In an August 19, 2008 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (DC Circuit Court) vacated EPA’s 2006 rulemaking that prohibited state and local agencies from supplementing monitoring requirements in CAA Title V operating permits (Sierra Club v. EPA, No. 04-1243 (D.C. Cir. Aug. 19, 2008).

Nonattainment Designations for 2006 PM-2.5 NAAQS Proposed

On September 2, 2008 (73 FR 51259-51260), EPA announced the availability of the agency’s proposed area designations for the new national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for PM-2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal 2.5 microns).

Revitalizing Contaminated Sites

EPA’s Office of Site Remediation Enforcement (OSRE) has released guidance on the liability protections that are provided to property owners and other potentially liable parties under hazardous waste laws, which includes information on enforcement tools, guidance, and policy documents that address the cleanup and revitalization of contaminated sites.

NPDES General Storm Water Permits for Construction Activities Issued

The Clean Boating Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-288, July 29, 2008) revises the CWA to specifically exclude discharges incidental to the normal operation of recreational vessels from CWA permitting.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Green Buildings Make International Progress

Promoting the green design, construction, renovation, and operation of buildings could cut North American greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions deeper, quicker, and cheaper than any other available measure, according to a report issued by the tri-national Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC).

CLIMATE CHANGE

Taking Carbon Dioxide Out of the Air: the Sequel

BATE takes another look at the possibility of storing large amounts of carbon in soils, rocks, and commercial products.