Several significant environmental regulatory revisions have been proposed in August, including three rule changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA), proposed revisions to the 2015 coal combustion residuals (CCRs) for electric utilities, streamlining for air permitting, and proposed amendments to the 2003 National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants source category.
We wanted to dive in a little deeper on the ESA topic, as well as a couple of other updates regarding stormwater and the EPA’s policy on cooperative federalism. We selected the following articles from BC’s BLR source to provide these additional updates:
Final revisions to ESA released
On Aug. 12, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) jointly announced for future listing decisions. The revisions include species listing/delisting decisions, critical habitat designations, interagency consultation, and protective regulations for threatened species.
Keys to Industrial Stormwater Permit compliance
are designed to reduce the amount of pollutants that enter our nation’s waterways, and the EPA strictly enforces them. Knowing your monitoring and reporting deadlines, identifying discharge points, routinely training all employees who could affect stormwater quality, and selecting a stormwater monitoring team will help prevent unnecessary and expensive violations.
EPA finalized new policy to enhance state partnerships in civil enforcement and compliance assurance work
The Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) has finalized a policy that jointly authorizes the EPA and states to implement and enforce federal regulatory programs. The policy clarifies roles, provides a road map to more effectively increase compliance with environmental regulations, and articulates expectations and best practices.
Recommendations were published by an in August 2018 that outlined four key principles relevant to enforcing the federal environmental laws: general deference to states in state-implemented programs, effective communication between the EPA and the states, clear standards of review and predictable processes, and a clear process for elevating issues.
