Category: Blog

Last December, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved a limited set of site-specific criteria and Water-Effects Ratios (WERs) under the Texas Surface Water Quality Standards (TSWQS). The updates, issued in March and September 2025, are targeted and apply only in specific circumstances:Applies only to copperApplies only to certain designated segments This means facilities will… Continue reading 💦 Texas Surface Water Quality Standards Update

This site tells the story of a subsurface release — and our job is to make it visible. Earlier this year, our team was out in the field delineating a hydrocarbon plume by advancing boreholes, collecting soil samples, installing monitoring wells, and collecting groundwater samples to define the extent of impact and guide cleanup. Every… Continue reading 🚧 Delineating a Fuel Release in the Field 🚧

In recent news, the EPA has granted the Texas Railroad Commission primacy over Class VI underground injection wells under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Effective December 15, 2025, Texas now has primary authority to issue and enforce permits for wells used to sequester CO₂ underground — a key part of carbon capture and storage (CCS)… Continue reading 📜 Texas — 6th State to Secure Class VI Wells

In November 2025, the EPA and U.S. Army Corps proposed a revised Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule that would narrow which wetlands and streams are federally protected under the Clean Water Act, largely excluding waters without a continuous surface connection to larger water bodies. This change follows the Supreme Court’s Sackett v. EPA… Continue reading 📢 Federal Wetlands Protections in Flux — State Action on the Rise

Rule Engineering offers drone surveying services to support grading, drainage, SPCC, wetlands, and other environmental projects. Our in-house FAA Part 107–licensed pilot captures high-resolution aerial data to help you visualize and document site conditions, calculate cut-fill elevations, and make smarter decisions—safely and efficiently. Need LiDAR? We can also rent and operate larger drones equipped with… Continue reading A New Perspective: Drone Surveying 𖥂

If you operate oil & gas or industrial sites in Eddy, Lea, San Juan, Sandoval, Rio Arriba, Chaves, Doña Ana, or Valencia counties, you’re under New Mexico’s Part 50 Ozone Precursor Rule (20.2.50 NMAC). The rule targets VOC and NOₓ emissions. Key requirements include:✅ Calculate and certify their Potential to Emit (PTE)✅Control or capture emissions… Continue reading 💨 New Mexico’s Part 50 Ozone Precursor Rule — Are you in Compliance?

In October 2025, EPA approved MDEQ’s revisions under HB 664; formally repealing numeric nutrient criteria for nitrogen and phosphorus and affirming narrative nutrient standards while maintaining Clean Water Act goals. Instead of fixed numeric limits, narrative standards describe desired conditions — for example, no excessive algae growth, no oxygen depletion, and protection of aquatic life.… Continue reading 🏞️ Montana’s Repeal of Numeric Nutrient Limits 🏞️

Our team oversaw the removal of an underground storage tank (UST) at a former gas station site in Colorado. Careful oversight and soil sampling are critical during these projects to ensure safe and proper handling of potential petroleum impacts and compliance with environmental regulations. At Rule Engineering, we bring decades of experience in UST closures,… Continue reading 🚧 Another Day in the Field 🚧

The ITRC published its Biological CEC Guidance (Nov 2025), building on the broader CEC Framework (Dec 2023) to formally include microbial pathogens.   Why it matters  What the guidance offers 💡 What this means Source:https://cec-bio.itrcweb.org/