FWS proposed to list the Quitobaquito tryonia as an endangered species under the ESA, and to designate approximately 6,095 square feet in Arizona as critical habitat for the species.

United States v. Apex Building Co., Inc., No. 23-cv-7838 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 5, 2023). Under a proposed consent decree, a settling TSCA defendant that conducted unlawful renovations work must perform injunctive relief and pay a $606,706 civil penalty.

NOAA created a temporary special use area for coral restoration located approximately five miles southeast of Tavernier, on the island of Key Largo, within federal waters of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary from September 6, 2023, to November 6, 2023.

EPA granted emergency exemptions under FIFRA for the use of certain pesticides to control pest outbreaks to Arizona, Hawaii, Michigan, Minnesota, and North Dakota, and denied emergency exemptions to Colorado and Nebraska.

EPA finalized several amendments to the PCB regulations, including an expanded set of extraction and determinative methods that can be used to characterize and verify the cleanup of PCBs waste; amendment of the performance-based disposal option for PCB remediation waste; removal of the provision allowing PCB bulk product waste to be disposed of as roadbed material; and the addition of more flexible provisions for cleanup and disposal of waste generated by spills that occur during emergency situations.

NMFS proposed to change the status of pillar coral from threatened to endangered under the ESA, based on population declines and susceptibility to a recently emerged coral disease.

FWS determined endangered status for the South Sierra and South Coast distinct population segments (DPSs) of the foothill yellow-legged frog and threatened status for the species’ North Feather and Central Coast DPSs under the ESA.

NMFS designated and authorized the release of nonessential experimental populations of Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon and Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon in the McCloud and Upper Sacramento Rivers upstream of Shasta Dam, California, and established a limited set of take exceptions for the experimental populations under the ESA.

FWS announced findings that nine species—Alexander Archipelago wolf, Chihuahua catfish, Cooper’s cave amphipod, Georgia blind salamander, minute cave amphipod, Morrison’s cave amphipod, narrowfoot hygrotus diving beetle, pristine crayfish, and Tennessee heelsplitter—are not warranted for listing as endangered or threatened species under the ESA.