U.S. EPA Memo Offers Direction on Lithium Battery Recycling—Essential to the Future Supply Chain for Battery Electric Vehicles
Lithium-ion batteries are commonly used in a wide variety of applications, from medical devices to laptops — and now, increasingly, in electric vehicles (EVs). With the market for personal and commercial EVs growing, it is essential for U.S. manufacturers to have a secure, reliable supply chain of the critical minerals needed to produce EV batteries, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper. Indeed, a recent study highlights the growing demand for these minerals — and the challenges the U.S. faces to meet this demand from mined sources.
EPA Proposes Rule for Management of Coal Combustion Residuals at Inactive Facilities
On Thursday, May 18, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new regulatory requirements for inactive coal combustion residuals (CCR) surface impoundments at inactive electric generating units. EPA had promulgated standards for new and existing CCR landfills and surface impoundments that exempted inactive surface impoundments at inactive facilities in April 2015. However, in August 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the exemption and remanded the issue to EPA after environmental nongovernment organizations objected to the treatment of inactive impoundments at inactive facilities that may still pose a risk of introducing toxic substances into ground and drinking water.
EPA to Initiate Rulemakings Addressing PFAS Under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act as “Hazardous Constituents”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) announced that it will initiate two separate rulemakings to address PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated substances) under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) — the law that provides EPA with authority to address hazardous waste from “cradle to grave.” EPA announced these policy proposals in response to a petition submitted to Administrator Michael Regan by New Mexico Gov, Michelle Lujan Grisham on June 23 requesting that the Agency take regulatory action to list PFAS either collectively or individually as “hazardous waste” under Subtitle C of the Act. (more…)
OMB Is Reviewing EPA’s e-Manifest Rule Proposed for Hazardous Waste Exports
The White House Office of Management and Budget is reviewing a rule proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that aims to incorporate exports of hazardous wastes into its electronic waste manifest (e-Manifest) program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). (more…)
