What are wetlands for, anyway?

On May 25, the Supreme Court ruled 9 to 0, changing wetland protection in The Clean Water Act. The Sackett family, who took on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), were being fined $40,000 a day for building their Idaho property too close to an unnamed tributary. That tributary feeds into a creek, and that creek feeds into Priest Lake.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/what-are-wetlands-for-anyway/

Lisa John Rogers

EPA to limit toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water

By Michael Phillis and Matthew Daly, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed the first federal limits on harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water, a long-awaited protection the agency said will save thousands of lives and prevent serious illnesses, including cancer.

The plan would limit toxic PFAS chemicals to the lowest level that tests can detect. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/03/ap-epa-limit-toxic-forever-chemicals-drinking-water/

The Associated Press

EPA moves to crack down on dangerous coal ash storage ponds

By Matthew Daly, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency is taking its first major action to address toxic wastewater from coal-burning power plants, ordering utilities to stop dumping waste into unlined storage ponds and speed up plans to close leaking or otherwise dangerous coal ash sites.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/ap-epa-dangerous-coal-ash/

The Associated Press

Water utilities urge regulators to scrap new PFAS limits

A group of Wisconsin water utilities are urging the state Department of Natural Resources to scrap plans to impose limits on PFAS chemicals in drinking water, saying the agency hasn’t thought through the costs.

The Wisconsin State Journal reported Thursday that the Municipal Environmental Group’s water division submitted comments to the DNR on Tuesday saying the state should wait for the U.S.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/ap-water-utilities-pfas-limits/

The Associated Press

BP agrees to $500K penalty, soot limits at Indiana refinery

By John Flesher, Associated Press

Oil giant BP agreed Thursday to pay a $512,450 penalty and reduce soot emissions from its Whiting refinery in Indiana under an agreement with regulators and activists who accused the company of violating an earlier deal.

The U.S. District Court settlement modifies a previous consent decree that required BP Products North America Inc.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/ap-bp-500k-penalty-soot-indiana/

The Associated Press

Great Lakes groups hope EPA regional administrator revitalizes infrastructure, morale

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Gabrielle Ahlborn, Great Lakes Echo

Environmental groups say they hope that a new Environmental Protection Agency administrator for the Great Lakes region works to restore infrastructure while revitalizing an agency they say is depleted and demoralized.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/epa-regional-administrator-infrastructure/

Great Lakes Echo