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SPCC Inspection, Evaluation, and Testing—5 General Things Inspectors Are Looking For 1) A complete SPCC Plan that contains a description of “the scope and schedule of inspection, evaluation, and testing to be performed on bulk containers.” In its SPCC Guidance for Regional Inspectors, the EPA references the following sections of 40 CFR 112 that address […]
Steam Electric Power Plant Proposed Rule—Before and After Right now, in the United States, there are approximately 1,200 steam electric power plants powered by nuclear or fossil fuels. Of these, about 500 are coal-fired and considered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be the primary source of the pollutants addressed by the proposed […]
Targeted Wastestreams in the Steam Electric Power Plant Proposed Rule Under the CWA, the EPA is required to periodically review ELGs to assess if revisions are necessary. However, for the steam electric power generating category, the last revisions were made in 1982. Even the EPA admits the current regulations are out of date, stating they […]
Settlement Will Substantially Slash Sulfuric Acid Emissions from Fertilizer Production Plants In a recent settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), three subsidiaries of the world’s largest fertilizer manufacturer will spend an estimated $50 million to reduce sulfuric acid (SO2) emissions at eight plants in Louisiana, […]
After the Flood: UST Response Tips Floods can be devastating events, causing billions of dollars in damage. When USTs are impacted by flooding, the damage can include releases of a variety of UST contents into the environment, adding to the destruction and the costs for USTs’ owners and operators. When a UST has been in […]
Before the Flood: UST Prep Tips One of the greatest natural threats affecting the United States is flooding that can result from a variety of events—from heavy rain to earthquakes and tsunamis to hurricanes. Floods can also result from man-made events like dam and levee breaches and poor stormwater management. Knowing what can happen and […]
EPA Levies Second Largest Civil Penalty for Alleged CWA Violations In a joint enforcement action announced in September 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) settled with a West Virginia-based oil and natural gas company for multiple violations of the CWA. […]
EPA’s Corrective Actions to Tighten Control of Unmonitored Chemical Releases In September 2014, the OIG released its report titled, More Action Is Needed to Protect Water Resources From Unmonitored Hazardous Chemicals, which provided a look at how, despite current regulations, hazardous chemicals continue to be discharged from publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). The OIG investigations […]
10 Things to Know about the Proposed Dental Amalgam Rule—Part 2 6. New Category—Dental Industrial Users. When the EPA promulgates categorical industrial pretreatment standards, the affected dischargers are called, in general, “Categorical Industrial Users (CIUs).” For the proposed new rule, the EPA is establishing a new CIU tailored to the dental offices covered, which is […]
10 Things to Know about the Proposed Dental Amalgam Rule—Part 1 1. The problem with amalgam discharges. Mercury is a toxic metal that can have serious neurological and developmental effects on animals and humans. Elemental mercury in dental amalgam is highly concentrated and when discharged to a POTW is generally separated with about 10 percent […]