The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced the availability of the record of decision for the Cook Inlet Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sale 258, identifying the alternative for Lease Sale 258 that excludes the 17 outer continental shelf blocks wholly or partially overlapping beluga whale and northern sea otter critical habitats.

United States v. Prairie State Solar, LLC, No. 3:22-cv-02660 (S.D. Ill. Nov. 14, 2022). A settling CWA defendant that allegedly violated its state stormwater permit during construction of a large-scale solar farm in Perry County, Illinois, must perform injunctive relief measures to ensure compliance until construction is complete and the stormwater permit is terminated, and pay a civil penalty of $225,000, with $157,500 to the United States and $67,500 to the state of Illinois.

United States v. Big River Solar, LLC, No. 3:22-cv-02659 (S.D. Ill. Nov. 14, 2022). A settling CWA defendant that allegedly violated its state stormwater permit during construction of a large-scale solar farm in White County, Illinois, must perform injunctive relief measures to ensure compliance until construction is complete and the stormwater permit is terminated, and pay a civil penalty of $175,000, with $122,500 to the United States and $52,500 to the state of Illinois.

EPA finalized protective and science-based federal human health criteria to protect Washington's waters, including waters where tribes hold treaty-reserved rights to fish.

United States v. Elyria, City of, No. 22-cv-02026 (N.D. Ohio Nov. 9, 2022). A settling CWA defendant that allegedly violated a prior consent judgment related to discharges of pollutants from the city's sewer system must pay a $100,000 civil penalty to the United States and $100,000 into Ohio's Surface Water Improvement Fund, and implement an Integrated Wet Weather Control Plan to be completed by December 31, 2044.

EPA issued the Fifth Contaminant Candidate List under the SDWA, listing contaminants in drinking water that are currently not subject to any proposed or promulgated national primary drinking water regulations.

The U.S. Coast Guard announced the availability of a draft guidance document intended to establish a new, nationally consistent architecture for coastal zone area contingency plans.

EPA entered into a proposed consent decree under the CWA and the APA in Environmental Law & Policy Center v. United States Environmental Protection Agency, No. 3:19-cv-295 (N.D. Ohio), that would create a binding schedule for the development of a TMDL to address nutrient and algae impairments in western Lake Erie.

United States v. Lakewood, Ohio, City of, No. 1:22-cv-01964 (N.D. Ohio Oct. 31, 2022).  An interim partial consent decree requires a settling CWA defendant to undertake several projects to greatly reduce discharges of untreated sanitary sewage into Lake Erie and the Rocky River; submit an updated plan to reduce discharges of sanitary sewage in the remainder of defendant’s sewer system; implement its updated plan through a subsequent, enforceable agreement; and pay a $100,000 civil penalty.

NOAA announced a public comment period to solicit input on the performance evaluation of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.