Environment

Notice of Inventory Completion: Florida Department of State

The National Park Service published a notice of inventory completion regarding human remains and associated funerary objects held by the Florida Department of State. This notice allows for repatriation to begin on or after April 15, 2026.

Notice of Intended Repatriation: Interior Dept, BIA, Western Washington University

The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, has published a notice of intended repatriation concerning cultural items held by Western Washington University. This notice initiates a process that may lead to the return of these items to their affiliated tribes.

Notice of Inventory Completion: American Museum of Natural History

The National Park Service has published a notice of inventory completion for human remains held by the American Museum of Natural History in New York. This notice is part of the process under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Repatriation may occur on or after April 15, 2026.

Pacific Fishery Management Council Public Meeting Announced

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced a public meeting for the Pacific Fishery Management Council. The meeting is scheduled for April 3, 2026. This notice serves to inform the public of the meeting details.

Pacific Fishery Management Council Public Meeting Announcement

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced a public meeting for the Pacific Fishery Management Council. The meeting is scheduled to take place on April 2, 2026, and will be held online.

Proposed Reinstatement of Terminated Oil and Gas Lease

The Bureau of Land Management has issued a notice proposing the reinstatement of a terminated oil and gas lease in Weld County, Colorado. This action is part of the agency's administrative process for managing mineral leases.

Application for Disclaimer of Interest for Eek River Lands, Alaska

The Bureau of Land Management has published a notice regarding an application for a recordable disclaimer of interest for lands underlying portions of the Eek River, Middle Fork of the Eek River, and Ugaklik River in Alaska. A comment period is open for 93 days.

Application for Disclaimer of Interest for Unuk River Lands

The Bureau of Land Management has published a notice regarding an application for a recordable disclaimer of interest for lands underlying portions of the Unuk River in Alaska. A public comment period is open until June 15, 2026.

Public Meeting Notice: Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has issued a notice for a public teleconference meeting of the Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee (SESAC). The meeting will cover updates on the Earthquake Hazards Program, budget opportunities, and seismic hazard models.

USGS Ash Fall Report Collection Activities Announced

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has announced agency information collection activities related to an ash fall report. A public comment period is open for 51 days, closing on May 4, 2026.

Agency Information Collection Activities; Aquatic Species Sighting Report Form

The U.S. Geological Survey has published a notice regarding its Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Sighting Report Form and Alert Registration Form. This notice initiates a public comment period for the agency's information collection activities related to these forms.

Migratory Bird Subsistence Harvest in Alaska Proposed Rule

The Fish and Wildlife Service has published a proposed rule concerning migratory bird subsistence harvest in Alaska. This proposal is open for public comment until April 8, 2026.

Agency Information Collection for Endangered Wildlife and Experimental Populations

The Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a notice regarding agency information collection activities for endangered and threatened wildlife and experimental populations. This notice includes a public comment period ending on May 11, 2026.

Alabama Beach Mouse Conservation Plan Permit Application

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has received an application for an incidental take permit for the Alabama beach mouse in Baldwin County, Alabama. The permit is requested for the construction of a single-family home under an existing conservation plan. Public comments are requested.

Fish and Wildlife Service Land Acquisition Process Information Collection

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has published a notice regarding an information collection activity related to its preliminary land acquisition process. The agency is requesting public comments on this collection, with a deadline of May 12, 2026.

Fish and Wildlife Service: 5-Year Status Reviews for 14 Species

The Fish and Wildlife Service has initiated 5-year status reviews for 14 species in the Southwest region. The agency is requesting new information from the public to aid in these reviews.

NY DEC Reminds Residents: Brush Burning Ban Starts March 16

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has reminded residents that the annual statewide residential brush burning prohibition begins March 16 and runs through May 14, 2026. Since 2009, DEC has enforced this two-month spring ban to reduce wildfire risk during the period when most spring wildfires occur. The regulations permit backyard fire pits and campfires under 3 feet in height and 4 feet in diameter, as well as small cooking fires, but residential brush burning is prohibited statewide during the ban period.

Environmental Conservation Police Activity Report 2025

NY DEC's Division of Law Enforcement released its 2025 annual activity report, detailing 101,169 calls received and 35,575 complaints responded to across New York State. ECOs and Investigators issued 15,673 tickets or arrests for violations including deer poaching, solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the illegal pet trade, and excessive emissions violations. The report highlights a February snowmobile checkpoint in Warren County resulting in 24 tickets and a March 1 bull rescue operation in Essex County.

DEC, OPRHP, and NYSHI Announce Major Milestone in Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Biological Control

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and Cornell University's New York State Hemlock Initiative confirmed that Laricobius nigrinus beetles released at Harriman State Park in 2018–2020 are now successfully reproducing and spreading. Teams collected 12,676 beetles from the park, far exceeding expectations, and redistributed thousands to new sites in New York, New Hampshire, and Vermont to establish additional populations across the northeast.

EPA News Releases: EtO Standards, Superfund, WIFIA Loan, Deregulation

The EPA news releases search page indexes over 10,000 releases, with recent items covering proposed amendments to Ethylene Oxide (EtO) Commercial Sterilization NESHAP standards for consistency with current law, a $38 million WIFIA loan for Park City Utah drinking water infrastructure ahead of the 2034 Olympics, addition of the Gelman Sciences Inc. site in Ann Arbor Michigan to the Superfund National Priorities List, and comprehensive cleanup reviews at Superfund sites across Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana. Additional items address EPA enforcement results, a public-private CRADA with metals industries, and a deregulatory agenda summary by Administrator Zeldin.

Liverpool Waste Investigation: Second Arrest, HGV and Excavator Seized

A second arrest has been made in the Liverpool illegal waste dumping investigation. A 45-year-old man was arrested on 11 March 2026 on suspicion of operating an illegal waste site in south Liverpool, following a joint operation on 2 February where another 45-year-old man was arrested and an HGV seized. An excavator has also been seized as part of the investigation. The Environment Agency and Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC), working with Merseyside Police, continue to investigate. The JUWC was formed in 2020 and now includes 12 partner agencies including Natural Resources Wales, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, HMRC, National Crime Agency, and others.

Ofwat Proposes £44.7m Enforcement Package for Welsh Water Wastewater Failures

Ofwat has proposed a £44.7m enforcement package for Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water following investigation findings of serious breaches in how the company operated and maintained its sewage works and network. The redress package includes £40.6m to address harm and reduce spills at specific overflows plus £4.1m for river water quality improvements in sensitive catchments, to be delivered during 2025-30 and funded through retained profits rather than customer bills. This is Ofwat's seventh wastewater enforcement case, bringing total enforcement in the sector to over £300m. A public consultation closes on 2nd April 2026 at 5pm.

Ofwat Proposes Accepting Dŵr Cymru Undertakings in Lieu of £40.6M Penalty for Sewage Violations

Ofwat is consulting on accepting section 19 undertakings from Dŵr Cymru in lieu of a £40.6 million financial penalty (7.5% of relevant turnover) for breaches of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations 1994, Section 94 Water Industry Act 1991, and Condition P12 of its licence. The breaches concern failures to adequately operate, maintain, and upgrade wastewater assets, and inadequate processes for monitoring asset capacity and performance. Dŵr Cymru has proposed a £44.72 million redress package funded by the company rather than customers, including £40.66 million for spill reduction and private sewer sealing, £2.0 million for Welsh river fish habitat improvement, £1.0 million for a joint misconnections taskforce, and £1.066 million for a community environment fund (Cymuned Natur). Comments are invited by 5pm on 2 April 2026.

Ofwat Responds to CMA Final Price Control Decisions for Five Water Companies

Ofwat has issued an official response to the Competition and Markets Authority's final redetermination on the disputed 2024 Price Review price controls affecting five water companies: Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, South East Water, Southern Water, and Wessex Water. Chris Walters, Ofwat's Interim Chief Executive, stated that the CMA's conclusion brings clarity, enabling the companies to focus on delivering record levels of expenditure to improve services for customers and the environment. Ofwat indicated it will reflect on the CMA's decisions as part of considerations for the next price review.

Ofwat Proposes £22.46m Fine for South East Water Supply Failures

Ofwat has proposed a £22.46 million fine (8% of turnover) for South East Water following an investigation into multiple water supply disruptions affecting over 286,000 people in Kent and Sussex between 2020 and 2023. The investigation found that South East Water failed to maintain supply system resilience, conduct root cause analysis, plan for high demand periods, and maintain key infrastructure such as service reservoirs, boreholes, and major pipes. The company also failed to learn lessons from previous incidents including the Beast from the East in 2018. Ofwat is also proposing an enforcement order requiring senior management responsibility to fix the problems. A public consultation on this proposal closes on 13 April 2026.

DEC Issues Recreational Use Advisory for Adirondack and Catskills Backcountry Regions

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has issued a recreational use advisory for the Adirondack and Catskill backcountry regions, including the High Peaks Wilderness Area. The advisory warns of intense, severe, and dynamic conditions caused by warmer temperatures and rain, including impassable trails due to washed-out bridges, thawed water crossings, and flooding. Specific hazards include a washed-out high-water bridge on the Calamity Brook Trail 1.8 miles from the Flowed Lands, post-holing risks through compacted snow, and rapidly changing water crossing conditions. DEC advises recreationists to consider alternative plans, know their routes with multiple alternatives, and pack the 10 Essentials systems.

MassDEP Fines Cleanup Contractor $51,000 for Hazardous Waste Violations in Gardner and Hanson

MassDEP assessed a $51,000 penalty to AMPM Restoration LLC for hazardous waste and waste site cleanup violations in Gardner and Hanson, Massachusetts. In February 2024, the company transported approximately 70 partially filled drums of hazardous waste from an oil spill site to its unlicensed transfer facility in Hanson without a hazardous waste transporter license, and failed to respond to MassDEP's written request for information about waste transport and disposal. The same drums were later properly transported and disposed of under a Licensed Site Professional's oversight, with required documentation and manifests.

Key EPA PFAS Actions: Drinking Water Standard, CERCLA Designations, Water Quality Criteria

EPA has finalized multiple landmark PFAS regulatory actions since 2021, including the April 2024 designation of PFOA and PFOS as CERCLA hazardous substances, the first-ever national legally enforceable drinking water standard to protect communities from PFAS exposure, and final aquatic life water quality criteria and benchmarks for 10 PFAS. The drinking water standard is projected to reduce PFAS exposure for approximately 100 million people, prevent thousands of deaths, and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses. EPA has also issued a CERCLA enforcement discretion policy directing focus toward parties who significantly contributed to PFAS releases, updated destruction and disposal guidance, and proposed RCRA rules to add nine PFAS as hazardous constituents.

WA Ecology Awards $10M for Landfill Methane Reduction

Washington State's landfill methane emission reduction grant program, funded by the Climate Commitment Act, awarded nearly $10 million in 2024 to 13 landfills across Washington to support emissions monitoring, gas collection, and control projects. LRI Landfill in Graham received grant funding to upgrade its gas collection system with 75 auto-tuning wellheads that adjust every few hours and send real-time data to engineers. LRI sells approximately one-third of collected landfill gas to an on-site energy facility for renewable power generation, with the remaining gas flared to destroy methane before release to the atmosphere.

DEC Region 8 Announces Naples Creek Rainbow Trout Sampling

The NY DEC Region 8 announced the annual rainbow trout sampling event at Naples Creek, Ontario County, scheduled for March 19, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. The sampling begins at the State Route 245 bridge, 0.25 miles east of Route 21 junction in the Village of Naples, conducted by DEC Fisheries staff who net, record statistics, and release the rainbow trout back into the creek. Results are made available to the public prior to the April 1 opening of Finger Lakes tributary season.

DEC Awards $3.2M in Adirondack Smart Growth Grants to 26 Communities

NY DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton announced $3,284,250 in Adirondack Park Community Smart Growth Grant Awards to 26 communities and organizations. The funding supports affordable housing initiatives, recreational access improvements, hamlet infrastructure, visitor center enhancements, accessibility upgrades, and comprehensive planning efforts. Recipients include Clinton County, Essex County, Franklin County, Fulton County, Hamilton County, Lewis County, Oneida County, and Warren County entities. Projects range from workforce housing pre-development and trail construction to zoning code updates and community recreation facilities.

TCEQ Approves $1,073,244 in Environmental Fines Against 29 Entities

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approved penalties totaling $1,073,244 against 29 regulated entities for violations of state environmental regulations, covering categories including air quality, industrial hazardous waste, municipal wastewater discharges, petroleum storage tanks, public water systems, and water quality. Additionally, the executive director separately approved $121,836 in penalties against 43 entities on March 10, bringing the total environmental fines to $1,195,080 across 72 entities.

AdvanSix Resins & Chemicals LLC Proposed Enforcement Action Air Pollution Violations Hopewell VA

VA DEQ has proposed an enforcement action against AdvanSix Resins & Chemicals LLC for violations of Virginia Air Pollution Control Law and applicable permit conditions at the company's Hopewell, Virginia facility. A proposed Consent Order is available for public review, with comments accepted from March 12, 2026 through April 11, 2026. Interested parties may contact Gary Wooldridge at VA DEQ Central Office to submit comments or obtain additional information.

Environment Agency Removes Over 100 Abandoned Boats from Thames in Decade's Biggest Cleanup

The Environment Agency has launched its biggest boat cleanup operation in a decade, targeting over 100 sunk and abandoned vessels from the non-tidal Thames. The task force, established in July 2025, has already removed 53 boats from the lower Thames, with a further 35 removed in September 2025 and 18 in January 2026. The agency plans to remove 70 more in March 2026. Boat owners are responsible for removing their sunken wrecks, and the Environment Agency will seek to recover costs from identified owners. The agency has also shifted its approach to non-registration offences, now removing boats where owners have been prosecuted but continue to non-comply.

£430k Secured for River Trust After Clay Pollution Incidents

Imerys Minerals Limited has paid £430,000 to the West Country Rivers Trust following an Environment Agency investigation into six clay pollution incidents across a two-year period. The company will also cover £22,600 in Environment Agency investigation and enforcement costs. The money will be used to restore water quality and improve fish migration in the River Fal catchment in Cornwall.

Three Comment Periods Open for Lower Duwamish Waterway Cleanup

Washington State Ecology announced three concurrent public comment periods for Lower Duwamish Waterway cleanup sites, running March 9 through April 22, 2026. Comment periods cover the Jorgensen Forge site in Tukwila (former steel/aluminum fabrication facility) and South Park Marina (former industrial site with complex pollutants), plus a consent decree for the broader LDW cleanup filed in federal court. Community office hours are scheduled at the South Park Neighborhood Association on March 10 and Georgetown Community Council on March 16.

Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $8.7 Million in Gap Energy Grants to 34 Projects

The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced $8.7 million in Gap Energy Grant Program funding awarded to 34 projects across Massachusetts. Grants support municipal water facilities, agricultural and food-producing non-profits, and small businesses undertaking energy efficiency upgrades and clean energy installations. Awarded projects are expected to collectively save more than $1.6 million in energy costs annually, generate over 10.69 million kWh of electricity savings, and reduce carbon emissions by 2,440 metric tons annually.

SEAC Draft Opinion on PFAS Restriction Proposal

ECHA's Socio-Economic Analysis Committee (SEAC) has agreed its draft opinion on a universal restriction proposal covering all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The draft opinion, which evaluates socio-economic impacts and available alternatives, will be published for a 60-day public consultation. The Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) separately adopted its final opinion on 2 March 2026. SEAC's final opinion is expected by the end of 2026, after which the European Commission will propose a restriction for vote in the REACH Committee.

EPC VA 24 LLC Proposed Consent Order Comment Period

VA DEQ has proposed a consent order against EPC VA 24 LLC for violations of State Water Control Law and applicable permit regulations at the company's facility in Manassas, Virginia. The proposed order is available for public review, with a 30-day comment period running from March 11, 2026 through April 10, 2026. Interested parties may submit comments to Michelle Callahan at the DEQ Central Office.

Chippenham Farm Fined £18,744 for Slurry Pollution of Bristol Avon

JD Spencer Farm Partnership of Manor Farm, Langley Burrell, Chippenham, Wiltshire was fined £18,744 in total penalties (including £7,000 fine, £2,800 victim surcharge, and £8,944 costs) at Swindon Magistrates Court on 6 March 2026. The partnership was convicted of four offences arising from two separate slurry pollution incidents in November 2023 and March 2024 that polluted the Bristol Avon river and its tributaries. The convictions relate to illegal water discharge activities and failures to plan slurry spreading under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 and the Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018. Environment Agency officers used drone photography to document the pollution.

Bolitho Limited Environmental Permit Application EPR/AP3725MR/A001

The Environment Agency has published notice of an environmental permit application (EPR/AP3725MR/A001) submitted by Bolitho Limited for land adjacent to Hillview, Liskeard (PL14 3GN). The agency is consulting the public on certain categories of applications including waste operations, installations, water discharge activities, and medium combustion plant. The notice identifies what the application covers and invites public comments, after which the Environment Agency will decide whether to grant or refuse the permit and what conditions to include.

MassDEP Fines Hunter Plastics $23,000 for Hazardous Waste Violations

MassDEP's Environmental Strike Force issued a penalty of $23,000 to Hunter Plastics, Inc. for hazardous waste violations discovered during inspections in April 2024 and January 2025 at the company's facility at 100 Pratt's Junction Road in Sterling, Massachusetts. The violations include illegally transporting more than 175 gallons of waste oil without a hazardous waste transporter license, failing to properly label and store hazardous waste containers, and failing to register as an onsite waste oil generator. Under the Consent Order, Hunter Plastics has stopped transporting hazardous waste materials, agreed to pay the $23,000 penalty, and must ensure all cited violations are corrected, with $10,000 suspended pending compliance with the order's terms.

MassDEP Fines Toby Realty Trust $31,000 for Cleanup Violations

MassDEP issued a $31,000 penalty to Toby Realty Trust alongside a Unilateral Administrative Order for violations of oil and hazardous materials cleanup regulations at 274 Taylor Street in Springfield. The property, formerly a City of Springfield Department of Public Works garage, experienced multiple gasoline releases from underground storage tanks in 1990 that affected soil and groundwater. MassDEP repeatedly notified Toby Realty Trust of its cleanup obligations as the current property owner, but the company failed to complete required actions or meet key deadlines, prompting the enforcement action.

Catherine Hodges Environmental Permit Application Consultation

The Environment Agency has published a public consultation notice for an environmental permit application submitted by Catherine Hodges for Arlen, Coopers Pightle, Reading, RG4 9AZ. The application is for waste and mining waste operations, installations, water discharge and groundwater activities, or medium combustion plant and specified generators. Members of the public may review the application and submit comments, which the Agency will consider when deciding whether to grant or refuse the permit and what conditions to impose.

Gleeson Developments Limited Environmental Permit Application EPR/CP3620MT/A001

The Environment Agency has published an advertisement for environmental permit application EPR/CP3620MT/A001 submitted by Gleeson Developments Limited, Roger Beame, and Louise Beame for a development at Squirrel Fold, Thornton Road, Bradford, BD13 3FF. The application relates to activities covered under the Environmental Permitting Regulations including waste operations, installations, water discharge activities, or medium combustion plant. The public is invited to view the application and submit comments during the consultation period.

Environmental Permit Application Public Consultation Mark Beame Roger Beame Louise Beame EPR/WP3529MY/A001

The Environment Agency has published a public consultation on an environmental permit application submitted by Mark Beame, Roger Beame, and Louise Beame for Oakdene Westend Cottages, Stonehouse GL10 3SJ under reference EPR/WP3529MY/A001. The consultation invites public comment on applications for waste operations, installations, water discharge and groundwater activities, and medium combustion plant. The Environment Agency will determine whether to grant or refuse the permit and what conditions to include if granted.

DEC Announces 2026 Exam Dates for Falconry, Wildlife Rehabilitator, and Leashed Tracking Dog Licenses

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced exam dates for three wildlife-related licenses in 2026: falconry, wildlife rehabilitator, and leashed tracking dog handler. Four exam dates are scheduled (March 20, June 5, August 7, and October 9, 2026), all administered online between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. Registration deadlines are the day before each exam. All exams are free of charge. Applicants must score 80% or higher on the written exam and meet license-specific requirements (age, residency, hunting license, facility inspection) to qualify. Five-year license costs range from free (wildlife rehabilitator) to $50 (leashed tracking dog handler, plus $25 application fee for first-time applicants).

City of Richmond Proposed Consent Order for Water Violations

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ) has proposed a consent order addressing violations of State Water Control Board statutes and regulations and applicable permit conditions at the City of Richmond's Richmond WWTP wastewater treatment facility in Richmond, Virginia. The proposed consent order is available on the DEQ website, and the agency is soliciting public comments through April 8, 2026. Affected parties may submit comments to Kristen Sadtler at the VA DEQ Central Office during the 30-day comment period.

Royall Pump and Well Company Proposed Consent Order Powhatan County

VA DEQ has proposed a consent order against Royall Pump and Well Company, Inc. for violations of State Water Control Board statutes and regulations and applicable permit conditions at the Royall Pump and Well Connector Road project in Powhatan County, Virginia. The proposed enforcement action is open for public comment from March 9, 2026 through April 8, 2026. The full text of the proposed consent order is available on the DEQ website, and interested parties may submit comments to Cara Witte at the DEQ Piedmont Regional Office.

City of Hopewell Enforcement Action Proposed Consent Order

VA DEQ has proposed a consent order against the City of Hopewell for violations of State Water Control Board statutes and regulations and applicable permit at the Hopewell Water Renewal facility. The proposed consent order is available for public review, with comments accepted from March 9, 2026 through April 8, 2026. Contact for information is Kristen Sadtler at the DEQ Central Office.