The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement proposed to incorporate certain documents by reference—Production Measurement Industry Standards and Safety Industry Standards, including one International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission standard—into the regulations governing oil, gas, and sulfur operations on the outer continental shelf.

EPA proposed revisions to the regulations for decabromodiphenyl ether and phenol, isopropylated phosphate (3:1), two of the five persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals addressed in final rules issued under TSCA in January 2021.

EPA published statements of findings after its review of certain TSCA submissions from September 1, 2023, to September 30, 2023, that certain new chemical substances or significant new uses are not likely to present an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment.

EPA adopted a Bureau of Indian Affairs’ categorical exclusion for waste management activities involving remediation of hazardous waste sites under NEPA for use by EPA’s Contaminated Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Lands Assistance Program. 

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.

The Forest Service proposed to amend its special use regulations, which prohibit authorizing exclusive and perpetual use and occupancy of National Forest System lands, to provide an exemption for carbon capture and storage. 

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.