The new ASTM standard (ASTM E1527-21) for Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) was published in November 2021. On December 15, 2022, USEPA published a direct final rule approving the new standard for conducting the all appropriate inquiry (AAI) component for potential liability protections under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). With
On March 16, 2022, the USEPA formally listed the Lower Neponset River on the National Priorities List (NPL). The Lower Neponset River Site consists of a 3.7-mile section of the Neponset River between its confluence with Mother Brook in Hyde Park and the Walter Baker Dam in Dorchester, affecting the communities of Milton and Boston,
The White House’s FY 2023 budget announcement allocated $1.4 billion to advancing environmental justice (EJ), greatly enhancing the agency’s ability to award new competitive grants to reduce the health impacts of pollution in communities with EJ concerns. Companies are already experiencing increased community engagement in several locations throughout the United States, and although awareness of EJ
USEPA is currently working to address public comments before issuing a direct final rule approving the new ASTM standard (ASTM E1527-21) for Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs). The current E1527-13 standard will remain an approved method for conducting the all appropriate inquiry (AAI) component for potential liability protections under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), signed into law on November 15, 2021, includes a significantly higher amount of new funding available for US brownfields infrastructure. The IIJA invests more than $1.5 billion through USEPA’s Brownfields Program and funds over 350 programs to support the planning, construction, and operation of a variety of public infrastructure
Background The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) revised its Standard for Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) to new Standard E1527-21 in November 2021. One of the significant revisions in ASTM E1527-21 is the inclusion of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances [PFAS] and other emerging contaminants in the Standard for the first time. As described in
On March 18, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register that includes a 18.75-mile stretch of the Lower Hackensack River in northern New Jersey (Bergen and Hudson Counties) as one of 5 sites added to the Superfund Proposed National Priorities List (NPL). The publishing of the proposed
