Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced May 30 that discount retailer Dollar General Corp. and its parent, Dolgencorp LLC, face $267,622 in new OSHA penalties for two repeat and three serious violations at stores in southeast Oklahoma. OSHA inspectors discovered boxes of merchandise blocking walkways at Dollar General stores in Hartshorne and Wilburton […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has an ongoing National Emphasis Program (NEP) of enforcement and outreach to address amputation hazards across several manufacturing industries. Is your facility a target for OSHA’s enforcement? Industries targeted by the NEP include fabricated metal products, food, furniture and related products, machinery, nonmetallic mineral products, paper, plastics and […]
The Big Lots Behavioral Health Pavilion at Nationwide Children’s Hospital of Columbus, Ohio, faces $18,080 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for workplace violence hazards, the agency announced May 25. The hospital failed to protect employees, including nurses and mental health professionals, from patients whose bites, kicks, punches, and other assaults caused serious […]
The EPA announced proposed federal baseline water quality standards (WQSs) for water bodies on Indian reservations that don’t have Clean Water Act (CWA) standards, ensuring protections for over half a million people living on Indian reservations, as well as critical aquatic ecosystems. Congress’s established goal in passing the CWA 50 years ago was that waters […]
Dollar General Corp. and its parent, Dolgencorp LLC, face $3.4 million in new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines, the agency announced May 23. OSHA unveiled citations resulting from inspections at nine Dollar General locations in Maine, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Violations included blocked exit routes and electrical and fire hazards. The agency […]
In April 2023, a coalition of 13 environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the EPA, alleging the Agency has violated the Clean Water Act (CWA) by failing to make mandatory updates to wastewater pollution regulations for seven industry sectors. The suit asks the court to direct the EPA to review its decision to not revise […]
The Biden administration made it clear from day 1 that addressing environmental justice (EJ) issues would be a top priority. With the initial groundwork completed, the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Health and Human Services (HHS) announced an interim resolution agreement in their EJ investigation into the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Lowndes […]
Last month, the EPA published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) asking the public for input regarding potential future hazardous substance designations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as Superfund. “Today’s announcement highlights EPA’s commitment to transparency and the use of the […]
On May 11, 2023, the EPA announced proposed new carbon pollution standards for coal and natural gas-fired power plants that will protect public health, reduce harmful pollutants, and deliver up to $85 billion in climate and public health benefits over the next two decades. “The proposal for coal and new natural gas power plants would […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced May 17 it cited United Hospital Supply Corp. of Burlington, New Jersey, after an employee suffered the amputation of three fingers while operating a press brake without required safety guards on his first day at work. OSHA cited the employer with 3 willful violations, 17 serious violations, and […]