Greenhouse Gas
-
White House/OMB Revisits SCC
In a recent blog by Howard Shelanski, OMB’s Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), it was announced that OMB is issuing updated values for the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC) used to estimate the value to society of reducing carbon emissions. These updated values reflect minor technical corrections to the estimates… Continue reading
-
New EPA Report On Water’s Economic Value
EPA has released a new report The Importance of Water to the U.S. Economy addressing the total economic value of water resources. Continue reading
-
New CERCLA Article Published In Environmental Law Reporter
Jenner & Block Partner Keri L. Holleb Hotaling and Associate Allison A. Torrence recently published an article titled “EPA Administrative Orders on Consent, CERCLA § 113(F) Contribution Actions, and the Operative Statute of Limitations After Atlantic Research,” in the Environmental Law Institute’s Environmental Law Reporter. Continue reading
-
U.S. EPA Hikes Statutory Environmental Penalties
Effective December 11, 2013, penalties for violations of certain environmental statutes will go up. According to a final rule issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, 20 of the 88 statutory penalty provisions are being increased in order to adjust for inflation. Although the standard daily fine for violations of the CWA, CAA, CERCLA,… Continue reading
-
EPA Updates ECHO Database
EPA has updated/revamped its Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) website to be more user friendly and flexible. EPA’s ECHO website allows for users to search for facilities to assess their compliance with environmental regulations, investigate pollution sources, examine and create enforcement-related maps, or explore a specific state’s performance. The legacy ECHO website is scheduled… Continue reading
-
EPA Ordered To Move Forward With Coal Ash Waste Rule
On October 29, 2013, a federal district court judge ordered EPA to submit to the court within 60 days a plan and schedule for finalizing coal ash rules under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Appalachian Voices v. McCarthy, No. 12-cv-00523 (D.D.C. Oct. 29, 2013). Coal ash, also called coal combustion residuals (CCRs), is… Continue reading
-
OSHA Issues New “Recommended” Permissible Exposure Levels For Chemicals In The Workplace
Instead of engaging in notice and comment rulemaking, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) recently issued new “voluntary” standards for workplace chemical exposure. These new voluntary exposure limits can be found on OSHA’s website in a tabular format, allowing for side-by-side comparisons of OSHA’s existing permissible exposure limits (“PELs”) with these new, voluntary exposure… Continue reading
-
Stay Indoors–Outdoor Air (Pollution) Added To List Of Cancer-Causing Substances
The World Health Organization has now classified outdoor air pollution as a human carcinogen. According to a press release from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (“IARC”), based on its review of available scientific literature, there is now sufficient evidence that exposure to outdoor air pollution causes lung cancer. Continue reading
-
EPA Proposes Increased Oversight Of State Enforcement Activities
U.S. EPA recently issued a draft strategy document intended to address a December 2011 Inspector General Report that found inadequate enforcement of environmental laws by the states. U.S. EPA’s draft “National Strategy for Improving Oversight of State Enforcement Performance” outlines several enforcement options, including U.S. EPA overfiling and/or removal of a state’s delegated authority to… Continue reading
-
Alex Bandza: 2013 Stephen E. Hermann Environmental Writing Award
Incoming associate Alexander Bandza has been selected by the American College of Environmental Lawyers to receive the prestigious Stephen E. Hermann Environmental Writing Award in 2013. Alex’s law school notes “Epidemiological-Study Reanalyses and Daubert: A Modest Proposal to Level the Playing Field in Toxic Tort Litigation” was awarded first place in this legal writing competition.… Continue reading