The Environmental Transformation Podcast with Sean Grady

Microplastics appear on a federal contaminant watchlist for the first time, and the regulatory path forward remains far from certain. Megan Quinn, senior reporter at Waste Dive, breaks down what the EPA's proposed new Contaminant Candidate List 6 actually means for water utilities, landfill operators, and chemical manufacturers, and why the lack of standardized test methods could slow any future regulation significantly.

Quinn explains how the CCL process works, who sits on the newly reshuffled Science Advisory Board, and why the parallel push from the MAHA movement adds political complexity to what is otherwise a science-driven process. The conversation draws on direct parallels to how PFAS moved through the regulatory pipeline over more than a decade, from early CCL listings to drinking water standards to hazardous substance designations, offering a framework for understanding how microplastics and newly listed pharmaceuticals might follow a similar, lengthy trajectory.

The episode also covers the dissolution of the EPA's Office of Research and Development, New Mexico's move to regulate PFAS as a hazardous waste, the Department of War's updated PFAS destruction and disposal guidance, and what the rollback of certain PFAS drinking water standards signals about the current administration's regulatory priorities. The public comment period for the draft CCL 6 closes June 5, 2026.

Megan Quinn covers state and federal recycling policy, PFAS, chemical recycling, environmental justice, and EPA regulatory changes for Waste Dive.

0:00 Introduction and Megan Quinn's Background
1:55 What Is the Contaminant Candidate List 6
5:00 Public Comment Period and Finalization Timeline
6:45 Science Advisory Board Changes Under Trump
8:45 Who Is Affected by CCL 6
10:30 Should Companies Begin Sampling Now
13:00 Lack of Analytical Methods for Microplastics
15:10 EPA Research Capacity and Budget Cuts
17:30 Private Industry's Role in Federal Research
19:15 Public Concerns and Red Flags
21:00 PFAS as a Regulatory Roadmap for Microplastics
25:45 How Waste Dive Covers EPA Announcements
28:00 New Mexico PFAS Rules and PFAS Incineration
30:15 Advice for Stakeholders Watching CCL 6
33:30 Who Is Monitoring for Microplastics Now
34:30 Closing Remarks

The U.S. Department of Energy spends roughly $8 billion annually cleaning up nuclear waste from Manhattan Project-era sites like Hanford, Washington and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. On this episode of the Environmental Transformation Podcast, host Sean Grady sits down with Steve Moore, president and CEO of Veolia Nuclear Solutions Federal Services Group, to discuss the agency's most pressing environmental liabilities and innovative remediation technologies.

Moore describes the scale of the challenge: 56 million gallons of high-level radioactive waste currently stored in above-ground tanks at Hanford alone. He explains how Veolia's patented GeoMelt vitrification technology transforms reactive metals and radioactive waste into stable glass, and discusses the company's operations of two of the largest radioactive waste landfills in the nation.

The conversation covers emerging opportunities to revitalize federal sites as data centers and advanced reactor facilities, the "competetition" model where contractors collaborate on complex projects, and why the nuclear remediation field offers meaningful careers for young professionals seeking challenging environmental work.

Sean Grady interviews John M. Beath, P.E. (TX), LCA-CP, CEO and founder of John Beath Environmental, LLC, on the Environmental Transformation Podcast. Beath explains life cycle assessment (LCA), carbon footprints and how companies evaluate emissions across raw materials, manufacturing, transportation and product use.
In this episode, Beath breaks down LCA basics for beginners, including emission factors, primary vs. secondary data and environmental databases. He also discusses LCA 101, LCA 102 and LCA 103, transparent Excel-based modeling, EV vs. internal combustion trade-offs, grid impacts, charging and temperature effects, EPDs, and why plug-in hybrids can be a practical near-term solution for reducing combustion-related air pollution in daily driving.

Host Sean Grady talks with Kevin Lavezzo of CHEMTREC about the side of the chemical world most people never see, but responders rely on when accurate information matters. They unpack what CHEMTREC actually does, including how its Emergency Operations Center triages calls, uses tools like the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG), and connects callers with product experts.
Lavezzo explains a common misconception: first responders can call CHEMTREC for help without paying a fee, and the team will still work to support a response even when company information is incomplete. The conversation also covers how CHEMTREC supports compliance for shippers, manages safety data sheets, provides hazmat and regulatory training, and coordinates parts of incident response through partners.
They also dig into real-world challenges, from language barriers and global response complexity to responder skill gaps with monitors and interpreting SDS details, plus emerging trends like lithium-ion battery incidents and severe weather impacts on transportation.

Thanks to our Sponsors: Cascade Environmental, E-Tank & Pump, and WASTELINQ.

TerraCycle CEO and co-founder Tom Szaky returns to the Environmental Transformation Podcast with host Sean Grady for an update on what has changed since his last appearance in episode 20 in 2020. Szaky breaks down why most items are “not recyclable” because of economics, not technology, and why reuse is TerraCycle’s biggest investment through the Loop platform, including what it has taken to scale in France. The conversation also digs into U.S. recycling headwinds, extended producer responsibility, Senate Bill 54 and Senate Bill 343 in California, and why education and “making it fun” can move behavior fast. Szaky also explains TerraCycle’s current Regulation CF raise, the planned Regulation A offering, and where to learn more at www.terracycle.com.

Thanks to our Sponsors: Cascade Environmental, E-Tank, and WASTELINQ