In July 2020, we posted on takeback disposal options for some PFAS-containing firefighting foams, with a caveat about recent actions taken by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) to suspend incineration of AFFF that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) had sent to a hazardous waste facility in Cohoes, NY, pending the results of environmental sampling in … Continue Reading
U.S. EPA PFAS Updates
EPA Releases 2019 Year in Review, Including Summary of PFAS Actions
Earlier this year, the EPA put out its annual Year in Review, summarizing its major accomplishments for 2019 across the full breadth of the agency’s program activities. With respect to PFAS, EPA identified the following key milestones achieved during the year relating to the issuance of its PFAS Action Plan in February 2019, and its subsequent implementation of the … Continue Reading
PA Department of Environment Protection Issues COVID-19 Guidance
In response to the COVID-19 emergency, and consistent with Gov. Tom Wolf’s Proclamation of Disaster Emergency of March 6, 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) has developed guidance for those permit holders and operators who have questions about their obligations during this time.
Key Points:
PADEP COVID-19 Emergency Request to Temporarily Suspend Regulatory Requirements and/or Permit Conditions. … Continue Reading
Regulatory Status of PFAS by U.S. EPA as of February 2020
EPA is working on a number of initiatives to regulate PFAS pursuant to the EPA PFAS Action Plan, and a number of timelines have been put in place as a result of the late 2019 enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (“NDAA”), see generally Sections 7301-7362. However, as of February 2020, PFAS are largely not … Continue Reading
PFAS In EPA’s Fiscal Year 2021 Budget
On February 10, 2020, the Trump administration announced its proposed U.S. EPA budget for fiscal year 2021 of $6.7 billion down from $9.1 billion for fiscal year 2020, representing a 26% cut. While it is unlikely that the proposed budget cuts will be approved by Congress, it is notable that the proposed EPA budget included an additional $6 million to … Continue Reading