Read the full story at Waste Dive.
Environmental lawyer Matthew Karmel offers insight on the law’s newly-released draft regulations, plus M&A considerations and tips for navigating EJ risk assessments in any state.
Category: Regulation
Canada to ban making, importing many single-use plastics from Dec
Read the full story at Reuters.
The government of Canada on Monday published final regulations to prohibit “harmful” single-use plastics, with a ban on manufacturing and importing most of these items to come into effect in December.
The ban will be on single-use plastics including checkout bags, cutlery, food-service ware made from or containing plastic that is hard to recycle, ring carriers, stir sticks and straws, the Canadian government said in a statement.
As storm season begins, White House building code initiative aims to cut energy waste, build resilient homes
Read the full story at Utility Dive.
The Atlantic hurricane season began Wednesday and the White House seized the opportunity to launch a National Initiative to Advance Building Codes, aiming to encourage adoption of new construction standards, reduce energy waste and make communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
Through the initiative, the Biden administration plans to provide incentives and support for state, local, Tribal and territorial governments to adopt updated building codes and standards. The federal government will also “lead by example” and require its own new, large construction and modernization projects to have net-zero emissions.
Adopting stronger building codes can help the U.S. meet decarbonization targets while saving consumers money, say advocates. “This is exactly what the federal government needs to be doing to start the modern building transition,” Building Decarbonization Coalition Executive Director Panama Bartholomy said in an email.
DOE’s manufactured home efficiency rule disappoints conservation advocates, manufacturers
Read the full story at Utility Dive.
The U.S. Department of Energy on Wednesday adopted new energy efficiency standards for manufactured homes, also known as mobile homes, setting different conservation requirements for single- and multi-section structures to balance up-front affordability against long-term cost savings.
The rules, including new insulation and sealing requirements, could save residents up to $450 annually on utility bills, DOE estimated. About 17 million Americans live in manufactured homes, which are constructed off-site as opposed to traditional stick-built homes.
DOE’s new rules have been criticized by both efficiency advocates, who argue the tiered standard is too lax, and home manufacturers, who say it will drive up costs.
Webinar: Development of Battery Collection Best Practices and Labeling Feedback
Jun 30, 2022 11 am CDT
Register here.
EPA is hosting virtual feedback sessions to provide input on new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law initiatives about end-of-life battery collection and labeling. This session is for all stakeholders involved in the battery lifecycle to provide input on new battery recycling initiatives. This includes:
- battery manufacturers;
- battery retailers;
- battery recyclers;
- consumers and businesses that purchase batteries;
- companies in the electric vehicle management chain; and
- tribal, state, and local government agencies.
EPA is seeking feedback on:
- What types of batteries should EPA include in the best practices for collection (e.g., small consumer batteries, electric vehicle and grid storage batteries, industrial batteries, etc.)?
- What are the current barriers to safe and effective battery collection and recycling?
- What practices exist to improve battery collection and recycling, especially to increase the safe recovery of critical minerals?
- What types of communication and outreach activities are most useful to reach key battery stakeholders?
- What existing labeling programs should EPA use to inform a new labeling program?
EPA warns toxic ‘forever chemicals’ more dangerous than once thought
Read the full story in the Washington Post.
The Environmental Protection Agency warned Wednesday that a group of human-made chemicals found in the drinking water, cosmetics and food packaging used by millions of Americans pose a greater danger to human health than regulators previously thought.
The new health advisories for a ubiquitous class of compounds known as polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, underscore the risk facing dozens of communities across the country. Linked to infertility, thyroid problems and several types of cancer, these “forever chemicals” can persist in the environment for years without breaking down.
Federal suppliers to be required to report carbon emissions
Read the full story at Bloomberg Law.
The Biden administration will soon propose a rule requiring major companies that supply goods and services to the federal government to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions, a White House official said Wednesday.
The rule will be distinct from—but similar to—the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s March proposal that requires publicly-traded companies to report their carbon emissions in their registration statements and annual reports, according to Andrew Mayock, federal chief sustainability officer at the Council on Environmental Quality.
He provided few details about the proposal, except to say it will require suppliers to report on greenhouse gases, “report on climate risk, and required to set science-based targets,” and that it will be issued “in the very near future.”
The federal government is planning to phase out single-use plastics at national parks
Read the full story from NPR.
The U.S. Interior Department, which helps oversee the country’s national parks, says it is planning to phase out single-use plastics on its land and facilities by 2032.
The agency would be tasked with finding alternative materials to disposable plastics, such as cutlery, bags, cups, bottles, straws and food containers, it announced Tuesday in honor of World Ocean Day.
Suggested alternatives include paper, bioplastics, composite, reusable cloth, glass, aluminum, stainless steel, or any other compostable or recyclable materials.
What does the European Commission Circular Economy Action Plan mean for the packaging sector?
Read the full story at Packaging Europe.
In a stark warning to the packaging industry, experts are predicting that the EU’s new Circular Economy Action Plan could lead to unprecedented disruption in the sector. Paul Foulkes-Arellano, founder of Circuthon Consulting, tells us more – and discusses how businesses can get ahead of the curve.
Pritzker signs bill amending Environmental Protection Act to prohibit disposal by incineration of PFAS
Read the full story at WAND.
Governor JB Pritzker signed HB 4818 Wednesday, an amendment to the Environmental Protection Act prohibiting the disposal by incineration of any perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including aqueous film forming foam (AFFF).
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