Key Takeaways -
What is Happening? The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) published for public comment its proposed 2026 Construction Stormwater General Permit (CSWGP), which authorizes stormwater discharges...more
Key Takeaways -
What Happened? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final modification to its 2022 Construction General Permit (CGP) to expand the list of areas eligible for coverage to include...more
Key Takeaways -
What Happened? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the 2026 version of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) MSGP for stormwater discharges associated with...more
On March 24, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (together, the Agencies) announced plans to engage stakeholders in the Trump administration’s latest effort to pare back...more
Update: On February 3, 2025, EPA extended the comment period on the 2026 Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) to April 4, 2025....more
Update: On January 31, under the new Trump administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reopened the comment period for the 2024 Preliminary Designation and draft General Permit for CII properties. Written...more
2026 MSGP -
EPA released its proposed 2026 MSGP, which authorizes stormwater discharges associated with industrial activities in jurisdictions where EPA is the NPDES permitting authority, including Massachusetts, New...more
On November 20, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 published in the Federal Register its Final Designation of stormwater discharges from commercial, industrial, and institutional (CII) properties...more
Key Takeaways -
What Is Happening? On October 31, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 provided notice of two proposed actions pursuant to its “residual designation authority” (RDA) under the Clean...more
Key Takeaways -
What Happened? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its final recommended aquatic life water quality criteria and benchmarks for two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances...more
Key Takeaways -
What is Happening? The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) published for public comment its proposed 2025 Industrial Stormwater General Permit (ISGP), which authorizes the discharge of...more
Key Takeaways -
What Happened? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its final Water Quality Standards Revision Rule, which expressly mandated that states, Tribes, and EPA consider Tribal treaty rights to...more
Key Takeaways -
• What Is Happening? On March 14, 2024, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed a final rule requiring certain facilities to develop Facility Response Plans (FRPs) for a potential worst-case...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting comments on a draft guidance document on approaches to issuing National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for communities that have completed...more
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously affirmed a district court’s dismissal of environmental plaintiffs’ claim that shrimp trawlers require either a Section 404 or National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System...more
On May 25, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision in Sackett v. EPA, No. 21-454, holding that Clean Water Act (CWA) jurisdiction extends to wetlands only if they have a continuous surface connection to...more
The Washington State Supreme Court agreed with the Department of Ecology in a dispute over whether Ecology should have followed notice and comment rulemaking procedures when adding two new controversial test methods for...more
Key Takeaways -
• What Happened? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking to increase the protection of tribal treaty rights through water quality standards. First, EPA issued a final rule re-establishing...more
Key Takeaways -
• What Is Happening? On September 14, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 exercised its Clean Water Act (CWA) Residual Designation Authority to require National Pollutant Discharge...more
Key Takeaways -
• What Is Happening? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a proposed rule requiring certain facilities to prepare Facility Response Plans (FRPs) for responding to worst case discharges...more
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ’s) policy and rulemaking board adopted rules renewing Oregon’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Stormwater Discharge General Permit No. 1200-Z (1200-Z...more
On February 11, 2021, the Ninth Circuit upheld the district court’s decision vacating Nationwide Permit (NWP) 48, Commercial Shellfish Mariculture Activities, in Washington State. As previously discussed, industry appealed...more
In what may be the beginning of the final chapter of a long-running saga over water quality standards in Washington State (Washington), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the removal of federal human...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published for public comment its proposed 2020 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP), which authorizes stormwater discharges...more
On June 6, Washington filed a lawsuit challenging EPA’s May 10, 2019, decision to reverse its 2016 disapproval of Washington’s proposed Human Health Criteria (HHC) under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The lawsuit represents the...more