Earlier this month, New Jersey announced that it will regulate two types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), PFOA and PFOS, in drinking water. New Jersey is one of the…
Chemicals & Emerging Contaminants
Minnesota Agencies Work Together to Stop Sale of Toxic Kids’ Jewelry
Three Minnesota state agencies, the Department of Commerce, Department of Health, and Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), have conducted a joint investigation of children’s jewelry products containing toxic levels of cadmium.…
Michigan Establishes PFAS Action Response Team
On November 13, Michigan Governor Snyder issued Executive Directive 2017-4, which establishes the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART). Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are emerging contaminants widely used in…
Louisiana, U.S. EPA, and DOJ Reach Air Pollution Settlement with ExxonMobil
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), along with U.S. EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice, this week announced a $300 million settlement with ExxonMobil that resolves alleged violations…
Washington State Addresses Mercury Concerns
This week, to mark the United Nations’ launch of the first Minamata Convention on Mercury, the Washington Department of Ecology wrote a blog post highlighting the ways in which the state…
States Celebrate Pollution Prevention Week
Each year, the third week of September marks Pollution Prevention (P2) Week, which was created in honor of the Pollution Prevention Act passed 27 years ago. P2 Week provides an…
Iowa Derelict Building Grant Program Awards Funds to 18 Rural Communities
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Derelict Building Grant Program has announced $350,000 in grants to 18 small, rural Iowa communities to help deconstruct or renovate abandoned structures, remove…
ECOS Comments on EPA’s FY18-19 National Program Manager Guidances
This letter and corresponding document contain ECOS’ comments on U.S. EPA’s draft Fiscal Year (FY) 2018-2019 National Program Manager (NPM) Guidances for the OLEM, OAR, OCSPP, OW, OEI, OITA, OECA,…
Eleven States Sue U.S. EPA over Delay on Accidental Release Prevention Rules
On July 24, Attorneys General from 11 states (Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington) signed and filed a lawsuit that claims…
Oregon, U.S. EPA Use GIS to Inform Public on Asbestos Cleanup
When a warehouse caught fire in Portland, Oregon last month, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) determined that fire debris containing asbestos had been spread to a large surrounding…