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.

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

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.

EPA announced the availability of proposed interim registration review decisions and amended decisions for the following pesticides: Acephate, Captan, Ferbam, Thiram, and Ziram. 

EPA entered into proposed consent decrees in Community In-Power and Development Ass'n Inc. v. EPA, No. 1:23-cv-02715 (D.D.C.) and ACC v. EPA, No. 1:23-cv-03726 (D.D.C.), that would establish deadlines for EPA to take action on subject risk evaluations under TSCA. 

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. 

EPA announced the availability of and seeks comment on the Agency’s draft human health and ecological risk assessments for the registration review of formaldehyde and paraformaldehyde.