The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that the money charged by a municipality to treat stormwater should be considered a “tax,” and not a “fee.” Thus far, the exact legal implications are not clear. While its possible the ruling could result in substantial shifts in who is responsible for the cost of cleaning up stormwater, the ruling also potentially offers relief to tax-exempt organizations.
(more…)The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed a new rule that, if adopted, would relax existing regulations that prevent coal-fired power plants from dumping toxic waste in American waterways. While this would save the coal industry an estimated $1.1 billion per year, it would also expose potentially millions of Americans to heavy metals and toxic substances. This could, as a result, have a significant negative impact on the health and safety anywhere that coal plants operate around the U.S.
(more…)The Clean Water Act, and other similar laws and regulations, are meant to prevent drinking water from being contaminated by dangerous pollutants. However, there are still some manufacturers and other companies who will, intentionally or not, allow their toxic waste to contaminate the water supply, resulting in serious potential harm. Here are seven types of water pollution that could impact you:
(more…)The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the launch of a program intended to address the issue of PFAS contamination in drinking water. It is estimated that the program will impact about 3,000 drinking water systems, primarily in rural and disadvantaged areas. Ideally, this will help to reduce PFAS exposure, protecting people from these potentially dangerous “forever chemicals.”
(more…)In a shocking reversal of its longstanding policy, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it will no longer include the cost to human health and safety when determining appropriate regulations for air pollution. Instead, the focus will be on the cost to private companies when setting regulatory limits. This means that these regulations are likely to become far weaker over time, or may be repealed entirely, to the detriment of the average citizen.
(more…)A mistaken delivery from a heating oil company resulted in a Medford, MA home being flooded with nearly 400 gallons of oil. This horrific accident required specialized cleanup, and resulted in extensive damage to the victim’s home. However, this incident highlights the dangers that can come from heating oil spills, which are far more common than most people realize.
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