Tag:Regulatory Update

The new NEPA Rule: Major Changes and Project Impacts

By Daniel DeJoode, Ph.D. | September 30, 2020

NEPA Rule Changes

Enacted in 1970, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires that federal agencies to engage in a review process to assess the environmental impacts of proposed federal actions, include appropriate disclosure to the public, and be responsive to these factors before making a decision. This process can apply for a variety of projects, including the development of roads, bridges, oil and gas pipelines, energy projects, broadband infrastructure, and water infrastructure, as well as impact forest management and wildfire protection. Environmental review under NEPA applies to federal projects as well as private projects if federal action is involved such as issuance...

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The PFAS Significant New Use Rule Goes into Effect This Week. What Entities are Affected?

By Andrew “Andy” Adams, CHMM, MBA | September 23, 2020

On July 27, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), published the final Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) for long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylate (LCPFAC) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonate (PFAS)* chemical substances under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), first proposed in January 2015. The final SNUR requires persons to notify EPA at least 90 days before the start of manufacturing (including import), or processing of these chemicals for any use designated as a significant new use. This includes the import of a subset of LCPFAC chemicals as part of a surface coating on items, such as the PFOA utilized in Teflon in cookware....

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