Environmental

President Donald Trump’s proposed budget, which cuts funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by 31%, will not be received favorably by the American people, former EPA Administrators Gina McCarthy and Carol Browner said March 17 during a call with the press. “This is clear what’s happening. The White House has made a decision that […]

The Trump administration released a blueprint of its proposed 2018 budget on March 16, likely setting off a major battle with Congress. The budget proposal, “America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again” makes major cuts in non-defense discretionary spending over 2017. While funding for the Department of Defense is boosted $52.3 billion, […]

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) administrative priorities will be reined in to focus on process, rule of law, and cooperation with states, the agency’s new head Scott Pruitt told attendees at CERAweek by IHS Markit on March 9. Since the former Oklahoma Attorney General was sworn in as EPA administrator in late February, the agency has […]

A bill signed by Minnesota’s Gov. Mark Dayton (D) on February 28 allows Xcel Energy to build a 786-MW combined cycle gas-fired power plant without approval from state regulators. The governor signed Chapter 5, House File 113, a bill that had bipartisan support of the state’s legislators, to allow the Minneapolis-based power company to move […]

An executive order signed by President Donald Trump on February 27 authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to rewrite a contentious rule asserting federal authority over small bodies of water. The Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, also known as the “Clean Water Rule,” finalized by the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers […]

Many informative articles have been published about options for treating flue gas desulfurization wastewater, but new technologies are rapidly changing the treatment possibilities. This article reviews key economic considerations and introduces an innovative treatment solution that lowers costs and the amount of waste generated. Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewater varies widely depending on the source […]

Using reclaimed water as a makeup supply for cooling tower systems has become a popular option for reducing impacts on local water resources, but it comes with its own challenges because of its unique

Power generation need not be another source of strain on diminishing freshwater resources. Well-established water reclamation technologies are enabling producers to conserve resources—and money. Meeting the

Meeting the requirements of the Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELG) means careful consideration of the various options. Both biological treatment and zero liquid discharge (ZLD) approaches have their place, but ZLD may offer more flexibility for the future. On September 30, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the final effluent limitation guidelines (ELGs) rule for […]