The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery proposed amendments to regulations governing the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act.

The Department of Ecology proposed amendments to water quality standards for surface waters of the state. The amendments would, among other things, update the aquatic life toxics criteria to provide additional water quality protection for organisms that live in water. A hearing will be held April 4, 2024. Comments are due April 17, 2024. See https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/law/wsr/2024/05/24-05-043.htm.

The Department of Ecology adopted amendments to regulations governing the greenhouse gas emissions cap-and-invest program. The amendments clarify that the existing holding limits that apply to allowances with a "vintage" also apply to the "vintage less" allowances that are acquired through allowance price containment reserve (APCR) auctions and that any allowances purchased in an APCR auction must be deposited directly into the entity's compliance account.

The Department of Environmental Quality proposed amendments to regulations governing waste tire transporter and recycling requirements. The amendments would, among other things, change the number of tires and the size of the tires that an individual can bring to a landfill at one time and clarify other requirements for the landfill management of waste tires and material derived from waste tires. Comments are due April 1, 2024. See https://rules.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/b20240301.pdf (pp. 18-24).

The Department of Fish and Wildlife proposed amendments to regulations governing the Wildlife Habitat Conservation Management Program. The amendments would enable the program to strategically focus on priority habitats, change documentation of compliance, and share program administration and implementation with the cooperating agencies and counties. A hearing will be held April 19, 2024. Comments are due the same date.

The Department of Agriculture proposed to amend the state list of endangered and threatened plants. The amendments would add a subset of six plant species (Castilleja mendocinensis, Lasthenia ornduffii, Lomatium bentonitum, Penstemon hesperius, Pyrrocoma scaberula, and Rorippa columbiae) to the list. A hearing will be held March 19, 2024. Comments are due March 29, 2024. See https://secure.sos.state.or.us/oard/viewRedlinePDF.action?filingRsn=56622.

The Water Resources Department proposed amendments to regulations governing allocation of new groundwater rights. The amendments would, among other things, redefine the criteria for making a finding of groundwater availability based on the presence of reasonably stable water levels, avoidance of substantial interference with existing rights to appropriate surface water, and a finding that the proposed groundwater pumping rate is likely to be obtainable given the expected yield of the proposed well(s). Hearings will be held April 4, April 18, May 16, and May 21, 2024.

The Department of Environmental Quality proposed amendments to regulations governing laboratory certification. The amendments would give the NC WW/GW Laboratory Certification Branch the authority to certify for the parameter known as "PFAS." A hearing will be held March 20, 2024. Comments are due April 30, 2024. See https://files.nc.gov/oah/documents/2024-03/Volume-38-Issue-17-March-1-2024.pdf?VersionId=HkD76.zCGLliQyNyAbaI.e.ynPvacwP3.

The Environmental Protection Division proposed amendments to regulations governing air quality control. The amendments would specify the dollar-per-ton rate for annual emissions fees, reference the Fee Manual for state fiscal year 2025 fees, and change the date that administrative fees start being calculated. A hearing will be held April 1, 2024. Comments are due April 8, 2024. See https://epd.georgia.gov/chapter-391-3-1-air-quality-control.

The State Water Control Board adopted amendments to regulations governing the Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program. The amendments bring references to 40 C.F.R. 136 up to date with the federal requirements published in the July 1, 2023, update. See https://register.dls.virginia.gov/vol40/iss14/v40i14.pdf (pp. 1167-228).