We are once again eager to share our takeaways from the Environmental Law Institute’s (ELI) monthly PFAS webinar. This month’s speakers provided an in-depth discussion on the EPA’s recent announcement that established Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for six PFAS: PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA, as well as mixtures containing two or more of PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, and PFBS. This very informative session went beyond the immediate effects of this designation and, instead, largely focused on what is still in store for PFAS regulatory action. The theme that resonated most with us is that this decision is just the beginning.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Unlocks Funds for EPA Cleanup Programs
The passing of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in November 2021 marked a historic day for federal funding of environmental programs. The law unlocked over $50 billion of funds to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), $5 billion of which will be utilized to address problematic Superfund and brownfield sites, abandoned mines, and old oil and gas wells.
Using Chronologies to Analyze Historical Site Issues
As part of the array of research services Taylor Research Group (TRG) offers, we regularly collect, review and analyze historical materials on behalf of our clients. Individually, each document obtained – a Sanborn map, a business charter, a railroad track chart, an inspection report from a regulatory agency – serves as one piece to a larger puzzle. When assembled, these factual pieces of information tell a unique story that assists our clients in myriad ways. Some want to fully grasp the range of factors that contributed to environmental problems at an industrial site, a manufacturing facility, a military base, a former rail yard, a waterway, and so on. Others seek to better understand their own nuanced corporate lineages. Whatever the goal, one of the most useful tools we employ to tell such stories is the chronology.