United States v. French Limited, Inc., No. 4:89-cv-2544 (S.D. Tex. Apr. 26, 2024). A fourth modification to a 1990 consent decree under CERCLA concerning contamination at the French Limited Superfund Site near Crosby, Texas, revises work requirements, provides for the reimbursement to EPA of certain response costs, and provides for the disbursement to members of the working group of funds received by EPA in a bankruptcy settlement payment for the site.

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 granted a treatment variance, requested by DOE, from the Land Disposal Restrictions treatment standards for approximately 2,000 gallons of mixed hazardous low-activity radioactive waste from DOE’s Test Bed Initiative for the Hanford Site in Washington State. 

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

United States v. San Diego, City of, No. 3:23-cv-00541-LL-BGS (S.D. Cal. Apr. 22, 2024). Under a proposed consent decree, settling CERCLA defendants must collectively pay $2,412,029.89 for reimbursement of response costs incurred in connection with the release of hazardous substances at the former Naval Training Center in San Diego, California. 

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 denied a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity requesting that discarded polyvinyl chloride be listed as a hazardous waste under RCRA. 

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.