EPA announced the availability of three near-term strategies the Agency is taking to further implement its obligations and commitments under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to screen for and protect against endocrine disrupting effects in humans, and seeks additional endocrine data on two groups of active ingredients currently undergoing registration review.

The Federal Trade Commission seeks comment on the overall costs, benefits, necessity, and regulatory and economic impact of its labeling requirements for alternative fuels and alternative fueled vehicles.

EPA proposed to issue regulations to implement certain provisions of the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act; the proposed rulemakings would establish a program for the management of hydrofluorocarbons and alternative RCRA standards for spent ignitable refrigerants being recycled for reuse.

EPA denied a petition from American Forest and Paper Association requesting amendments to the Non-Hazardous Secondary Materials regulations under RCRA. 

United States v. Dravo Corp., No. 8:01-cv-00500-JFB-TBT (D. Neb. Oct. 10, 2023). Under a proposed consent decree, a settling CERCLA defendant must pay $131,067 for response costs incurred and to be incurred by EPA at the Hastings Groundwater Contamination Superfund site.

The Office of Science and Technology Policy seeks information to assist in developing a coordinated federal strategy to identify and address gaps in science, data, and research related to environmental justice.

The Internal Revenue Service proposed regulations that would provide guidance regarding certain clean vehicle credits as established by the Inflation Reduction Act.

United States v. Smith and Edwards Co., No. 1:23-cv-00108-HCN (D. Utah Sept. 29, 2023). Under a proposed consent decree, settling CERCLA defendants will pay $2,290,065 and $300,000 to reimburse EPA’s response costs in connection with an emergency removal action at the Ogden Swift Building Superfund site in Ogden, Utah, and settling federal agencies will pay $2,290,065 to resolve a potential counterclaim against the United States.

United States v. Stepan Co., No. 2:23-cv-20769-KM-JRA (D.N.J. Sept. 29, 2023). Under a proposed consent decree, a settling CERCLA defendant must perform response actions to address chemically contaminated soils at the Maywood Chemical Company Superfund site, pay future oversight costs, and pay $362,853.28 to the United States and $15,593.62 to New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for past costs.

United States v. Shell Oil. Co., No. 83-cv-2379 (D. Colo. Sept. 28, 2023). A proposed amendment to a consent decree changes the manner in which a settling CERCLA defendant will pay oversight costs for Army-led environmental cleanup activities at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, and fully resolves those costs.