Wal-Mart’s BIG Fine for No RCRA Training
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., has pleaded guilty in cases filed in California to six counts of violating the Clean Water Act by illegally handling and disposing of hazardous materials at its retail stores across the United States. The Arkansas-based company also pleaded guilty in Missouri, to violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) by failing to properly handle pesticides that had been returned by customers at its stores across the country.
Lists of Hazardous Wastes You Should Know
EPA has established two ways of identifying solid wastes as hazardous under RCRA regulations. First, a waste may be considered hazardous if it exhibits certain hazardous properties or “characteristics.” EPA‘s regulations define four hazardous waste properties that, if exhibited, identify a waste as a “characteristic hazardous waste”:
Wal-Mart Pleads Guilty to Enviro Crimes, Pays $81 Million
Yesterday told you about the California cases in which Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., pleaded guilty to six counts of violating the Clean Water Act by illegally handling and disposing of hazardous materials at its retail stores across the United States. In that same case, Wal-Mart also pleaded guilty in Missouri, to violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) by failing to properly handle pesticides that had been returned by customers at its stores across the country.
Equipment Leak Violations Numerous and Costly
Controlling leaks of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants that may also be volatile (VHAPs) is a staggering job at petroleum refineries and chemical plants. In a 2007 guide on best practices for leak detection and repair (LDAR), the EPA noted that a typical refinery or chemical plant may have up to 60,000 connectors and 46,000 valves, each of which has the potential to leak into the atmosphere if not properly maintained. When these items are added to the hundreds of pumps, open-ended lines, sampling connectors, and pressure relief valves that may also leak, the challenge of designing and implementing a cost-effective LDAR program becomes clear.
Sorting Out Secondary Containment for SPCC Containers
Yesterday we gave you a quick and easy guide to the SPCC-regulated tanks and containers. Managing SPCC-regulated containers also means you may be subject to secondary containment requirements for those containers.
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More on EPA’s Changes to UST Regs
Yesterday we provided you with an overview of EPA’s proposed underground storage tank (UST) rules, including discussion of specific secondary containment and operator training requirements as part of EPA’s rule proposal package. However, the removal of tank deferrals, stricter inspections, and other UST proposed regulations could result in even more burdensome regulatory oversight.
Quick Guide to OSHA Training Requirements
Yesterday we told you about the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) asbestos training requirements for different employee types. Because we know that the environmental manager sometimes carries safety training responsibilities, here’s a summary of some OSHA training requirements you should know about.
$25,000 for Failing to Report Oil Spill
Not only do you have to report an oil spill to the federal government, you also have to report a spill to your state as well. If you don’t, you’ll face additional fines and they can be pretty high! The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) penalized a Boston property owner $25,000 for failing to report a 275-gallon (gal) release of diesel fuel in 2012.
Enforcement Data Reveals Top SPCC Plan Challenges for Facilities
High penalties and a strict enforcement focus can make Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) compliance overwhelming for an environmental manager. It’s easier to be prepared if you know what U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inspectors are looking for when they are evaluating your facility’s SPCC compliance practices.
11 Requirements Your HAZWOPER Plan May Be Missing
The Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) Health and Safety Plan (HASP) applies to cleanup operations required by government agencies at uncontrolled hazardous waste sites, corrective actions involving cleanup at Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)-regulated sites, and voluntary cleanup at uncontrolled hazardous waste sites.