Seth Fisher - Pollution Engineering

EPA on Thursday, July 7, 2011, finalized its plans for a revised interstate air pollution control rule. Meet the newest acronym to enter the environmental industry's lexicon: CSAPR, i.e. the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule.

by Seth Fisher | July 7, 2011 | Comments (0)

Fed Reg Watch: EPA's Report on Biosolids

The agency on May 26, 2011 published its latest official review of federal policies for the Part 503 Rule, i.e. the rule regulating sludge. The report is a follow-up to a 2002 report that was to shape the last decade of federal sludge policy. This study, commissioned by that 2002 report, essentially lays out the danger areas of biosolids disposal options.

by Seth Fisher | May 26, 2011 | Comments (0)

The Age of Insanity

Seth's blog entry, "The Age of Insanity" was written for the Earth Day Blog-a-Thon at Enviance. Visit http://blog.enviance.com/.

by Seth Fisher | April 22, 2011 | Comments (0)

Fed Reg Watch: Should Vapor Intrusion Count for Superfund-ing?

EPA looking into addition of vapor intrusion component to the hazard ranking system

by Seth Fisher | February 3, 2011 | Comments (0)

Executive's Orders: Regulatory Review

In his second State of the Union address, President Ronald Reagan announced to the American public his intention to reign in government programs by cutting the growth of their budgets. In 1994 President Bill Clinton spoke of reducing a quarter of a million jobs from the nation's largest employer, and the federal bureaucracy will be back to its 1960s size.*

by Seth Fisher | January 28, 2011 | Comments (0)

The Dog Ate My Ozone NAAQS

The first time you hear an excuse, okay, some people make mistakes. The second time, well, you start to wonder, especially if the second comes literally right on the heels of the first. That's why I arched an eyebrow at the EPA's request on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010, to give the agency more time to finish its new smog rule, just a day after asking the same court for an extension on its Boiler MACT rule.

by Seth Fisher | December 14, 2010 | Comments (1)

Fed Reg Watch: Lead Designations and Guidance Rules

The EPA in the Monday, Nov. 22, 2010 Federal Register printed its latest designations for which U.S. regions are meeting the new lead air control standards.

by Seth Fisher | November 23, 2010 | Comments (0)

GAO: Why Aren't We Engineering Earth?

A GAO report recommends that the president announce a federal strategy, and that this become a bigger priority. Mankind has been manipulating the environment to our ends for millions of years. Why stop now?

by Seth Fisher | November 8, 2010 | Comments (1)

Seth's Fed Reg Watch: EPA Altering Sampling Procedures for Wastewater

The agency is proposing to add new EPA methods that require new technologies to its Part 136 test procedures, as well as new versions of already approved methods with technologies that have been in use for many years.

by Seth Fisher | October 13, 2010 | Comments (0)

Seth's Fed Reg Watch: Nano-SNURs

Agency makes good on promise to control nanomaterials, starting with significant new use rules for multi-walled carbon nanotubes and single-walled carbon nanotubes.

by Seth Fisher | September 22, 2010 | Comments (0)

Read 'em and Weep: Water Utilities and Climate Change Case Studies

Aug. 23, 2010's Federal Register had a mostly overlooked notice calling for a 45-day public comment period for the draft document titled, Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment: Four Case Studies of Water Utility Practices

by Seth Fisher | August 26, 2010 | Comments (0)

Changes to GHG Reporting Rule

Reading the tea leaves in recent GHG reporting changes

by Seth Fisher | August 11, 2010 | Comments (0)

Seeing Through 'Transparency'

Ostensibly, transparency from the agency is good. Transparency means the public gets to see the rulemaking process, to see for ourselves that agency regulatory decisions are not being hashed out in backroom deals.

by Seth Fisher | March 5, 2010 | Comments (0)

Highlights from EUEC

The feasibility of increasing nuclear energy comes down to cost, says a senior Obama Administration official. Meanwhile, a show poll suggests many in the energy are not meeting the new carbon-counting regulations.

by Seth Fisher | February 2, 2010 | Comments (0)

Bad Science on Climate Denial

If the winners of the climate debate want to get anything done, they can start by not saying "I told you so."

by Seth Fisher | January 19, 2010 | Comments (4)

Thirteen is Going on Thirty

What happens when it's Generation X's turn to be the stewards of the Earth? What lessons have we learned from those who walked the (brown)fields afore us? Are we ready for this?

by Seth Fisher | October 23, 2009 | Comments (0)

FAQ: Smog Football

For industry, it's not much of a stay of execution. Jackson is emphasizing a speedy turnaround, followed by a same or, more likely more stringent rule.

by Seth Fisher | September 17, 2009 | Comments (0)

Expect GHG Control to Get Messy

If it's one or the other, I say we just do the auction, get it over with, see who we lose, and trust in our own ingenuity to bring us through in the end. It's worked before.

by Seth Fisher | August 6, 2009 | Comments (0)

Making Decisions Means Facing the Consequences

A trip through the late tuna fishing industry of San Diego provides important lessons for future global regulatory efforts, and the pitfalls of reactive regulation versus deliberative efforts.

by Seth Fisher | April 17, 2009 | Comments (1)

Say Hello Again to EPA Guidance Documents

The Federal Register on Feb. 5, 2009, included what could be a whopper of a change in how the White House directs environmental policy. The notice, included a Jan. 30th, 2009, executive order revoking executive orders 13258 of Feb. 26, 2002, and 13422 of Jan. 18, 2007, concerning regulatory planning and review. Among other changes, the executive order restores a large amount of independence to federal agencies like EPA.

by Seth Fisher | February 6, 2009 | Comments (0)

The Federalist

It's nasty politics and horribly bureaucratic, but President Bush is right to give states and communities more say in their own environmental future. I just wish he did so eight years ago.

by Seth Fisher | November 20, 2008 | Comments (2)

Obama EPA Administrator Short List

Here are a few possible faces that speculators have put forth as possible agency chiefs under the 44th president

by Seth Fisher | November 5, 2008 | Comments (3)

PE Readers Split on Election

Who's biased? Are you biased? Are we? Are they? In his first blog entry, Seth takes a look at the politics that shape our readership and coverage.

by Seth Fisher | October 17, 2008 | Comments (0)