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Texans Breathing Easier After Big EPA Enforcement Settlement The recent enforcement action against a Port Arthur, Texas chemical manufacturer once again proves the EPA’s dedication to getting industrial facilities to clean up their act, and their community’s air, or face penalties and costly improvements. The company, which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a […]
By Ana Ellington, Legal Editor A number of OSHA standards are cited in relation to arc flash hazards. The NFPA 70E national consensus standard is a comprehensive standard that contains detailed information on how to protect workers from arc flashes. Employers must consider and adopt NFPA 70E when employees work on an electrical system. NFPA […]
Post-Closure Requirements for Waste-In-Place TSDFs When a TSDF cannot “clean close,” or completely decontaminate equipment, structures, and soils before closure, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established specific post-closure requirements under 40 CFR Part 264/265, Subpart G. These requirements were developed for land disposal units (LDUs), such as landfills, land treatment units, and surface impoundments […]
TSDF Closure: Know the Basics Before You Begin The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulates the closure of TSDFs under 40 CFR Part 264/265, Subpart G Closure and Post-Closure, with Part 264 regulating permitted facilities and 265 covering interim status facilities. Regardless, both sets of regulations are divided into two sections that are intended […]
By Ana Ellington, Legal Editor An arc flash is an undesired electric discharge that travels through the air between conductors or from a conductor to a ground. The flash is immediate, but the result of these incidents can damage equipment and cause severe injury, including burns. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70E […]
MSW Waste Recovery is Making a Difference Waste from homes and businesses comprises the MSW produced in the United States and in 2012 that waste amounted to about 251 million tons. On a daily basis, each of us generated about 4.38 pounds of trash in 2012, which while coming down from a high of 4.69 […]
Yesterday, we provided tips for keeping temporary employees safe. Today, we look at OSHA’s view on host employer vs. temp agency responsibility for the safety of temps. “Host employers need to treat temporary workers as they treat existing employees,” says OSHA chief Dr. David Michaels. “Temporary staffing agencies and host employers share control over the […]
Temporary workers offer many advantages, enabling employers to identify promising workers before offering them permanent positions and alleviating short-term staffing shortages—but they can also pose a significant safety risk.
Landfill GHG Emissions Showing Improvement Since our beginning, people have thrown things away, leaving a trail of waste debris behind us for millennia. As populations have grown however, our local “dumps” have become MSW landfills – massive, manmade mountains of decomposing trash where nature take its course over weeks, months and years, all the while […]
Big Fines Levied for Illegal Vehicle Imports In early March, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with a Minnesota-based power sports company and its two sister companies based in China for violations of CAA requirements. According to the EPA, between 2007 and 2013 the companies imported more than 12,000 highway motorcycles and recreational […]