EPA to Tailor Environmental Regulations to Promote Growth

The EPA recently released its final report on how EPA is implementing President Trump’s Executive Order 13783 to cut regulations in order to promote energy production and economic growth—while protecting human health and the environment.

The report discusses nine EPA actions on energy-related regulations covered by EO 13783. It further includes the following four initiatives EPA plans in undertaking to implement this order:

1. New Source Review reform (NSR) – EPA is establishing an NSR Reform Task Force to review and simplify the NSR application and permit process.
2. National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) reform – EPA plans to use the newly formed Ozone Cooperative Compliance Task Force to review administrative options to meaningfully improve air quality as it relates to ozone. EPA will also work to streamline the approval of state air pollution plans, and eliminate EPA’s backlog of state pollution plans.
3. Robust Evaluations of the Employment Effects of EPA regulations – Five environmental statutes state that EPA must conduct continuing evaluations of potential shifts in employment that may result from implementation of statutes. EPA intends to conduct these evaluations consistent with the statutes.
4. Reestablishing the Smart Sectors Program – EPA recently relaunched the Smart Sectors program to re-examine how it engages with American businesses to cut regulations, while protecting human health and the environment.

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Macy’s Fined $375,000 for Hazardous Waste Violations

The EPA recently announced a settlement with Macy’s Retail Holdings, Inc., (Macy’s) over violations of hazardous waste regulations. In addition to correcting violations, Macy’s will also develop a program with the capacity to train 400 retailers in Oklahoma and Texas, and conduct third-party audits at 11 of its largest facilities within Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and New Mexico, among other required actions. The company will also pay a $375,000 civil penalty within 30 days of the effective date of the settlement, and must comply with all other requirements within one year.

"EPA takes hazardous waste regulations seriously, and we appreciate companies taking responsibility to correct violations," said Administrator Scott Pruitt. "Appropriately managing hazardous waste from ‘cradle-to-grave’ is vital to protecting people’s health and the environment."

"We appreciate EPA’s willingness to use our suggestion and offer Macy’s the opportunity for a supplemental environmental project involving compliance training instead of simply a penalty," said Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality Executive Director Scott Thompson. "The Macy’s settlement highlights the importance of states and EPA working together on common-sense approaches that respect the needs of businesses, while still protecting public health."

EPA enforcement staff found Macy’s had violated the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal law that regulates hazardous and solid wastes, for several periods during 2012-2015. During these times, each Macy’s store identified in the settlement generated thousands of pounds of hazardous waste to qualify as a small-quantity generator but failed to notify EPA and state authorities. Macy’s also failed to meet the conditions for small-quantity generator status and did not complete appropriate manifest. Overall, Macy’s generated more than 269,168 lb of hazardous waste from 2012-2015 for the 44 locations identified in the settlement.

As part of the settlement, Macy’s will develop a program to train an estimated 400 retailers in Oklahoma and Texas on how to comply with hazardous waste requirements. Live training events held in Oklahoma and Texas and will also be recorded to create a webinar version that can be shared to Macy’s locations nationwide. After completing the 11 third-party audits, Macy’s will share results with all of its other facilities (more than 620 locations outside EPA Region 6 with instructions to review the issues and address noncompliance. Macy’s will also promote the training webinars and recorded sessions to appropriate personnel nationwide. Based on the average rate of hazardous-waste generation at the 44 stores involved in the settlement, EPA estimates that Macy’s may manage about 1.2 million lb of hazardous waste nationwide per year.

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, passed by Congress in 1976 gives EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from cradle-to-grave. RCRA sets national goals for protecting human health and the environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal, conserving energy and natural resources, reducing the amount of waste generated, and ensuring wastes are managed in an environmentally sound manner.

This post was first published on https://www.ercweb.com/tips/show/EPA-to-tailor-environmental-regulations-to-promote-growth

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