After our post about COVID-19 and the EPA’s Enforcement Discretion Guidance Memo, we received follow up questions. Although this blog does not provide legal advice, we thought this was a critical question to consider. How do environmental consultants abide by “stay-at-home” orders and environmental agency regulatory requirements simultaneously? Although the analysis varies state by state, generally speaking, environmental investigation and remediation necessary to protect against imminent harm to public health […]

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On March 26, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued “COVID-19 Implications for EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Program,” explaining how EPA plans to exercise enforcement discretion in response to certain forms of noncompliance, or delays in compliance, that are caused by COVID-19. The policy is retroactive to March 13, 2020, and EPA will provide seven days’ advance notice prior to terminating the temporary policy. COVID-19 Compliance Policy The purpose […]

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If companies could see how much electricity they’re consuming and what their emission level is every hour of the year, they could shift their operations to better match the carbon-intensity of the grid. Scientists at Stanford University, School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences, have developed a precise way to measure power plant emissions hour-by-hour, twenty-four hours a day, which will allow companies to reduce their carbon footprint in real […]

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Yesterday, March 10, 2020, pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its first proposed Preliminary Regulatory Determinations for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) compounds in drinking water, specifically the two most common long chain compounds, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The comment period ends May 11, 2020. PFAS Regulation and CERCLA A federal drinking water standard would support EPA’s ongoing […]

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