Search Results for keywords:"Clean Water Act"

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request titled "Water Quality Standards Regulation" to the Office of Management and Budget for review. This request, referred to as an extension, is tied to standards aimed at protecting water quality in the United States. The public is invited to submit comments until March 31, 2025. The collection involves various entities, including states, territories, and Tribes, and is estimated to take about 493,362 hours annually, costing around $25 million in labor and operational expenses.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended the comment period for a draft risk assessment concerning Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid (PFOS) in sewage sludge. Initially published on January 15, 2025, the public now has until August 14, 2025, to submit their comments. This extension grants additional time for stakeholders to review the document, which evaluates potential health and environmental risks related to the use and disposal of sewage sludge. The assessment aims to inform potential future regulations under the Clean Water Act.

The National Wetland Plant List (NWPL) is a guide that helps determine if plant species grow in wetlands or not, which is important for various environmental regulations. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is inviting the public to comment on proposed changes to the NWPL for 2024. These changes involve updates to the wetland status of certain plant species in different regions, based on scientific research and public input. People can submit their comments and suggestions until March 31, 2025.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request about the modification of secondary treatment requirements for discharges into marine waters to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. This request involves public comments that had previously been called for in August 2020, with an additional 30 days now open for further comments. The Clean Water Act section 301(h) allows specific wastewater treatment facilities to receive permits waiving some treatment requirements if they meet strict environmental criteria. The information collected will help ensure these facilities are operating within legal limits to protect water quality and habitats.

The Department of Justice has proposed a consent decree as part of a lawsuit against the City of Cahokia Heights for violating the Clean Water Act by discharging sewage into local waterways without permission. The consent decree, lodged with the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, requires the City to make substantial improvements to its sewer system to comply with the law. The public is invited to comment on this decree within sixty days of its publication. More details and the consent decree can be found on the Justice Department's website.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) received a request from Indiana Michigan Power Company for water quality certification related to a project, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). This request, which was received on February 25, 2025, falls under the Clean Water Act and the Commission's regulations. Michigan EGLE has a one-year deadline, until February 25, 2026, to act on this request. If they fail to do so, the certification will be waived by default.

The Department of Justice has announced a proposed agreement, known as a Consent Decree, in a court case against Thomas E. Lipar and several companies. The case involves complaint under the Clean Water Act, where pollutants were allegedly discharged without a permit. The proposed Decree requires the defendants to perform environmental mitigation and adhere to certain practices to prevent further violations. The public can submit comments on this proposal for 30 days, and more details can be found on the Justice Department's website or at the Clerk's Office of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) filed a petition with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on February 5, 2021. They are asking FERC to issue a declaratory order that the California State Water Resources Control Board has waived its authority to certify the McCloud Pit-Hydroelectric Project under the Clean Water Act. Interested parties can comment on this petition until March 8, 2021. The petition and submission details are available on FERC's website.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a new formula to allocate funds for the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants Program, as part of the Clean Water Act. The formula is designed to distribute funds to states based on their needs for managing sewer overflows and stormwater, using data from the Clean Watersheds Needs Survey and additional factors such as annual precipitation and population. The formula ensures that all states receive adequate support, with a minimum allocation set to prevent states from receiving less than 0.5% of the total funds. The EPA considered public feedback before finalizing the formula and plans to update it with current data to maintain fairness in distribution.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of the Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 14 under the Clean Water Act. This plan outlines updates on previous activities, reviews of wastewater discharges, and proposed treatment technologies. The plan also addresses new studies, such as those related to industrial discharges of nutrients and PFAS (a group of chemicals). EPA received public feedback on the preliminary plan and made some clarifications, although no significant changes were made. The plan is available online for public access.