Environmental Regulatory Roundup - July 2026

Five significant environmental regulatory developments occurred in July 2026.

UCMR 6 Proposed - The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the sixth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 6), which would add 30 contaminants to nationwide drinking water monitoring. UCMR data feeds future regulatory determinations under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Details on the proposed contaminant list and monitoring schedule are in the UCMR 6 post.

Plywood and Composite Wood NESHAP - EPA finalized amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for plywood and composite wood products facilities. Affected facilities should review the plywood NESHAP post for compliance dates and what changed.

Canton Lead Redesignation - EPA redesignated the Canton, Ohio area to attainment for the 2008 lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and approved the associated maintenance plan revision to the Ohio State Implementation Plan (SIP). If you work air permitting in Stark County, the Canton redesignation post covers what the redesignation means for the area.

Alabama CCR Program - EPA proposed approval of Alabama’s partial coal combustion residuals (CCR) permit program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). If approved, Alabama’s program would operate in place of the federal CCR program with limited exceptions. The Alabama CCR post covers the proposal and comment process.

OSHA Asbestos Rulemaking Reopened - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reopened its asbestos rulemaking record and provided 30 additional days for public comment. If you have field observations relevant to the asbestos standards, written comments are due by August 21, 2026. See the OSHA asbestos post for the deadline and docket information.

Individual posts on each development are on the blog.