Regulatory
Judge OKs federal intervention in struggling water system
The U.S. Justice Department has won a federal judge's approval to carry out a rare intervention to improve the precarious water system in Mississippi's capital city, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Wednesday, months after the system's partial failure.
Environmentalists fight huge utility's long-term contracts
Distributors for the nation's largest public utility signed onto what amounted to "never-ending" contracts that unfairly tied them to power generated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, a lawyer argued Thursday as she represents environmental groups in a lawsuit.
Denver gets EPA approval for $700 million lead water pipe removal plan
The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday approved a nearly $700 million plan to remove all lead water pipes in the Denver region, saying the local water utility's approach for reducing lead levels is succeeding and making swift progress. It's a recognition that cities can effectively address the lead pipe crisis if they try.
Gas driller pleads no contest to polluting town’s water
Pennsylvania’s most active gas driller pleaded no contest Tuesday to criminal charges, capping a landmark environmental case against a company that prosecutors say polluted a rural community’s drinking water 14 years ago and then tried to evade responsibility.
US officials say 2 more places will test sewage for polio
Philadelphia and Oakland County, Michigan, are joining the small list of U.S. localities that are looking for signs of polio infections in sewage, U.S. health officials said Wednesday.
Justice Department intervenes for struggling water system in Jackson, Mississippi
The Justice Department made a rare intervention Tuesday to try to bring improvements in the beleaguered water system in Mississippi's capital city, which nearly collapsed in late summer and continues to struggle.
EPA reports significant drop in Clean Water Act violations
(UC) — The number of Clean Water Act breaches recorded to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reduced by more than half in the years after an interstate compliance agreement, according to the EPA, which revealed the figures on Tuesday.
EPA leader listens to water concerns in Mississippi capital
EPA Administrator Michael Regan said Tuesday that the agency is still working on a plan to bring long-term improvements to the water system in Mississippi’s capital city, which came perilously close to collapsing more than two months ago.
Washington Watch: INGAA Opposes New Pipeline Safety Mandates
(UC) — Interstate gas pipelines will have nine months to comply with some of the significant new safety regulations from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. The agency has been working on these rules for a decade ever since the San Bruno, Calif., gas explosion on a PG&E pipeline in 2010, which killed eight people.
Supreme Court appears open to scaling back agency enforcement power
(UC) — During back-to-back oral arguments, justices appeared sympathetic to constitutional challenges to the use of in-house administrative law judges to adjudicate conflicts inside the Federal Trade Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission.
Pending Legislation Easing Regulatory Roadblocks for Pipelines?
(UC) — For interstate pipelines, what was important about the Inflation Reduction Act was not just what was in the bill – the new methane fee – but what was not in the bill. Initially insisting pipeline permitting reforms be part of the bill, Sen. Joe Manchin relented under pressure from Democrats.
Ex-Michigan governor asks court to drop Flint water charges
Lawyers for former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder urged a judge Tuesday to dismiss misdemeanor charges related to the Flint water crisis, a week after another judge took that step with seven other former officials.
Illinois firm settles for $2.5 million in 2017 fatal pipeline construction explosion case
An Illinois company has agreed to pay $2.5 million to settle safety charges from an explosion that killed three welders and injured seven at a Louisiana containerboard mill in 2017, as well as other alleged safety violations.
Regulators propose $125K settlement with coal company over water pollution
West Virginia regulators have proposed a $125,000 settlement of a penalty order with a Kentucky coal company for alleged water pollution violations, according to a published report.
Judge tosses charges against 7 people in Flint water crisis
A Michigan judge dismissed charges Tuesday against seven people in the Flint water scandal, including two former state health officials blamed for deaths from Legionnaires' disease.
Hawaii fines US Navy $8.8 million for unauthorized sewage release
The Hawaii Department of Health said it has fined the U.S. Navy $8.8 million for repeatedly discharging untreated or partially treated sewage into state waters from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
Jackson’s water system at the mercy of political spending rhetoric
Years before people in Jackson were recently left without running water for several days, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves claimed to have helped block money to fund water system repairs in the capital city.
Judge approves $230 million settlement in California oil spill case
The corroded undersea pipeline ruptured north of Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County, northwest of Los Angeles. All American Pipeline later estimated that 142,800 gallons spilled.
Ex-Maui official, businessman plead guilty for wastewater contract bribes
A former Maui County official and the Honolulu businessman who paid him $2 million in bribes in exchange for more than $19 million in wastewater contracts each pleaded guilty Monday in one of the largest bribery cases ever prosecuted in Hawaii.
State cracks down on Flint company after Flint River spill
State regulators on Monday ordered a Flint chemical company to truck wastewater to a water treatment plant, weeks after it was blamed for an oily discharge in the Flint River.
NTSB opens public docket for investigation into fatal Coolidge, Ariz. pipeline rupture
(UC) — The National Transportation Safety Board opened the public docket Thursday as part of its ongoing investigation of the fatal, Aug. 15, 2021, natural gas transmission pipeline rupture and fire near Coolidge, Arizona.
Prosecutors in Hawaii unseal public corruption, bribery case surrounding wastewater contracts
Milton Choy, the owner of a Honolulu company that provides wastewater services and supplies, is accused of bribing Stewart Olani Stant, who was a wastewater manager and then director of the Maui County Department of Environmental Management.
Changes to OSHA’s Severe Violator Program to strengthen enforcement, compliance
To strengthen enforcement and improve compliance with workplace safety standards and reduce worker injuries and illnesses, the U.S. Department of Labor is expanding the criteria for placement in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program.
EPA inspector general probes Mississippi capital water woes
An independent watchdog in the Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday it’s being brought in to investigate the troubled water system in Mississippi’s capital city.
EPA blocked from appealing key ruling as Flint residents pursue water claims
A judge blocked the Environmental Protection Agency from appealing a key ruling in a long-running lawsuit claiming negligence by the federal government in Flint’s lead-contaminated water in 2014-15.
FERC Rate Change Posting Proposal Controversial
Responding to a June 2021 petition from interstate pipeline customers, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has proposed upgraded website posting requirements when pipelines file for a Section 4 rate change.
Oil company settles criminal cases in California pipeline spill
An oil company pleaded guilty in federal court to negligently discharging crude off the Southern California coast when its underwater pipeline ruptured last year, a spill that closed miles of shoreline and shuttered fisheries.
Water company fined for violating drinking water regulations at Oxford treatment plant
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has assessed a $13,500 penalty to the Aquarion Water Company for violating drinking water regulations at its Oxford water treatment plant after a customer notified MassDEP of "slippery" water while showering, resulting in a skin rash.
Activists contest Clean Water Act permit, argue dredged material will damage wetlands
(UC) — Environmental groups and fishermen told a federal appeals court on Wednesday that the approval of the US Army Corps of Engineers' Clean Water Act permit for the Rio Grande LNG project would cause sustained damage to wetlands in southern Texas, Reuters reported.
HammerHead engineer appointed as US rep to International Organization for Standardization
After more than a two-year absence, the United States once again has a vote in pipe rehabilitation standards established by the International Organization for Standardization.
- OSHA cites Florida contractors for trench safety violations at sewer and excavation sites
- Cadiz to reuse steel from terminated Keystone XL pipeline for California groundwater project
- Lynchburg, Va., breaks ground on largest-ever Blackwater CSO tunnel project
- Biden-Harris administration invests $849 million in aging water infrastructure, drought resilience
- The EPA announces $6.2 billion in funding for Iowa and Kansas water infrastructure