Environmental Compliance

The IIJA presents an unprecedented opportunity to seek funding opportunities to address environmental compliance. Stinson's environmental attorneys have assisted clients through the process of:

• Obtaining or modifying construction, air, waste, and water permits.
• Due diligence, including federal or state environmental, cultural, and historic resources reviews (i.e., National Environmental Protection Act reviews).
• Ensuring regulatory compliance related to contaminant monitoring and cleanup.
• Working closely with the Environmental Protection Agency, state, and local environmental agencies.

All of these experiences prepare us to lead clients through the IIJA’s opportunities.

Improving Municipal Water Systems

The IIJA will make $64 billion available for upgrades to water infrastructure to replace lead lines and pipes and to ensure clean drinking water. An additional $47 billion in IIJA funds are also dedicated to making systems more resilient to a changing climate, protecting existing critical infrastructure from extreme weather, drought, and floods. 

Pollution Prevention

EPA has announced a grant competition to fund two-year pollution prevention assistance agreements up to $350,000 each for projects that provide technical assistance to businesses to develop and adopt source reduction practices and prevent contaminants from entering waste stream or being released into the environment.

Electric Vehicles and Vehicle Charging Stations

$18.6 billion will become available for producing low and zero-emission vehicles, buses, ferries and electric vehicle charging stations.

Solid Waste Management and Recycling

The IIJA designates $350 million for federal solid waste management and recycling efforts. Grants will become available for states, local governments and federally recognized tribal organizations to upgrade solid waste infrastructure and fund education and outreach efforts. The Biden Administration’s EPA is particularly interested in focusing this funding on improving how the nation recycles and disposes batteries. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has already announced its intent to post a related Funding Opportunity Announcement.

We expect national funds spent to enhance battery manufacturing and disposal to cascade into investments for utility and electric vehicle infrastructure. The IIJA’s waste management funding will also impact the organic waste disposal and plastics recycling sectors.

Remediation

The IIJA will make $21.6 billion available for the cleanup of Superfund and brownfield sites under the existing state funds, allowing state agencies to fund reclamation of abandoned properties and mine land prior to redevelopment and cap orphaned gas wells. Ten billion dollars will be available for municipalities to identify and remove PFAS chemicals from drinking water.

Reach out to our Infrastructure Task Force for more information what opportunities for environmental compliance the IIJA presents.