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Sediment is usually the main pollutant of concern; according to the EPA, sediment runoff rates from construction sites are typically 10 to 20 times greater than the rates from agricultural lands, and 1,000 to 2,000 times greater than those of forest lands. In fact, during a short period of time, construction sites can contribute more […]
Storage Requirements The rules state that generators must not store used oil in units other than tanks, containers, or units regulated under 40 CFR 264 or 40 CFR 265 (40 CFR 279.22(a)). (Tanks include both aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) and underground storage tanks (USTs)). According to EPA, this does not mean that the ASTs or […]
By Timothy P. Fagan, BLR Air Expert tfagan@blr.com How were nonattainment designations determined? Once the NAAQS was set in 2010, EPA and state agencies worked together using monitoring data to determine what areas should be designated nonattainment and establish the area’s boundaries. The newly designated nonattainment areas were designated as such because each had air […]
MassDEP received a telephone report from an environmental cleanup contractor on behalf of the building owner that a release estimated to be 260 gal of diesel fuel had occurred 6 days earlier during the transfer of oil from a basement tank to a rooftop generator when a pump had failed to cycle off. The oil […]
As used in rulemaking, the phrase “waters of the United States” most often refers to waters subject to CWA Section 404 dredge and fill permitting as implemented by the Corps and subject to EPA approval. But in the draft guidance, the agencies make it clear that the phrase extends to other major programs administered under […]
But in what appears to be a regulatory lapse, the federal odorant standards overseen by the Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) apply only to LPG rail shipments in cargo and portable tank containers; there is no comparable regulation for LPG transported in railroad tank cars. In a safety advisory issued April 2012, the […]
5-Year Review Owners and operators of regulated facilities must review SPCC plans at least every 5 years. As a result of such review, plans must be amended within 6 months of the review to include more effective prevention and control technology if the technology has been field-proven at the time of the review and will […]
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Discharges and Releases EPA may require the facility to amend its SPCC plan to adequately prevent and contain future oil discharges and releases. A regulated facility must notify the EPA regional administrator within 60 days if it has: Discharged more than 1,000 gallons (gal) of oil in a single event; or Experienced two spills of […]
Contaminants Groundwater that supplies wells can contain naturally occurring minerals (e.g., arsenic, boron, selenium, or radon). Also, almost all private wells are in rural areas where agriculture occurs. A wide variety of farming activities can affect groundwater that supplies wells. These include the use of pesticides, overuse of fertilizers and animal manure, and discharges from […]