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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EPA’s head compliance official, Susan P. Bodine, recently announced EPA’s intention to loosen regulatory enforcement for businesses in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a memo dated March 26, 2020, Bodine refers to pandemic conditions that have complicated enforcement, including a smaller workforce, social distancing requirements, and travel restrictions. Given all of these sudden, dramatic changes, EPA concludes that “efforts to protect workers and the public from COVID-19 may […]

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Last week, as part of the effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an Executive Order requiring all Californians to “shelter in place.” The Order requires all state residents stay at home, leaving only to engage in “essential activities.” The Order identifies 16 critical infrastructure sectors that provide services that are essential to the health and well-being of Californians. The sixteen sectors include: chemicals; commercial […]

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