EPA Delays Nationwide Limit on Dirt in Stormwater; Move Will Help Construction Industry Avoid Billions in New Costs

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement that it is delaying its effort to protect the Earth from dirt gives temporary relief for struggling contractors.

Specifically, the EPA has withdrawn from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the rulemaking proposal that would have revised the numeric turbidity limit for runoff from construction sites. (OMB clearance is the last step in the rulemaking process before a regulation is signed and published in the Federal Register.) Unfortunately, the EPA is only seeking to delay imposing its nationwide limit on dirt in stormwater, instead of abandoning the idea altogether.