December 2011
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D.C. Court of Appeals Grants Stay of Cross-State Air Pollution Rule
By Allison A. Torrence On December 30, 2011, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit granted several parties’ motions to stay in the federal case challenging the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (“Transport Rule”). The court’s order stops implementation of the Transport Rule two days… Continue reading
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Superfund Site Reopened to Address Vapor Intrusion Issues
In 1992, a consent decree was entered into between U.S. EPA and two private party PRPs to address contamination at an NPL site in Mountain View, California. In June 2001, U.S. EPA certified completion of remediation activities per the 1992 consent agreement. Almost ten years later, in August 2010, U.S. EPA reopened the ROD, finding… Continue reading
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World Health Organization (WHO) Issues Life Stage Guidance for Risk Assessment
According to WHO, a significant challenge exists with monitoring and assessing individual and population level exposure and risk to environmental chemicals associated with how to consider age and life-stage related changes in behavior and physiology. Continue reading
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CCX Sued For Fraud
On December 14, 2011, a group of investors that purchased trading privileges on the Chicago Climate Exchange (“CCX”) sued the CCX and its founders, alleging fraud and violations of Illinois’ Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. The lawsuit, which was filed in Illinois state court, contends that defendants falsely represented that only a limited… Continue reading
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New EPA Draft Report Links Contaminants Found In Groundwater To Fracking
On December 8, 2011, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“U.S. EPA”) issued a draft report recommending expanded testing of environmental releases associated with hydraulic fracturing (or “fracking”). The draft report was issued following U.S. EPA’s release of the preliminary findings of an investigation it conducted near the town of Pavillion, Wyoming which found the… Continue reading
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DOE Reports That EPA’s New Air Pollution Rules Will Not Hinder Electricity Reliability
The United States Department of Energy (“DOE”) has issued a report titled “Resource Adequacy Implications of Forthcoming EPA Air Quality Regulations.” The DOE report evaluates two United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) regulations: (1) the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (“CSAPR”) and (2) the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (“MATS”). Continue reading