Environment Management

Good News for Manufacturers: U.S. EPA Declines to Tighten Ozone Standards

Ohio manufacturers should note that the U.S. EPA last week did not propose stricter ozone standards despite pressure from environmental groups. The EPA’s new proposal retains the 70-part-per-billion (ppb) standard for ozone, commonly referred to as smog, set under the Obama administration. Even under the current standard, the Cincinnati and Cleveland areas are both at high risk of being elevated to “moderate non-attainment” status, which would mean tighter controls on emitting industries.

“At a time when we are facing record-breaking unemployment, a lower ozone standard could slow our economic rebound and threaten manufacturing competitiveness,” the National Association of Manufacturers wrote in a statement of support for the EPA’s proposal. 7/20/2020

White House Overhauls Environmental Reviews to Boost Infrastructure Development

In another recent federal development, the Trump administration has announced a “top to bottom overhaul” of the regulations to “right-size the federal government’s environmental review process.” The goal is to speed up approval for major projects like pipelines and highways.

The administration’s new regulations are expected to reduce the types and number of projects subject to review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), shorten the timeline for reviews, and drop a requirement that agencies consider the cumulative environmental effects of projects. Read the National Association of Manufacturers’ supportive comments. 7/20/2020

Report: U.S. Carbon Emissions From Power Production Dropped 8% Last Year

According to a report released last week by Ceres, a non-profit environmental organization, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the U.S. electric power sector fell 8% between 2018 and 2019. This is due largely to the increasingly rapid shift away from coal-fired power, according to reports. The U.S. power sector has reduced carbon emissions 30% since the sector’s peak in 2007, the report said, even as the economy grew. 7/13/2020

Ohio EPA Issues General Permit for Impacts to Ephemeral Streams

Ohio EPA has announced the availability of a general permit that will be available to applicants for projects that impact ephemeral streams, which flow only for a short time, usually after a large storm or snowmelt.

The general permit comes in response to U.S. EPA’s recently finalized Navigable Waters Protection Rule. The new federal rule removes certain waters from federal jurisdiction under the federal Clean Water Act. States retain the authority to determine oversight of these non-jurisdictional waters. 6/30/2020

Ohio EPA Offers Grants for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Ohio EPA is accepting applications for $3.25 million in grants for publicly accessible electric vehicle charging stations. Eligible applicants include public or private entities in the 26 counties that Ohio EPA has identified as eligible to receive funds from the grant program. Applications will be accepted through Sept. 30, 2020. 7/1/2020

Three States Push to Include PFAS in Stormwater Permit

Three states are urging the U.S. EPA to impose new mandates related to the monitoring and reduction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from industrial stormwater discharges. Colorado, Massachusetts, and New Mexico recently submitted comments on the draft Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) that ask EPA to require permitted industrial facilities to monitor PFAS in their stormwater discharges and to develop practices intended to minimize the potential for PFAS to be introduced into stormwater.

The OMA also submitted comments on the draft permit. The comment period closed June 1, and it remains to be seen whether the EPA will adopt the three states’ suggestions. If it does, it could have wide-ranging implications for states like Ohio that use the federal MSGP as a model for the state general permit. If your company is tracking PFAS issues in Ohio, contact Rob Brundrett to keep up to date on Ohio’s PFAS response. 6/25/2020

Monitoring Ohio’s Air Quality From Your Computer

Summer heat can bring air quality concerns. Ohio EPA’s Division of Air Pollution Control offers an online air quality data and reporting system that allows Ohioans to monitor conditions from home or work. Tools include a map showing current air quality in several locations across Ohio, as well as air quality index forecasts. 6/24/2020

Ohio EPA Accepting Comments About Plan to Study Large Rivers

Ohio EPA is accepting public comments regarding the agency’s plan to study the state’s largest rivers in 2020-21. Comments will be accepted through July 8. Learn more here. 6/18/2020

Materials Marketplace to Host Webinar on Film Plastics

On Tuesday, June 23, at 11 a.m. (ET), the Ohio Materials Marketplace (OMM) — a free online platform of the Ohio EPA that allows businesses to connect and find reuse and recycling solutions for waste and by-product materials — will conduct a webinar discussing film plastics. This material is used in an increasingly wide variety of industrial, commercial and consumer applications, such as boat wrapping, nursery and agricultural sheeting, and single-use plastic bags. 6/18/2020

OMA Comments on General Permit for Isolated Wetlands and Ephemeral Streams

Last Friday, June 5, the OMA submitted comments on Ohio EPA’s proposed General Permit for Isolated Wetlands and Ephemeral Streams. The new general permit is a product of the recent federal rule addressing “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Navigable Waters Protection Rule. 6/11/2020