SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Sierra Club have reached an agreement on finalizing a regulatory timeline for commercial and industrial solid waste incinerators (CISWIs).

This is in settlement of the lawsuit filed by Sierra Club in February last year, alleging that the EPA had shown unprecedented delay in implementation of emissions regulations for incinerators. The lawsuit had sought injunctive and declaratory relief on the allegations raised against the EPA. The proposed consent decree will resolve all substantive claims in the complaint.

The final consent decree is more or less unchanged from the previous agreement released for public comment. The court filing noted that no significant feedbacks, that would cause a delay, were received during the 30-day comment period.

The decree is applicable to certain other solid waste incinerators regulated under the Clean Air Act, apart from CISWIs. Accordingly, the EPA is required to establish a final rule for all existing CISWIs latest by September 16th. Also, the proposed rule for other solid waste incinerator facilities must be released by 30th June, 2026. A final action on the federal plan must be taken by June 30, 2027.