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Arizona – Fed Rules May Threaten Navajo

The federal EPA is considering implementing rules under the Clean Air Act that may close the Navajo Generating Station in northern Arizona. According to Gov. Jan Brewer, the closure would create a severe economic impact to communities served by the Central Arizona Project (CAP) and the station. The station serves as the power source for CAP, and employs 545 full-time employees, approximately 80 percent of whom are Navajo. The federal agency's proposed rules would mandate that the coal-fired power plant update its facility with the best available retrofit technology, which may cause the plant to close because of cost constraints.

Connecticut – Charge to Uphold Calif. Emissions Standards

Connecticut has joined an 18-state coalition to defend an EPA decision granting states the right to regulate global warming pollution from automobiles. The coalition opposes a lawsuit brought by the National Automobile Dealers Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that seeks to deny individual states the ability to limit GHG emissions from cars.

Florida – Safe Pesticide Disposal Offered

Continuing its commitment to collecting and safely disposing cancelled, suspended, or unusable commercial pesticides at no cost, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Florida DEP are once again joining forces for the 10th annual Operation Cleansweep. Operation Cleansweep collects and disposes of pesticides to protect agricultural workers, emergency responders, the public, and the environment from potential health and environmental risks from stored pesticides.

Louisiana – State Passes PM2.5 Test

In good news for Louisiana industry, the state DEQ recently received a letter from the federal EPA stating that the state had met its the national ambient air quality standards for fine particles (PM2.5), measured over a 24-hour period.

Michigan – DNR and DEQ to merge

Effective Jan. 17, 2010, the powers and functions of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will be transferred to the new Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE). Michigan is still home to a large sector of American industry, as well as some of the country's most recreationally active protected parks, but recent economic strains on the state forced a reunification of its two environmental agencies.

South Carolina – Amendment to Infectious Waste Rule

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control plans to amend its infectious waste regulations to protect against potential hazards from leaking tanks containing embalming fluid, and to establish procedures for storing and transporting these materials.

Tennessee – New Rules Help Waters

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has scheduled hearings for the next few months to discuss the department's proposed water quality rule amendments. The federal CWA requires that these rules be reviewed and revised at least every three years. Tennessee's water quality standards consist of general water quality criteria, use classifications for surface waters, and the state's anti-degradation policy statement.

Virginia –Laundering Contaminated Rags

When no longer useable, rags contaminated with hazardous waste solvents, oil, paint or other materials during normal industrial uses, are subject to Virginia's hazardous waste management requirements. These regulations require the rags to be collected in a proper container that is kept closed, labeled, dated, inspected weekly and sent to a proper RCRA facility for disposal. The Virginia DEQ now allows a conditional exclusion from hazardous waste disposal regulations if the rags are sent off-site to a commercial rag cleaning/laundering service rather than disposed of. Generators should contract with a commercial rag laundering service to demonstrate the basis for this conditional exclusion.