Environment Management

Report: Large Companies Stalling Climate Action

While the world’s largest corporations have committed to slashing their emissions, many of those companies — and many governments — have overpromised and underdelivered, a new report says. This is due to higher costs, slow advances in technology, and political pressure, according to The Wall Street Journal. Read the full story. 9/20/2023

White House Launches American Climate Corps

President Joe Biden is launching a new federal program that seeks to put more than 20,000 people to work in government jobs that promote renewable energy and combat climate change, according to reports. Read the announcement.

The White House has not provided specifics about how the program will be structured or funded. 9/20/2023

Changes in U.S. EPA’s Risk Management Program

Modifications have been made to the U.S. EPA’s Risk Management Program rule, impacting facilities that use hazardous substances. In the last few years, companies handling hazardous chemicals have been experiencing compliance uncertainty. Now the EPA is incorporating even more changes.

On Oct. 11, OMA Connections Partner BSI will present a one-hour webinar to unpack these new requirements. Register here. 9/12/2023

Ohio EPA Stakeholder Input Opportunities

Deadlines are nearing for multiple Ohio EPA comment periods related to the following:

• Stormwater Program Rules (Sept. 22);
• Water Quality Standards Minimal Change Rules Package (Sept. 28); and
• Biocriteria Narrative OAC Chapters 3745-1 and 3745-2 for water quality (Oct. 16).

Click on any of the links above for details. 9/12/2023

Yost Slams Investment Firms’ ESG Efforts

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has criticized environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment policies in a conversation with the Foundation for Government Accountability, a conservative think tank.

In this brief video, Yost says investment firms are using retirement assets to make businesses beholden to ESG mandates and political agendas. “If you’re managing other people’s money without their consent in a way that isn’t trying to make them more money — just asserting your politics … you’ve got a legal problem,” Yost said. 9/13/2023

Environment Roundup: EPA Delays Stricter Smog Plan

• Registration is open for the Ohio EPA Sustainability Conference, set for Sept. 19-21. Click here to see the agenda and register for this no-cost virtual conference.
• In a development cheered by industry groups, the U.S. EPA has delayed its plans to impose tougher mandates for ground-level ozone until after the 2024 election. Grid stability is among the top concerns regarding the plan.
• A $1 million federal grant is funding efforts to establish Ohio’s first regional climate plan to reduce emissions in Cuyahoga, Medina, Lake, Lorain, and Geauga counties, according to reports.

Meanwhile, in this update on federal activities, OMA Connections Partner Squire Patton Boggs reports that PFAS-related actions are possible this fall. The U.S. EPA is moving towards establishing PFAS standards for drinking water, while Congress could address PFAS in multiple ways. 9/7/2023

Final Rule Amending WOTUS Announced

On Aug. 29, the U.S. EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced a pre-publication version of their final rule amending the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) in response to a decision issued by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year. Bricker Graydon, the OMA’s general counsel, has authored this summary. Bricker reports that industry groups and others have already indicated they will challenge the final WOTUS rule.

Meanwhile, the proposal is drawing criticism from GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill. 8/30/2023

Federal Regulatory Tracker Will Take Submissions Through Sept. 6

The National Association of Manufacturers continues to operate its Regulatory Action Tracker to identify federal regulations that burden the industry. Using this submission page, your company can identify the most concerning federal regulations. Submissions will be collected through Sept. 6. Information will remain anonymous. 8/29/2023

OMA Challenges U.S. EPA’s Plans to Expand Regulations on Iron and Steel Manufacturers

The OMA recently testified before the U.S. EPA to challenge the agency’s proposed emission standards for hazardous air pollutants as they apply to the integrated iron and steel manufacturing industry.

In its testimony, the OMA questioned the agency’s cost estimates and projected benefits, writing: “Given the great improvement in air and water quality over the past decades, our organization is surprised that the EPA would go beyond what is required under the law and place more burdens on a domestic industry that faces great pressure from overseas competitors.” 8/22/2023

Report: BlackRock Eases Support for ESG

BlackRock, the world’s largest money manager, is easing its support for shareholder proposals that embrace environmental and social themes, according to reports. The Washington Examiner reports BlackRock over the past year supported just 7% of nearly 400 shareholder proposals on environmental and social matters. 8/24/2023