EPA releases 2026 regulatory agenda

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the 2026 Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions on July 3, 2026. The agenda outlines the agency’s upcoming regulatory actions and their status in the rulemaking process. Many of the proposed and final rules support EPA’s continued deregulatory efforts.

Significant updates on EPA’s docket include the following:

• Proposing risk management regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for various chemical substances, such as formaldehyde, diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), and diisononyl phthalate (DINP);
• Aligning the definition of “waters of the United States” with the Supreme Court’s Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency (2023) decision, which narrowed the definition under the Clean Water Act;
• Finalizing the part 2 risk management regulations for asbestos, including use and associated disposal requirements for legacy asbestos, asbestos-containing talc, and asbestos fibers other than chrysotile;
• Repealing the Carbon Pollution Standards (CPS) that limit greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-fired plants (or repealing a narrower set of requirements under the CPS); and
• Establishing a federal permitting program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) for the disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCR).

Additionally, EPA continues to conduct rulemaking related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), such as:

• Revising existing effluent limitations guidelines and standards (ELGs) to address PFAS discharges from PFAS manufacturing facilities and chromium electroplating facilities;
• Extending the compliance deadlines for Maximum Contaminant Levels established by the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs) for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS); and
• Rescinding the regulations for four PFAS established under the NPDWRs.

This article highlights some of the major rules we’re monitoring closely. You can review the entire agenda to learn about all the rulemakings EPA plans to review, propose, and finalize. Please note that the agenda dates are tentative, indicating when the agency seeks to publish the rulemakings in the Federal Register.

Final Rule Stage
Projected publication date	Title
July 2026	Reconsideration of the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program
August 2026	1-Bromopropane (1-BP); Regulation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
October 2026	Revisions to Standards for the Open Burning/Open Detonation of Waste Explosives
October 2026	Secondary Lead Smelting: National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) Technology Review and Reconsideration
January 2027	Listing of Specific PFAS as Hazardous Constituents
Proposed Rule Stage
Projected publication date of notice of proposed rulemaking	Title
August 2026	Improving Recycling and Management of Renewable Energy Wastes: Universal Waste Regulations for Solar Panels and Lithium Batteries
September 2026	Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Oil and Gas Extraction Category (40 CFR 435 Subpart E)
October 2026	Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Centralized Waste Treatment Category (40 CFR 437)
December 2026	Clean Water Act Hazardous Substance Facility Response Plans; Amendment Reconsideration
December 2026	National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Stationary Combustion Turbines; Amendments
Pre-Rule Stage
Projected publication date or other action	Title
January 2027 (final rule)	Risk Management Program, CAA Section 112(r)(7) (Section 610 Review)
August 2026 (begin review)	Oil and Natural Gas Sector: Emission Standards for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources (Section 610 Review)

Key to remember: EPA's planned rulemakings may impact regulatory compliance with air, land, and water rules.