EPA entered into a proposed CERCLA §122(g)(4) de minimus landowner administrative settlement agreement for parties associated with the Fansteel Metals/FMRI Superfund site in Muskogee, Oklahoma. 

United States v. Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor LLC, No. 23-381 (N.D. Ind. Nov. 8, 2023). Under a proposed consent decree, a settling CERCLA defendant that allegedly released cyanide and ammonia into the East Branch of the Little Calumet River during an August 2019 incident, which led to beach closures, a fish kill, and other natural resource damages, must donate and conserve two approximately one-acre parcels of land bordering the East Branch of the Little Calumet River and near the Indiana Dunes National Park, pay $409,533 to the DOI Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Fund, and pay $590,173 to the governments for reimbursement of natural resource damages assessment costs.

EPA announced the availability of and seeks comment on a white paper describing the benefits of the creation, submission, review, approval, and distribution of structured content and digital pesticide labels.

United States v. ACF Industries LLC, No. 3:23-cv-1603 (D. Or. Nov. 1, 2023). Under two proposed consent decrees, settling CERCLA, CWA, and OPA defendants whose facilities along the Willamette River released hazardous substances must pay cash and/or purchase restoration credits in one or more restoration projects approved by the Natural Resource Trustees to create habitat for injured natural resources, and make payments for the public’s lost recreational use of the river, for monitoring of culturally significant plants and animals, and for reimbursement of the Natural Resource Trustees’ costs. 

EPA announced the availability of and seeks comment on a document that announces several proposed changes to the Agency's Safer Choice Standard, including a name change to the Safer Choice and Design for the Environment Standard.

EPA proposed to enter into an administrative settlement agreement under CERCLA with Cone Mills Acquisition Group, LLC, concerning remedial action/remedial design to be performed at the U.S. Finishing, LLC and Cone Mills Corporation Superfund Site. 

EPA proposed to enter into individual settlements with three parties concerning recovery of CERCLA costs for cleanup that was performed at the Bennett Landfill Fire Site located in Chester, South Carolina. 

EPA proposed to prohibit all manufacture (including import), processing, and distribution in commerce of trichloroethylene (TCE) and industrial and commercial use of TCE for all uses, with longer compliance time frames and workplace controls for certain processing and industrial and commercial uses (including proposed phaseouts and time limited exemptions); prohibit the disposal of TCE to industrial pretreatment, industrial treatment, or POTWs, with a time limited exemption for cleanup projects; and establish recordkeeping and downstream notification requirements.

EPA added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances subject to reporting under EPCRA and the Pollution Prevention Act pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 to the list of Lower Thresholds for Chemicals of Special Concern.

EPA proposed to amend the procedural framework rule for conducting risk evaluations under TSCA to better align with applicable court decisions and the statutory text, reflect the Agency's experience implementing the risk evaluation program following enactment of the 2016 TSCA amendments, and allow for consideration of future scientific advances in the risk evaluation process without need to further amend the Agency's procedural rule.