In March, the EPA told companies they didn't need to warn federal regulators if the pandemic interferes with routine pollution monitoring or testing. That put states alone on the front lines of environmental protection —even as they grapple with COVID-19.
Companies across the country say the pandemic is interfering with their ability to comply with laws that protect the public from pollution. The federal government is not keeping track of requests for regulatory leniency during the pandemic.DKAR Images/Tetra images /Getty Images
That puts states alone on the front lines of environmental protection, even as they struggle to cope with the immediate effects of the coronavirus pandemic.asked state regulators The EPA says that it will follow up with state authorities if the federal agency notices that a facility did not comply with regulations during the pandemic."Most of our environmental laws have a federalism structure. That means states can be authorized to implement the regulatory program," wrote Ken Labbe, a spokesperson for the EPA, in an email to NPR.
An Arkansas petroleum refinery owned by Lion Oil asked to delay repairs to two storage tanks because of the pandemic, according to records shared by the state environmental agency. The company has repeatedly violated the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act, and the EPA
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