The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) guides August Mack through the Tier II reporting season at the beginning of each new year. EPCRA was passed by Congress in 1986 in response to environmental concerns about the storage and handling of toxic chemicals. President Reagan signed EPCRA into law, [...]
Have you ever heard the phrase “ignorance is bliss”? I’m sure we all have. Unfortunately, that phrase isn’t always correct, especially when it comes to environmental and safety regulatory infractions. Setting aside the moral obligation to protect our workforce and natural resources, with documented fines reaching the million dollar mark [...]
Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) is a powerful tool required for Process Safety Management (PSM) found at 29 Code of Federal Regulations 1910.119 (e). The objective of a PHA is an analysis of hazards following a formalized approach including the team organizational structure. The art and science include selecting the level [...]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) developed the flammable liquids standard to provide guidance on identifying, storing, and managing these materials. In 2012, OSHA revised the flammable liquids standard to incorporate the Globally Harmonized System (GHS). This revision changed the standard from “Flammable and Combustible Liquids” to “Flammable Liquids” [...]
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) is the overarching federal management regime for the disposal of hazardous waste. This act dictates the different classifications of waste, such as hazardous, municipal, and industrial (non-hazardous), as well as the management requirements associated with each classification. It can be daunting [...]
The purpose of the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule, promulgated under 40 CFR 112, is to prevent discharge of oil into navigable waters of the U.S. or adjoining shore lines. In order to better understand the SPCC rule, below are some of the fundamentals of the SPCC rule [...]
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and Scaffold and Access Industry Association (SAIA) standards were updated for Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPs) (sometimes previously referred to as "aerial lifts") in June of 2020. These updates included new classifications (groups and types) which can impact facilities and industry. These revisions [...]
Air permits can be overwhelming to read and understand. A facility’s air permit may include various applicable regulations, stack testing, preventative plan preparations, record keeping, reporting and other requirements. It can be easy to miss a requirement if you do not fully comprehend a permit’s limits and conditions. This article [...]
Are you in compliance? Is your business subject to storm water permitting? Storm water programs are regulated by the EPA, State, and local authorities. However, most states are authorized to implement individual storm water NPDES permitting programs. The EPA remains the permitting authority in a few states, territories, and on [...]
The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) guides August Mack through the Tier II reporting season at the beginning of each new year. EPCRA was passed by Congress in 1986 in response to environmental concerns about the storage and handling of toxic chemicals. President Reagan signed EPCRA into law, [...]
