On March 12, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced “31 historic actions in the greatest and most consequential day of deregulation in U.S. history.” These actions move to reconsider, and likely reverse, actions from the Biden administration as well as earlier EPA actions dating back to at least 2009. These actions are summarized in a general press release, and accompanied by more than 20 additional releases announcing specific actions; most involve the Clean Air Act (CAA). EPA links these initiatives to President Trump’s latest executive orders (EOs) and policy initiatives (I wrote about the EOs HERE and HERE). In earlier notes I addressed many of the regulatory and policy actions that will now be reconsidered. )
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Tags:
Environmental,
EPA,
Clean Air Act,
Clean Energy,
Environmental Policy,
CCA,
Deregulation,
Manufactoring
On October 19, 2023, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to establish requirements for the management of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) potentially released from equipment during maintenance or other services, and manage spent HFCs.. These rules support US efforts to implement the 2016 Kigali Amendment to the United Nations-sponsored Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (which I wrote about HERE), and codified in the December 2020 coronavirus relief bill (American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020 (AIM Act; which included dozens of unrelated provisions within its 5,593 pages). EPA adopted its over-arching HFC phase-down rules in September 2021 (I wrote about them HERE), and continues to adjust and refine their requirements. The remainder of this note summarizes EPA’s new proposal, which would impose requirements using authority under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
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Tags:
EPA,
RCRA,
Environment,
HFCs,
Environmental Policy,
CCA,
environmental protection,
CFC
The Washington state Department of Ecology (Ecology) has just conducted its first auction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission allowances, under the state’s Climate Commitment Act (or CCA) which establishes a comprehensive, market-based program to reduce carbon pollution and achieve greenhouse gas limits set in state law. The CCA was one of a package of climate-related laws passed in 2021, including the Clean Fuel Standard, and an expanded hydrofluorocarbons management program. The remainder of this note discusses CCA and the recent sale of GHG allowances.
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Tags:
Greenhouse Gas,
ghg,
greenhouse,
CO2 Emissions,
Washington,
CCA
