On April 17, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it will extend the compliance deadlines for coal combustion residual (CCR) management unit (CCRMU) requirements. This action will allow facilities to submit both sections of the Facility Evaluation Report simultaneously, provided that both reports are turned in no later than February 8, 2027.
EPA is also extending the groundwater monitoring requirements for owners or operators of coal combustion residual management units until August 8, 2029. Because the Facility Evaluation Report and groundwater monitoring requirements are necessary for compliance with other CCRMU requirements, EPA is aligning these remaining CCRMU compliance deadlines.
EPA has proposed to approve North Dakota’s CCR program application, which would allow the state to manage coal ash disposal in surface impoundments and landfills. EPA is also working with Wyoming and other states as they seek to manage their CCR programs without federal oversight.
EPA is accepting comments for 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. Unless EPA receives adverse comments, this final rule will be effective six months after publication in the Federal Register.
Additional Resources:
The U.S. meat and poultry industry generates slaughterhouse waste (SHW) as a by-product, which is converted into additional products through the rendering process to minimize waste. Although rendering generates sellable commodities, Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is a proven, scalable technology for offsetting energy-intensive processes and minimizing FOG and contaminants in wastewater. AD can provide new opportunities for onsite waste management paired with renewable energy production and biogas potential for thermal energy, electricity generation, and renewable natural gas (RNG) to offset operating costs.
The EPA’s proposed Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELGs) will require that facilities add biological treatment, creating a new waste stream (waste biosolids) that could be managed along with other slaughterhouse wastes via anaerobic digestion.
SCS Engineers presents a free educational forum explaining the opportunities for the meat and poultry industry and how to determine if AD is feasible to help your operation reduce energy costs with biogas production and enable nutrient recovery while reducing wastewater contamination. We’ll cover:
Live Virtual Event Thursday, August 21, 2025
1:00 PM ET | Noon CT | 11:00 AM MT | 10:00 AM PT
Meet Dr. Erik Anderson, a senior SCS Liquid Management team member and a National Expert in AD. He has 15 years of experience in process design related to biomass engineering, specifically anaerobic digestion and other waste-to-energy systems. His work includes modeling biomass technologies for performance, cost, and economic evaluation or life-cycle analysis, combining material testing and/or pilot-scale testing for more value.
CAN’T MAKE THE LIVE SESSION? RSVP AND WE’LL SEND YOU THE RECORDING.
Additional ELG Resources:
Amendment to existing Virginia regulations regarding the use of emergency power generators (EPGs) at certain military installations; 9VAC5-80-1111 of 9VAC5-80; 9VAC5-540-40 of 9VAC5-54
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) recently approved amendments to the Emergency Power Generator (EPG) regulations that apply to certain military installations. The amendments will provide greater flexibility with respect to the operation of mission-critical EPGs at Department of Defense (DoD) facilities for non-emergency purposes, including up to 50 hours per year for planned outages, switch gear, and related electrical system testing.
The amendment should not have an impact on EPG permitting. Nonetheless, we suspect the amendment may interest EPG operators at DoD facilities in Virginia.
Implementation of the amendments is consistent with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Stationary Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines pursuant to 40 CFR Part 63 Subpart ZZZZ and New Source Performance Standards pursuant to 40 CFR Part 60 Subparts IIII and JJJJ.
As noted in 9 VAC 5-80-1111, DoD facilities that desire to take advantage of the increased operational flexibility must first certify their EPGs per 9VAC5-20-230.
The amended regulation published in the Virginia Register on July 14, 2025. Additional details, including the revised regulation (track changes employed to highlight amendments), are available at: https://townhall.virginia.gov/l/ViewStage.cfm?StageID=10796
If you have a question pertaining to the amendments, please contact SCS Engineers.
Remote Monitoring and Control Return on Investment Based on Case Studies in the U.S.
Environmental and industrial operators face mounting pressures from complex issues like tightening regulations, rising compliance costs, persistent labor shortages, and aging infrastructure. In this environment, traditional monitoring and maintenance methods, such as manual readings, paper logs, and in-person inspections, often fail to meet the demands of modern operations.
Facilities increasingly adopt Remote Monitoring and Control (RMC) systems to bridge the gap. RMC systems, originally developed to support gas and liquid management in the waste sector, now play a critical role in automating environmental compliance, optimizing equipment performance, and delivering real-time data insights across various facility types. These technologies deliver continuous data, enable remote access, and support faster, more informed decision-making. From pump stations and blowers to temperature and emissions monitoring, the shift to RMC offers not just better oversight but substantial cost savings.
Here, we highlight three real-world case studies where RMC deployments led to measurable financial return on investment and operational gains.
Cutting Air Monitoring Costs at an Industrial Facility
Air monitoring is critical to environmental compliance for landfills, renewable natural gas (RNG) operations, and solid waste facilities. These sites can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) through various processes, including waste decomposition, gas destruction, and material handling. Regulatory agencies require continuous or periodic monitoring to assess pollutant levels, ensure public health protection, and enforce site-specific permit conditions. Failure to comply can result in substantial fines, heightened regulatory scrutiny, and reputational harm.
Regulators required continuous air quality monitoring for a volatile organic compound and a hazardous air pollutant at one industrial site. Manual sampling, performed daily, was costing the facility roughly $1,000 per day. Compliance was non-negotiable, but the cost was becoming unsustainable.
SCS Engineers installed a $90,000 RMC air monitoring system with seven wireless air sensors and a meteorological station. The system automates alarms, regulatory reporting, and historical data logging, all now accessible in real-time.
Within three months, the system paid for itself and saves the client an estimated ~$365,000 annually. Beyond that, it provides peace of mind. Since the system was implemented, the site has avoided regulatory fines, thanks partly to the transparent, consistent data reporting regulators now receive automatically.
Preventing Leachate Tank Overflows and Overbilling
Leachate is the liquid that drains from or through a landfill and contains a complex mix of organic and inorganic compounds, including heavy metals, ammonia, and pathogens. If not properly managed, leachate can contaminate groundwater, damage infrastructure, and trigger costly environmental violations. Closed, unstaffed landfills continue to generate leachate that must be regularly monitored, stored, and hauled away for treatment. Regulatory requirements typically mandate accurate volume tracking, overflow prevention, and timely reporting to demonstrate compliance and mitigate risk.
One SCS client operated a closed landfill with an above-ground leachate tank. With no staff on-site, they faced two persistent problems: haulers had no visibility into daily volumes, leading to inefficiencies and billing confusion, and during winter, the risk of frozen pipes or tank overflow posed serious compliance and environmental hazards.
For $30,000, SCS implemented an RMC system that provided haulers with mobile access to real-time tank levels and flow data, saving the client an estimated $10,000+ annually. Adding new alarms to flag leaks, freezing temperatures, and meter fouling, problems that had previously gone undetected until damage occurred, led to an increase in the efficiency of hauler dispatching, the elimination of billing disputes, and the prevention of at least one major overflow event by the early warning system. “Without a doubt, the system paid for itself through reduced O&M costs and prevented environmental issues,” said one SCS project manager, who quoted an ROI of roughly 1.5 to 3 years, depending on site-specific variables for a system like this.
Automating Flare Restarts at a Closed Landfill
Gas collection and control systems are essential at landfills to manage the decomposition of organic waste, which generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Flares are a critical component of these systems, used to combust excess landfill gas and maintain regulatory compliance with air quality and greenhouse gas standards. Reliable flare operation is not only required by permits but also essential to prevent the accumulation of subsurface pressure and potential emissions. Frequent flare-outages can result in safety concerns, odor complaints, noncompliance penalties, and costly emergency callouts. At unstaffed or remote landfills, delays in flare restarts can be especially expensive and disruptive.
At a separate closed landfill, the client spent as much as $35,000 monthly on callouts to manually restart a flare system that frequently shut down due to power fluctuations. Each visit required a time-consuming and costly process in which an employee was required to drive to the site, reset the system, and monitor the restart.
SCS installed an RMC solution costing approximately $85,000, enabling remote flare monitoring, alarm, and restart. With the new system in place, staff could respond immediately from any connected device, eliminating the need for site visits.
The anticipated monthly savings? Roughly $30,000. The investment was a clear financial win with a projected payback period of less than three months.
Efficiency That Pays for Itself
As environmental compliance becomes tighter, labor markets shift, and equipment costs rise, operational efficiency is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. Whether you’re operating a landfill, a manufacturing facility, or an industrial site, the pressures are the same: reduce costs, maintain compliance, protect your workforce, preserve your infrastructure, and get a return on your investment.
RMC systems address all these pressures simultaneously. From automated gas monitoring at a landfill to VOC and HAP air monitoring at a facility to liquid hauling validation at an industrial facility, RMC systems are helping operators transform data into action and costs into savings.
In industries where budgets are scrutinized and return on investment must be proven, RMC makes a compelling case. It’s a solution that pays for itself, sometimes within months, while laying the foundation for long-term performance and resilience. The opportunity to modernize and save is right at your fingertips.
Facility Technology Resources:
Power Plants: 40 CFR Part 60, [EPA-HQ-OAR-2025-0124; FRL-12674-01-OAR], RIN 2060-AW55
On Wednesday, June 11, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes repealing all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for fossil fuel-fired power plants. The EPA proposes that the Clean Air Act (CAA) section 111 requires it to find that GHG emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants contribute significantly to dangerous air pollution as a predicate to regulating GHG emissions from those plants, which the current administration does not agree with.
The EPA is further proposing to make a finding that GHG emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants do not contribute significantly to dangerous air pollution.
The EPA is also proposing, as an alternative, to repeal a set of requirements that includes the emission guidelines for existing fossil fuel-fired steam generating units, the carbon capture and sequestration/storage (CCS)-based standards for coal-fired steam generating units undertaking a large modification, and the CCS-based standards for new base load stationary combustion turbines.
EPA is proposing to repeal certain amendments issued in 2024 to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units – a rule commonly known as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for power plants, or simply MATS. This proposal would revert to 2012 standards for air toxic pollutants from coal- and oil-fired power plants.
This action proposes to relieve all facilities of the more stringent filterable particulate matter (PM) emission standard for coal-fired EGUs, the tighter mercury standard for lignite-fired EGUs, and the requirement to use PM Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS).
Comment Period
Public and industry comments must be received on or before 45 days following publication in the Federal Register. This document is a prepublication version, signed by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on 06/11/2025. While the EPA has taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this version, it is not the official version.
The EPA will hold a virtual public hearing in the future. You may send comments identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2025-0124, using these channels as follows:
All submissions received must include the Docket ID No. for this rulemaking. Comments received may be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.
Please get in touch with SCS Engineers with questions pertaining to your power plant operations or facilities. Thank you. We will post regulatory updates in more detail as they unfold.
Join SCS Engineers as Sponsors and Exhibitors at the IEA’s Annual Environmental Training Symposium & Conference on June 5th at the San Diego Mission Valley DoubleTree by Hilton in San Diego. For over 40 years, this event has excelled in providing a balance of valuable information, including environmental compliance guidance, and regulatory and legislative updates.
The conference attendees consist of environmental, health, and safety professionals, NGO representatives, environmental engineers, environmental consultants and attorneys, and government affairs representatives. These participants represent manufacturing, biotech, and high-tech companies, as well as the Department of Defense, and federal and state regulators.
The 20+ conference sessions vary from year to year depending on current legislation and regulations.
SCS Engineers is pleased to welcome John Tsun as its National Industrial Clean Air Act (CAA) Practice Leader. In his role, John will focus on increasing SCS’s services to both public and private sectors related to evolving regulatory policies stemming from the Clean Air Act (CAA). John will be based out of SCS’s Suffern, NY office, serving clients along the eastern seaboard and nationwide.
Mr. Tsun brings over three decades of extensive experience and qualifications in environmental engineering, air quality services, and regulatory compliance. His background includes managing air permitting and compliance projects for sectors including, but not limited to, petroleum, pharmaceutical, chemical, and power-generation facilities and governmental agencies. His specialization is in air-quality-related solutions that include regulatory compliance audits, emissions inventories, emissions control selections, permitting strategies, ambient air-quality monitoring, air dispersion and consequence modeling, soil vapor dispersion modeling, vapor intrusion barrier installation, vapor intrusion sampling, vibration monitoring, bi-axial tilt monitoring, and noise monitoring.
Mr. Tsun is knowledgeable in regulatory applicability, such as New Source Review and Prevention of Significant Deterioration, preparing air permit applications such as Title V computer simulation modeling, and compliance reporting. For our clients, Mr. Tsun’s experience translates into streamlined permits and compliance obligations that are practical while controlling emissions appropriately. These comprehensive attributes are particularly important to SCS Engineers with in-house resources to navigate the permitting process, secure the necessary approvals, and offer solutions that save time and money.
For many industries, CAA is critical because the evolution of regulations impacts capital expenditures, especially those with older facilities, which may be required to install pollution control technologies or upgrade equipment to meet current emission standards. Consequently, implementing and maintaining pollution controls increases operating costs if the environmental solutions are not identified and planned sustainably.
Air permitting is often the critical path element in a construction schedule for new facilities and must be completed before construction can commence. Guiding clients through properly identifying emission sources and inventories, selecting proper control technologies, and efficient modeling will minimize timelines that are important for construction timelines when “speed-to-market” is crucial.
“Our clients face ever-increasing challenges and scrutiny in complying with various State and Federal air and other environmental regulations. John has decades of proven experience helping clients successfully navigate these challenges. We are delighted to have him join our team and expand the CAA services we offer our clients,” SCS Engineers Senior Vice President Michael Miller says.
Clean Air Act Resources:
Join SCS Engineers at the Environment, Labor & Safety+ Conference (ELS+) on April 21-23 at the Omni Charlotte Hotel in Charlotte, NC. The ELS+ Conference is a vital platform for safety, environmental compliance, and HR professionals in the meat and poultry industry.
The conference tackles emerging trends and real-world challenges by delivering practical, actionable insights that help you keep your workforce safe, facilities compliant, and teams engaged. Attendees will benefit from a collaborative, confidential environment where they can exchange strategies, discuss challenges, and learn from industry peers.
ELS+ equips you with tools, knowledge, and talking points to bring back to your plant, helping you drive real, positive change. Whether you’re managing safety programs, navigating complex environmental regulations, or leading HR initiatives, this event offers the expertise and connections you need to succeed.
Click here to register and connect with SCS Engineers at ELS+ to move your team and your company forward.
Do you represent one of the 10,000 companies in the U.S. doing business in California that will be affected by sweeping new climate-related disclosure requirements recently signed into law?
California requirements for public disclosures cover corporate climate-related financial risk (SB 261) and corporate GHG emissions/targets (SB 253). While these state climate disclosure laws are subject to court challenges, they are still in effect, so companies are collecting data now.
The requirements will impact public and private companies in the U.S. doing business in California, including companies headquartered outside of the state.
If you reply yes to the questions below, you must report your company’s Climate Disclosure starting in 2026.
This live educational webinar, now recorded for your convenience, highlights these new disclosure requirements for climate disclosures, applies the standards, and provides the related assurance requirements for each. This one-hour webinar is free, non-commercial, and relevant to all industries. Watch now!
Meet our panelists.
Our panelists explain the carbon accounting expectations, materiality considerations, and what to do now to prepare. We’ll provide an update on the net impact of timely court decisions affecting California requirements, as well as the impact of similar disclosure requirements under the CSRD rules of the European Union.
You can start or refine your roadmap for the journey to mandatory reporting and reflect upon the relationship of these disclosures to U.S. firms remaining globally competitive.
SCS Engineers welcomes Dave Dirkin, who joins the firm as a Senior Environmental Services Project Manager in the U.S. Southwest region. Mr. Dirkin is a Professional Geologist (PG) in California, Oregon, and Washington and brings over two decades of expertise to SCS.
“Dave is an outstanding addition to SCS Engineers. He strongly benefits our clients with his deep understanding of federal regulatory framework requirements and experience implementing modern remedial technologies that keep projects moving,” says SCS Vice President and Project Director Ashley Hutchens.
Mr. Dirkin has extensive federal regulatory experience and works closely with the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), California Regional Water Quality Control Boards (RWQCB), South Coast Air Quality Management Districts (AQMD), and local authorities, e.g., fire departments and environmental health agencies.
As a PG across the Pacific seaboard, with extensive experience in subsurface characterization of soil, soil vapor, and groundwater, he will support remediation for properties impacted by contaminants such as fuel hydrocarbons, chlorinated solvents, and heavy metals.
Dave is recognized for his excellent client relationships and communication skills, which are significant to SCS and its clients. At SCS, he will manage projects for commercial, industrial, and federal facilities such as petrochemical refineries, fuel distribution pipelines, terminals, service stations, retail and industrial dry cleaners, and military installations.
His expertise is valuable for municipalities, developers, and banks when due diligence, including complex Phase II investigations and remediation projects, is essential to recycle strategic properties. Well-versed in coordinating and permitting work, including air quality management for Title V permitting, he supports all related stakeholder communication activities, providing more comprehensive environmental services.
Additional Resources:
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