Environmental Council Of The States Adopts Several Resolutions At Spring Meeting

During its spring meeting in April, the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) adopted several resolutions. ECOS is the national nonprofit, nonpartisan association of state and territorial environmental agency leaders. The resolutions ECOS adopted are:

• Resolution 04-3: Small Community Challenges: This resolution requests that the federal government work with state and local governments to address current and future small community drinking water and wastewater requirements and assist small communities in managing their regulatory requirements.
• Resolution 08-3: State Delegation of CWA Section 404 Permit Program: In this resolution, ECOS states its support of delegation of CWA Section 404 responsibilities to states; encourages development of clear guidance for states and tribes seeking to assume the 404 program; and encourages federal government support of state assumption of 404 programs, including providing funding for states that assume the program.
• Resolution 08-9: Phasing Out the Sale and Installation of Lead Wheel Weights: Through this resolution, ECOS requests that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiate regulatory action to address lead hazards associated with lead wheel balancing weights; requests stakeholders take actions to phase out the manufacture and use of lead wheel weights in the U.S.; and recommends that federal agencies phase out their use of lead wheel weights.
• Resolution 08-10: Strengthening the State-EPA Partnership, Including a Continued Commitment to NEPPS: In this resolution, ECOS reaffirms support for the principles in the 1995 ECOS and EPA Joint Commitment to Reform Oversight and Create a National Environmental Performance Partnership System (NEPPS) and the 2015 Renewal of Commitment to NEPPS; commits the states and urges EPA to engage on implementing improvements to the state-EPA partnership; and urges EPA to revitalize core components of NEPPS.
• Resolution 11-1: Objection to U.S. EPA Imposition of Interim Guidance, Interim Rules, Draft Policy, and Reinterpretation Policy: Through this resolution, ECOS states it believes that each state reserves the right to use or refrain from using guidance as part of its environmental regulatory effort; that EPA should eliminate requiring compliance by states with guidance; urges EPA not to use guidance as a substitute for regulations; and that states object to EPA using guidance as a justification for objection to a permit.
• Resolution 11-2: Respectful Use of Data: In this resolution, ECOS urges EPA to provide advance notice to states prior to the scheduled release of round datasets; urges EPA to test new reporting tools with states in a closed environment; urges EPA to establish a pre-notification process that alerts states to unscheduled releases of non-routine, unverified datasets; and encourages that raw data be put into context when released.
• Resolution 10-7: Retention of CAA Waiver of California Emissions Standards and State Adoption of California Standards: ECOS finds that states must be allowed to exercise their discretion to regulate pollutants within their borders and to develop standards as or more stringent than federal regulations and urges Congress to retain and not limit California’s authority to adopt or enforce emissions standards and any state’s ability to adopt California’s standards.
• Resolution 17-3: On the Value of Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEP): This resolution encourages the use of SEPs by states and EPA to respond to environmental harm and to invigorate communities.
• Resolution 17-2: On the Value of Diverse and Innovative Approaches to Advance Compliance with Environmental Requirements: This resolution seeks support for compliance assistance and innovative compliance approaches from EPA, the regulated community, and academic institutions and encourages study of the effectiveness of these efforts.
• Resolution 17-1: Advancing Safer Chemical Products and Processes: This resolution encourages support for sustainable and green chemistry and the promotion of alternatives assessment.