Military researchers are suggesting EPA and other federal agencies use a non-cancer risk level less stringent than the current EPA standard for the explosive RDX -- a contaminant at military sites -- as a result of a new modeling approach the researchers applied to both old and new data.1138 words

EPA is backing new calls from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to further enhance the transparency and efficiency of its chemical risk assessment program, after GAO warned EPA may face new challenges to releasing its assessments in a timely manner, such as its failure to win White House approval to respond to industry data quality challenges.1345 words

Longtime observers of EPA's chemical risk assessment program are urging the agency to fix what they see as major substantive flaws with the program, such as inadequate consideration of risk uncertainty, saying a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report calling for improvements focuses too narrowly on procedural issues.1220 words

Organizations representing the food and agriculture industries are joining the chemical industry in urging EPA to withdraw its dioxin risk assessment from interagency review just weeks before the agency is slated to release the document.1024 words

The Army is working with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on plans for the environmental monitoring of depleted uranium (DU) contamination at multiple sites, even as the military has raised concerns over the training restrictions the NRC has imposed at these sites and questioned NRC's jurisdiction at ranges the military continues to operate.1054 words

EPA has issued a revised method for measuring levels of hexavelent chromium (Cr6) in drinking water, which appears to resolve concerns raised by drinking water utilities while fueling speculation that the agency's upcoming Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR3) will require utilities to monitor for the ubiquitous contaminant.1376 words

Reggie Cheatham, a long-time EPA career employee, has been named officially to lead EPA's Federal Facilities Restoration & Reuse Office (FFRRO), after serving as acting director for more than a year, an EPA spokeswoman says.329 words

EPA's research chief, Paul Anastas, who has led the agency's controversial chemical risk assessment program, is leaving the agency next month.949 words

A federal district court has vacated and remanded EPA's indefinite stay of its controversial boiler and incinerator air rules after finding the agency failed to adequately justify the delay -- a mixed ruling for activists as it means the delayed rules are again in effect though EPA is slated to amend them in April, well before they take effect as early as 2014.1652 words

Environmentalists and public health advocates are attacking the legal "fiction" of EPA citing an ongoing review of its 2008 ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) to defend the agency against a lawsuit activists filed challenging President Obama's decision in September to force EPA to scrap a stricter ozone standard.621 words

A federal judge in Wisconsin has issued a novel ruling in which he finds that a company can be held liable as a successor under Superfund law even though the company from which it inherited its liability still exists, but lawyers following the case say the national impact of the ruling could be limited due to the unique facts of the case.835 words

The Army has set a target for spending on energy conservation measures of roughly $384 million in response to a presidential directive to funnel $2 billion government-wide into energy savings performance-based contracts within two years.491 words

Industry officials are warning that EPA is underestimating naturally occurring and unpreventable background levels of ozone in its latest draft scientific assessment, a concern that many critics fear could lead the agency to propose tightening the ozone standard to a level that would not be achievable with a higher estimate of background levels.855 words

A bipartisan group of senators is urging EPA to halt its pending proposal to tighten pollution standards for gasoline and vehicles in part due to their concerns that the rule will raise gas prices, escalating an emerging battle over the costs of the rule that states and environmentalists say will provide widespread benefits for minimal cost.1020 words

EPA is crafting a controversial rule that could set a first-time mandate for Clean Air Act prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) permit applicants to model their projected emission impacts on states' attainment of the agency's ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) standards, which sources say could prevent some facilities from winning permits.1402 words

EPA has agreed to develop a process for better communicating and coordinating its policies governing nanomaterials across program offices after an Office of Inspector General (OIG) report found the agency does not have effective means to regulate the risks of the materials and that pending mandatory testing rules may fall short.645 words

A White House science advisory panel is slated to highlight the importance of assessing potential environmental impacts of nanoscale materials prior to manufacturing in an upcoming report evaluating the effectiveness of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), which coordinates nanotechnology programs across EPA and other agencies.704 words

EPA in a new study is outlining several regulatory changes that might resolve insurance gaps and other problems that could be contributing to possible delays in underground storage tank (UST) cleanups, although the agency is stressing that it needs concrete data showing the use of current UST insurance is actually slowing cleanups before it would consider a new rulemaking because the regulatory changes could make insurance more expensive.902 words

EPA has signed an agreement with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to exchange data and help the state in its fledgling green chemistry program, which agency officials view as a potential model for national chemical policy reforms.841 words

EPA is investigating whether an error published in the latest edition of its drinking water standards document has led to any mistakes at hazardous waste cleanup sites or drinking water facilities that would have to be corrected retroactively, an agency source says.872 words