Environmental Protection Agency

Why Idaho Wants To Regulate Pollution And Permits For Lakes And Rivers

By • Sep 12, 2017
Samantha Wright / Boise State Public Radio

If you’re a city manager looking to renew your town’s sewer treatment plant permit, you’re going to have to wait a while to get a new one. The EPA administers permits for the state under the Clean Water Act.

EPA To Require Mines To Offer Cleanup Assurances

By & • Dec 3, 2016
Parolan Harahap / Flickr

The Environmental Protection Agency says it plans to require mining companies to show they have the financial wherewithal to clean up their pollution so taxpayers aren't stuck footing the bill.

Friday's announcement follows a 2015 court order for the agency to enforce a long-ignored provision in the 1980 federal Superfund law.

The requirement would apply to hard rock mining, which includes mines for precious metals and other ores.

Groups Plan Lawsuit Following Columbia Basin Salmon Die-Off

By • Aug 15, 2016
Jerry McFarland / Flickr

Three environmental groups and two commercial fishing advocacy groups say they will file a lawsuit against the federal government over heat-related fish kills in the Columbia River Basin in the Pacific Northwest.

The groups on Monday sent a 60-day notice of their intent to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for what the groups say are violations of the Clean Water Act.

The groups say 250,000 adult sockeye salmon died in 2015 due to high temperatures in the Columbia River and lower Snake River.

EPA Settles Lawsuit With Simplot After Alleged Clean Air Act Violations

By • Dec 4, 2015

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has settled a lawsuit against the J.R. Simplot Company for alleged Clean Air Act violations. The Idaho-based agriculture giant will pay $899,000 in a civil penalty.

The company owns five sulphuric acid plants that make fertilizer in Idaho, California and Wyoming. Sulphur dioxide is a gas scientists have connected to climate change as well as respiratory issues in humans.

What's Next For A Cheatgrass-Fighting Bacteria That Could Soon Be Used In Idaho

By • Nov 25, 2015
Curtesy of Ann Kennedy / USDA

Ann Kennedy’s bacterial compound is called ACK55, and it has been shown to cut the amount of cheatgrass in half in just a few years.

The Department of Agriculture soil scientist is getting closer to seeing her discovery registered with the EPA, and is giving state and federal land managers hope in the battle against the invasive weed. Once it gets approved, farmers can begin using it to treat cheatgrass on their land.

Judge Blocks New Federal Rule On Jurisdiction Of Waterways in Western States

By • Aug 27, 2015
Lacey Daley / Boise State Public Radio

A federal judge in North Dakota has blocked a new rule that would give the federal government jurisdiction over some state waters.

U.S. District Judge Ralph Erickson of North Dakota issued a temporary injunction Thursday against the Obama administration rule. The rule gives the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers authority to protect some streams, tributaries and wetlands under the Clean Water Act.

Obama Clean Power Plan Demands Emissions Reductions From States

By • Aug 4, 2015

The Obama administration set carbon dioxide limits for electric power plants Monday. The objective is to combat climate change by clamping down on power plant pollution, especially coal-fired electricity.

Officials To Update Treasure Valley Air Quality Standards

By • Jul 31, 2015
IcaWise / Flickr Creative Commons

The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to release updated air quality standards for the Treasure Valley in the next two months.

The Idaho Statesman reports the Treasure Valley includes Boise, and Idaho Department of Environmental Quality regional air quality monitoring coordinator Mike Toole says ground-level ozone pollution in the area typically hits below the current standard of 75 parts per billion.

That standard is expected to decrease, but officials are unsure by how much.

State Of Idaho Fined After Demolition Of Building With Asbestos

By • Jul 23, 2015

The Idaho Transportation Department has agreed to pay a $52,000 fine after demolishing an asbestos-containing building in northern Idaho and potentially exposing the public to the cancer-causing fibers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the agreement Thursday involving the November demolition of the state-owned building in Priest River.

The federal agency says the state agency failed to do an asbestos survey before the demolition and only learned of the demolition after receiving a public complaint.

Idaho Eyes New Water Standards With Fish Consumption Survey

By • Jul 10, 2015
Chinook Salmon, fish
Pacific Northwest National Lab / Flickr Creative Commons

A recently completed Idaho fish consumption survey that's part of a state process to set new water quality standards could mean greater restrictions for towns and businesses with wastewater discharge permits.

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality released the report Wednesday as part of a process that started after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rejected the state's current standards in 2012.

EPA Fines Clearwater Paper Over Alleged Pollution Violations

By • Jun 10, 2015
J. Stephen Conn / Flickr

Clearwater Paper Company has agreed to pay a civil penalty and upgrade pollution control equipment at its Lewiston pulp and paper mill to address alleged violations of the Clean Air Act.

The Lewiston Tribune reports that Clearwater Paper will pay $300,000 in fines plus interest to the federal government and spend $800,000 to address problems that led to the violation.