OSHA Updates Site-Specific Targeting Program Based on Injury/Illness Rates: What Employers Should Know
On May 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced an updated directive to its Site-Specific Targeting (SST) inspection program. This program is OSHA’s primary mechanism for scheduling planned inspections at non-construction establishments with 20 or more employees.
EPA Advances State Primacy for Underground Injection Control Class VI Well Programs: Key Updates for Carbon Sequestration Efforts
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to take steps to expand state primacy for the Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class VI well program, established under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Class VI wells, added as a distinct category in 2010, are used to inject carbon dioxide into deep rock formations for the purpose of long-term geologic carbon sequestration.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Extends PFAS Reporting Rule Submission Period
On Monday, May 12, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an interim final rule to extend the reporting period for the EPA’s rule requiring data submission on per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS Reporting Rule).
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Announces New PFAS Action Plan
On April 28, 2025, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the Agency’s plan to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during the second Trump Administration. PFAS are manmade chemicals—of which there are thousands—commonly found in textiles, cookware, packaging, plastics, and firefighting foams. These “forever chemicals” are persistent in the environment and human body, as they do not break down and can accumulate over long periods of time. EPA’s outlined action plan calls upon its investigatory, regulatory, and enforcement powers under various statutes, including the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
Department of the Interior Accelerates Permitting for Oil and Gas, Adopts 28-Day Mandate
In response to the Trump administration’s push to increase U.S. energy output by declaring a national energy emergency, the Department of the Interior (the Interior) has released plans to aid the administration’s goals. These include the Interior’s Emergency Permitting Procedures intended to accelerate and streamline review and approval of certain energy projects, primarily oil and gas. Bypassing formal rulemaking, the Interior cites its authority during emergencies to implement “alternative processes” to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The alternative processes are available to current and future applicants so long as they affirm in writing to the Interior that they qualify for and want to avail themselves of the expedited processes.
