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EPA has reportedly been instructed by the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) to develop a plan for consolidating its ten (10) regional offices into eight (8) as a way to realize efficiencies and reduce costs. The proposed reduction in the number of regional offices is part of the OMB’s broader budget document for fiscal year 2018, which is reported to propose a 25 percent cut to the agency’s overall budget, a 30 percent reduction in state grants, and a 20 percent cut in personnel. The proposals are preliminary, and President Trump’s official budget outline for FY 2018 is expected to be issued March 16th.  The federal fiscal year begins on October 1st.

In late December, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (together, “the Services”) issued the final revised joint Habitat Conservation Planning Handbook (HCP Handbook).  81 FR 93702.  The original HCP Handbook was issued in 1996 and later revised in 2000.  Most recently, the Services held a 60-day comment period on draft revisions to the Handbook in June 2016, during which 54 public comments were submitted.

On December 27, 2016, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS or the Service) issued the final Endangered Species Act (ESA) Compensatory Mitigation Policy (the Policy).  81 FR 95316.  The Policy is the first comprehensive treatment of compensatory mitigation under ESA authority to be issued by the FWS following previous piece-meal and disjointed policies.

Yesterday, U.S. EPA announced a new Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) retail strategy.  This strategy has been long-awaited, given that it has been well over two years since the retail industry commented on EPA’s February 14, 2014 Notice of Data Availability for the Retail Sector (20 Fed. Reg. 8926).  After last year’s release of the proposed Hazardous Waste Generator Improvements Rule and Management Standards for Hazardous Waste Pharmaceuticals rule, the industry was unclear whether and to what degree EPA would turn back to a potential sector-specific rulemaking.  Yesterday’s release of EPA’s retail strategy, however, confirms that EPA intends to use policy, guidance and rulemaking to fashion a remedy.

On June 12, EPA published its final SSM SIP Call recalling EPA-approved state air rules governing emissions associated with startup, shutdown and malfunction events at regulated facilities in 36 states.  The list of affected states is posted on EPA’s website here.  Some of these state rules have been approved and on the books for decades, while others were approved by EPA just within the last several years.  EPA is giving the affected states until November 22, 2016 to revise their SIPs and submit any new provisions to EPA for review and approval.