CBD challenges EPA dumping permit

The Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity has filed a formal challenge of the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s new permit allowing oil companies to dump waste, including fracking chemicals into the Gulf of Mexico. In December, the CBD sent a required "notice of intent to sue" letter to EPA requesting them to rescind the new permit or face a court challenge. On Feb. 12, CBD filed a "petition for review" requesting the New Orleans-based U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals review the permit decision. “The EPA is supposed to protect water quality, not give oil companies free reign to use our oceans as their garbage disposal," Kristen Monsell, a senior attorney at the center, told NOLA.com. The EPA did not adequately explore the environmental effects of disposing of wastes in the Gulf, the group argued in its lawsuit notice. In December, an EPA spokesman said the agency does not comment on pending litigation. (Source: NOLA.com 02/14/18)