In perhaps the biggest environmental decision in decades, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld all aspects of EPA’s complex regulation of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. Each piece of EPA regulation was controversial, yet the Court validated the overall approach paving the way for future action by EPA.
Flashback several years ago, when the Obama Administration stated
Under increasing pressure from the Courts, EPA announced on June 14th its proposed revision to the federal air quality standard for fine particles (microns less than 2.5). The last standard was 15 ug/m3 which was established in 1997. EPA is now proposing to lower the standard somewhere between 12 and 13 ug/m3.
Back in 2009, the Court
Typically, environmental legislation may be passed in Ohio once every few years. In fact, most environmental regulatory reform is done in small doses during the budget bill process. In the last two weeks, Governor Kasich has signed into law three separate bills that including major environmental regulatory provisions.
Back in 2006, the Ohio Legislature passed Senate Bill 265 which was hailed as the biggest change to air pollution control regulations in Ohio in several decades. The center piece of the legislation was an exemption for smaller sources of air pollution (10 tons per year or less) from having to comply with Ohio’s Best Available
With regard to industrial properties and brownfields clean ups, perhaps no issue clean up standard has garnered more attention and increased scrutiny than indoor air. It looks like 2012 could be the year when EPA finally updates its decade old draft guidance.
EPA never finalized its 2002 draft guidance on assessing indoor air risks ("OSWER Draft Guidance for Evaluating the
In two prior posts, I discussed the recent Ohio EPA rule change to its asbestos rules. As discussed previously, Ohio EPA added a single sentence to definition of "friable asbestos" appearing in Ohio Administrative Code Rule 3745-20-01. The sentence states:
Any category I or category II asbestos containing material that becomes damaged from either deterioration
The picture is still very murky with regard to what brownfield funding will look like in Ohio. The program is being transferred from the Ohio Department of Development to JobsOhio. The Kasich Administration has stated it believes the program needs to be overhauled. (Click here for prior post regarding transfer to JobsOhio)
Another aspect of Governor Kasich’s controversial proposed legislation- Senate Bill 315- is to provide the legislative authority for Ohio EPA to take over Section 404 Clean Water Act permitting from the Army Corps of Engineers. Section 404 permits are needed prior to impacts to streams or wetlands within federal jurisdiction.
The bill itself doesn’t really do
On April 17th, EPA issued new rules designed to reduce air emissions from oil & gas operations, including wells drilling using hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"). The new federal standards (New Source Performance Standards -NSPS) are seen as the first significant new federal regulation governing fracking.
Some may wonder how gas wells generate air emissions. When
In a prior post (Ohio EPA Asbestos Rule Changes Could Prove Costly), I discussed Ohio EPA rule change to the definition of friable asbestos. As discussed in the prior post, Ohio EPA added a single sentence to definition of "friable asbestos" appearing in Ohio Administrative Code Rule 3745-20-01. The sentence states:
Any category