he suggested 70% of federal regulations could be eliminated. Although his staff quickly walked that number back, there is little doubt that at least a few EPA regulations will be among those the administration will target.
An agenda that involves a…
Waste and Recycling Industry Challenges New Clean Air Act Emission Guidelines for Existing Municipal Solid Waste Landfills
By Ryan Rudich on
Posted in Landfill News
A group of waste industry trade associations and waste management and recycling companies is challenging the EPA’s recently finalized Clean Air Act rule that revises Emission Guidelines for existing municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. The National Waste & Recycling Association is among those that petitioned the United States Court of Appeals for the District of…
Waste Management Could be Key to Meeting the United States’ GHG Emissions Goals
By Ryan Rudich on
Posted in Landfill News
If the United States is going to meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments under the Paris Agreement, it is going to have to significantly overhaul its waste management practices. At least that is the conclusion of Shift Energy Holdings CTO Adrian Tylim. Writing in Waste Dive, he notes that landfills account for 20% of…
New Clean Air Act Regulations for New and Existing Municipal Solid Waste Landfills
By Ryan Rudich on
Posted in Landfill News
Beginning on October 28, 2016, new and modified municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills are now subject to updated New Source Performance Standards under the Clean Air Act 81 FR 59331. The U.S. EPA has also issued new rules for existing MSW landfills, but they must be implemented through state or federal implementation plans before…