The EPA Office of Water has taken a major step towards further regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the Clean Water Act. On March 17, it published an advance notice of a proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) that could lead to development of effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs), pretreatment standards, and new source performance standards for PFAS manufacturers, formulators, and possibly other industries now being studied by EPA. 86 Fed. Reg. at 14,560. These industries include pulp and paper manufacturers, textile and carpet manufacturers, metal finishing companies, and commercial airports. The ANPRM is open for public comment through May 17.
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Elizabeth E. Aldridge
Ratcheting Down on Agency Discretion: Total Maximum Daily Loads
A new decision by the District Court of the District of Columbia curtails agency discretion to approve total maximum daily loads for impaired waterbodies and sets a precedent that may lead to more stringent NPDES permit limits. …
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Fatmucket Mussels and the March of Environmental Science
EPA scientists develop new methods and procedures that drive environmental science forward. Members of the regulated community have opportunities to become involved in the process and may benefit from doing so. …
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EPA’s Effluent Guidelines Program Plan: Roadmap to Technology-Based Water Regulation
EPA’s Effluent Guidelines Program Plan provides an interesting perspective on EPA’s assessment of pollutants of concern and emerging technologies to address those pollutants.
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Cooperative Federalism At Work: States Differ on Lake Erie Algal Blooms
In August 2014, residents of Toledo lost the use of tap water for two days because of a toxic algal bloom in the western basin of Lake Erie, which is their water source. In subsequent summers, the lake’s algal blooms have been smaller, but they remain a persistent phenomenon. In fact, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting a significant cyanobacteria algal bloom in western Lake Erie this summer.
Numerous definitions of “harmful algal blooms” exist, but they generally can be understood as excessive growths of various species of phytoplankton, protists, cyanobacteria, or macro and benthic algae that negatively impact water quality, aquatic ecosystem stability, or animal and human health. The blooms may be toxic or nontoxic. Even nontoxic blooms can have repercussions for drinking water treatment, recreational use of the waterbody, and the overall economy.Continue Reading Cooperative Federalism At Work: States Differ on Lake Erie Algal Blooms
Pteropods and EPA’s Approach to Ocean Acidification
A pteropod is not a winged dinosaur. It is a category of marine life that includes sea snails and sea slugs, both of which serve as forage for other marine species. According to the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), ocean acidification is endangering some pteropods, such as sea snails, by eroding their shells. The sea snail is not the only threatened species—the CBD posits that most marine calcifying organisms (including oysters, clams and coral) are at risk of damage from ocean acidification.
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