Online Articles

Water flows from a kitchen faucet.

Final PFAS Regulations Are Here, and More Are On the Way

April 17, 2024 by John Powers Chemicals Regulations Water

EPA has been working quickly to regulate PFAS across the United States. The National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for PFAS is now finalized, and more final rules are right around the corner.

In 2020 small aircraft using leaded fuel emitted more than 420 tons of lead in the  United States.

At Last, EPA Prepares to Regulate Lead in Aircraft Emissions

April 12, 2024 by Christopher Slama Air Chemicals Climate change Regulations

Late last year, the EPA issued a formal Endangerment Finding, the first step in almost thirty years toward reducing the largest source of lead in the atmosphere. What took so long?

Coal ash impoundments at retired Cape Fear power plant in North Carolina. Photo by Waterkeeper Alliance, Inc.

By Air, By Land, By Sea: EPA’s Comprehensive Approach to Addressing the Legacy of Coal Ash

November 15, 2023 by Chelsea Welch Chemicals Fossil Fuels Natural Resources Regulations State and Local

Newly proposed EPA regulations targeting coal ash pollution and an expected denial of Alabama’s proposed state regulatory program show EPA’s willingness to flex its muscles in addressing the legacy of one of the country’s largest industrial waste streams.

A consumer considers which product to buy off the shelf and seems interested in one that claims to be “green.”

GREENWASHING: The Beginning or End of an Era of Environmental Deception?

September 28, 2023 by Charlie Dwight Chemicals Climate change Litigation Regulations

As American consumers focus more on how their consumption habits impact the environment, companies are seeking to capitalize by claiming their products are “green” even if these claims are dubious – a practice known as greenwashing. In this article, Charlie Dwight walks through the legal landscape of greenwashing and argues FTC and SEC enforcement would help crack down on the practice.

Helicopter spraying crops. Photo by Péter Czégény, licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

Biden is Reevaluating Chlorpyrifos Pesticide—Why Not Also Atrazine?

February 19, 2021 by Sara Zaat Chemicals

The Biden administration recently released a list of agency actions it will review, many of which impact the environment.[1] One such remnant of the Trump administration is the regulation (or lack thereof) of a particularly pernicious pesticide: chlorpyrifos…

The United States may finally ratify the Kigali Amendment—with potential implementing legislation already underway

January 15, 2021 by Sara Zaat Air Chemicals Climate change International

Hydrofluorocarbons, an alternative to the ozone-depleting substances that damage the Earth’s protective ozone layer, are potent greenhouse gases that exacerbate climate change. These chemicals are scheduled for reduction under international law: the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Will the United States join the majority of U.N. Member States in committing to phasing down its hydrofluorocarbon production and consumption in accordance with international law in a Biden administration?

An oil pump, presumably extracting oil in a parcel of barren land.

Brownfields – Abandonment in Bankruptcy Amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic

November 9, 2020 by Shamila Kara Chemicals Litigation Oil and Gas

Brownfields are formed when a property’s use or development has been curtailed by the presence of environmental contaminants. There are over 450,000 Brownfields in the United States today and these sites are home to major environmental pollutants. How does bankruptcy contribute to this issue and why should some states and communities be more concerned than others?

Coal stacks emitting pollutants into the atmosphere

Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act: A Farewell to “Once In, Always In”

November 9, 2020 by Hunter Johnston Air Chemicals Regulations

On October 1, 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized text for a final rule that proposed to change the way facilities that emit hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) are regulated under the Clean Air Act.[i] The rule, titled Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act, purports to implement a plain language interpretation of Section 112 of the Clean Air Act.[ii] In practical effect, the final rule provides that a “major source” can reclassify to “area source” status at any time after reducing its actual or potential hazardous air pollutants (HAP) emissions to below the major source threshold of 10 tons per year (tpy) of any single HAP and 25 tpy of any combination of HAPs.[iii] Additionally, the rule amends Clean Air Act requirements regarding compliance dates, notification, and record keeping.[iv]