EPA announced that it intends to approve revisions to North Dakota's public water system supervision primacy program, except for Indian country.

EPA issued its final 2012 NPDES general permit for stormwater discharges from large and small construction activities for areas where the Agency is the permitting authority. 

EPA established a no discharge zone for the marine waters of California for sewage discharges from large passenger and oceangoing vessels 300 gross tons or greater.

In re Oil Spill by the Oil Rig Deepwater Horizon, No. MDL 2179 (E.D. La. Feb. 17, 2012). A settling CWA defendant responsible for the discharge of oil into the Gulf of Mexico must pay a $45 million civil penalty to the United States and $25 million to the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas and must perform supplemental environmental projects valued at $20 million in the Gulf states. 

EPA announced that it will approve implementation of Illinois' rules on long-term enhanced surface water treatment and on disinfectants and disinfection byproducts.

EPA Region 6 reissued the NPDES general permit authorizing discharges from exploration, development, and production facilities in the territorial seas off Texas.

United States v. Union Pacific Railroad Co., No. 1:12-cv-00284-REB (D. Colo. Feb. 6, 2012). A settling CWA defendant responsible for unauthorized discharges of oil, coal, and stormwater into waters of the United States in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming must pay a $1.5 million civil penalty, with interest; must correct deficiencies in its spill prevention, control, and countermeasure and facility response plans; and must conduct monitoring at all railyards to ensure compliance.

United States v. City & County of Honolulu, No. 94-00765 DAE-KSC (D. Haw. Jan. 30, 2012). Under an amended consent decree, a settling CWA defendant must construct a Kaneohe-Kailua Tunnel and an associated influent pump station on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, which will eliminate the need for certain storage projects. 

EPA Region 10 proposed to reissue the NPDES general permits for oil and gas exploration facilities in the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea. 

United States v. City of Baton Rouge, No. 3:01-cv-00978-FJP-CN (M.D. La. Jan. 19, 2012). Under a consent decree modification, settling CWA defendants responsible for violations at their POTWs must complete sewage collection system improvements by January 1, 2018, must install a supervisory control and data acquisition system, and must install emergency generators at over 400 pump stations.