BLM withdrew approximately 336,404.42 acres of public lands surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park from location and entry under U.S. mining laws and from leasing under mineral leasing laws, but not mineral materials laws, subject to valid existing rights, to protect these public lands and the greater connected landscape with a rich Puebloan, Tribal Nation, and cultural legacy in San Juan, Sandoval, and McKinley counties, New Mexico, for a period of 20 years.
EPA proposed to enter into 49 individual settlements with 53 parties under CERCLA to address recovery of costs for a cleanup that was performed at the Bennett Landfill Fire site in Chester, South Carolina.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration proposed regulatory amendments that implement congressional mandates in the Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 2020 to reduce methane emissions from new and existing gas transmission lines, distribution pipelines, regulated gas gathering pipelines, underground natural gas storage facilities, and liquefied natural gas facilities.
United States v. Bank of America, No. 3:23-cv-02598 (D.N.J. May 15, 2023). A settling CERCLA defendant must perform remedial action relating to vapor intrusion and groundwater at the White Swan Cleaners/Sun Cleaners Area Ground Water Contamination Superfund site in Wall Township, New Jersey; pay the United States $10.8 million for past and future response costs and up to $1.5 million for future oversight costs; and pay a total of $6.5 million to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the Department Commissioner, and the Administrator of the New Jersey Spill Compensation Fund to resolve its liability for past and future costs and for natural resource damages.
United States v. American Biltrite Inc., No. 1:23-cv-11044 (D. Mass. May 11, 2023). Settling CERCLA defendants must perform the final remedial action for Operable Units 1 and 2, and the interim remedial action for Operable Unit 3, identified in EPA's March 2021 Record of Decision relating to the Olin Chemical Superfund site in Wilmington, Massachusetts; pay the United States’ past and future site-related response costs; and pay the Commonwealth's future site-related response costs.
EPA entered into a proposed administrative settlement agreement under CERCLA for recovery of response costs incurred at the Omega Chemical Corporation Superfund site in Los Angeles, California.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) proposed to amend and update its regulations for implementing NEPA to better align with its current and near future actions, adjust the level of NEPA review and documentation required for certain actions, and provide more concise descriptions of NASA actions, as well as incorporate updates to existing categorical exclusions.
More severe storms and rising sea levels resulting from the changing climate pose a threat to ecosystems along the U.S. coast. These include beaches, dunes, wetlands, and marshes, which provide significant environmental, recreational, and economic benefits. Practices to sustain these ecosystems are available, but are not well understood, face legal and financial obstacles, and have not been widely implemented. On January 25, 2023, the Environmental Law Institute hosted a panel of experts who explored measures and practices for sustaining beaches and dunes in the face of a changing climate.
EPA entered into a modified proposed cashout settlement agreement under CERCLA for recovery of response costs at the Delta Shipyard Superfund site in Houma, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana.
EPA entered into a proposed administrative settlement agreement under CERCLA that requires a settling defendant to pay $5.25 million as partial payment for Agency response costs associated with the ITC Tank Fire Superfund site in Deer Park, Texas.