Category: Special Topics in Environmental Management

The Second Integrated Urban Air Report to Congress—What’s Next?

The Second Integrated Urban Air Report to Congress—What’s Next? With publication of the Second Integrated Urban Air Report to Congress, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fulfilled its three primary obligations under the 1990 Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments. These are: Report twice on accomplishments realized relative to reducing harmful air toxics; Regulate 90 […]

Major Findings from the Second Integrated Urban Air Report to Congress

Major Findings from the Second Integrated Urban Air Report to Congress Under the Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments of 1990, the EPA was tasked with taking action to reduce toxic air emissions and associated human health risks. In 1999, the EPA developed the Integrated Urban Air Toxics Strategy for reducing air toxics risks from all […]

How to Qualify for RMP Program Level 1

How to Qualify for RMP Program Level 1 After determining that a propane storage facility is subject to the RMP regulation, the next step is to identify which program level applies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established three program levels that reflect different levels of risk and, subsequently, the level of effort required to […]

RMP Applicability for Propane Storage Facilities

RMP Applicability for Propane Storage Facilities As early as November 2013, seven states had already declared states of emergency to allow for delivery of more propane, and that was a month before a massive ice storm struck, affecting power for more than 1.5 million people. By the time winter was over, the National Oceanic and […]

SPCC Compliance FAQs for Production, Drilling and Workover Facilities

SPCC Plan Compliance FAQs for Production, Drilling and Workover Facilities Q: Are there SPCC Plan requirements that apply to all covered oil production, drilling and workover facilities? A: Yes. 40 CFR part 112.7 provides the general requirements for SPCC Plans at all facilities covered by the regulations. Although these requirements are extensive, there are a […]

SPCC Applicability FAQs for Production, Drilling and Workover Facilities

SPCC Applicability FAQs for Production, Drilling and Workover Facilities Q: What different types of activities at non-transportation, onshore oil production, drilling and workover facilities are covered under the SPCC rule? A: The SPCC rule defines “facilities” as “any mobile or fixed, onshore or offshore building, property, parcel, lease, structure, installation, equipment, pipe, or pipeline (other […]

Hydraulic Fracturing and Hydrocarbon Recovery—A Profitable Option

Hydraulic Fracturing and Hydrocarbon Recovery—A Profitable Option As millions of natural gas wells are developed using hydraulic fracturing methods, the resulting wastes in the form of flowback and produced waters contain a variety of man-made and naturally occurring components that must be managed safely. According to a recent white paper, one of these components, hydrocarbons, […]

Hydraulic Fracturing Waste Streams—An Overview

Hydraulic Fracturing Waste Streams—An Overview Hydraulic fracturing for natural gas uses millions of gallons of water for each well and during the life of the well, a large percentage of that water returns to the surface and becomes a waste stream. In the vernacular of hydraulic fracturing, there are two types of water resulting from […]

An Urban Stormwater Success Story in the Making

An Urban Stormwater Success Story in the Making It’s been said that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, but sometimes that grease can also get the wheel turning faster, as was the case in Omaha, Nebraska. Like many urban areas, the city had experienced adverse impacts from stormwater runoff, including one event when stormwater caused […]

EPA’s Strategy for Saving Our Urban Waters

EPA’s Strategy for Saving Our Urban Waters EPA’s Urban Waters program was created in alignment with the America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) Initiative launched by President Obama to reconnect people with conservation and outdoor recreation. While the Urban Waters program is not a regulatory program per se, it embraces a range of activities that may include […]