EPA withdrew from Agency regulation and management two designated ocean dredged material disposal sites, the Nome East and Nome West Sites, located near Nome, Alaska, pursuant to the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act.

United States v. Sunoco Pipeline, L.P., No. 1:24-cv-00238-SJD (S.D. Ohio Apr. 29, 2024). Under a proposed consent decree, a settling CWA defendant must pay a civil penalty of $550,000 in addition to $1,250,000 to compensate for harm to natural resources in connection with crude oil escaping from a ruptured pipeline, contaminating waters of the United States, and causing damage to natural resources.

United States v. Dow Silicones Corp., No. 19-11880 (E.D. Mich. Apr. 24, 2024). A proposed consent decree modification extends a deadline for a settling CWA defendant’s implementation of a stormwater capacity and pollutant evaluation from January 24, 2023, to January 24, 2026, and also includes requirements to mitigate any environmental harm associated with the extension of the deadline.

EPA revised the water quality standards (WQS) regulation under the CWA to add requirements for states establishing WQS in waters where tribes hold and assert rights to CWA-protected aquatic and aquatic-dependent resources reserved through treaties, statutes, or executive orders.

CEQ finalized its “Bipartisan Permitting Reform Implementation Rule” to revise its regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA. 

DOE revised its NEPA implementing procedures to add a categorical exclusion for certain energy storage systems and modify categorical exclusions for upgrading and rebuilding powerlines and for solar photovoltaic systems, as well as to make conforming changes to related sections of the Department’s NEPA regulations. 

EPA finalized national primary drinking water regulations for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS); the Agency also finalized a Hazard Index of 1 as the maximum contaminant level goal and maximum contaminant level for any mixture containing two or more of PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, and PFBS.

NOAA announced the availability of final evaluation findings for seven state and territory coastal management programs and four national estuarine research reserves under the CZMA. 

The Federal Transit Administration announced the availability of a programmatic assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from transit projects. 

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) adopted the Department of the Air Force's categorical exclusion for supersonic flying operations over land and above 30,000 feet mean sea level, or over water and above 10,000 feet mean sea level and more than 15 nautical miles from land under NEPA to use in NASA’s program and funding opportunities.