Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
On April 6, 2022, the EPA’s proposed rule to tackle the obligations of upwind states to ensure they do not interfere with ozone attainment for downwind states was published in the Federal Register. This Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) is proposed under the “interstate transport” (good neighbor) provision of the Clean Air Act (CAA) to further […]
A Blue Springs, Missouri, contractor is facing $796,817 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for trenching and other safety violations. The agency cited Arrow Plumbing and owner Rick Smith for four willful violations, one repeat violation, and seven serious violations of federal safety standards. The Missouri contractor exposed two workers to the life-threatening […]
In its attempts to protect workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) failed to collaborate or coordinate efforts with other federal agencies, the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) concluded in a new report. The OIG pointed out the number of OSHA compliance safety and health officers […]
On April 6, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced a pair of stakeholder meetings on the agency’s heat illness prevention activities and whistleblower protections in healthcare (87 Federal Register (FR) 19997, 19997). Both meetings will be held virtually via Zoom. The stakeholder meeting on OSHA’s initiatives to protect workers from heat-related hazards is on […]
On March 28, 2022, the EPA revived an Obama-era proposed regulation that, if enacted as proposed, will remove the emergency affirmative defense provisions found under Title V (40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 70.6(g)) of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The provision of the act defines an emergency as “any situation arising from sudden and […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has scheduled an April 27 public hearing on establishing a permanent healthcare COVID-19 standard. The agency is seeking input on changes to its June 21, 2021, emergency temporary standard (ETS). All but the recordkeeping provisions of the ETS was withdrawn on December 27. The agency does not plan […]
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released recommendations on February 28, 2022, indicating the EPA should provide more direction to facilities for including climate change risks in their risk management plans (RMPs). Many facilities that manufacture, use, and store hazardous chemicals are regulated by the EPA and are required to have RMPs in place to […]
The EPA’s proposed “Good Neighbor” plan is expected to cut pollution from power plants and other industrial sources for millions of Americans living downwind of those sources. This type of pollution significantly contributes to ground-level ozone, or smog. The proposal relies on commonly used and affordable pollution controls to help 25 states fully resolve their […]
On March 9, 2022, the U.S. Congress passed the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Omnibus Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2471) and sent it to President Joe Biden’s desk, where it was signed into law on March 15, 2022. The bill reflects a 3.3 percent budget increase for the EPA. After years of budget cuts under the Trump […]
On March 9, 2022, the Biden administration EPA announced it is reinstating the “California Waiver,” which provides the Golden State with its regulatory authority to set more stringent fuel efficiency and vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards. This decision reverses the previous administration’s action that had removed this authority. “Today, we proudly reaffirm California’s longstanding […]