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The EPA has issued the first of two proposals that together will lessen the stringency of the Obama administration’s 2015 rule governing the disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCRs) generated by electric utilities. The Phase One proposal comprises a dozen changes, some that result from a remand of parts of the 2015 rule by the […]
President Obama introduced EPA’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) for existing power plants by calling it, “The single most important step America has ever taken in the fight against global climate change.” Once published, the CPP triggered a flood of reactions from ardent supporters, opponents, and those who say they must study the plan before taking […]
Deadly Chemical Plant Releases Violate Multiple Regulations In a settlement with a multinational company that operates a chemical plant in Belle, West Virginia, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) alleged that between 2006 and 2010, eight releases of hazardous substances occurred, one of which resulted in the death of […]
Some people love their jobs, many hate them. Orrin Tyrel Mitchell is one of the former. He is grateful for the opportunities afforded him and lessons learned at his workplace, and he is filled with pride and passion for safety. Mitchell serves as the director of safety at Texas-based Modular Power Solutions (MPS). As its […]
Do You Recognize a Wetland when You See One? This checklist provides some general questions that can help you determine if a wetland is present at the site you want to enhance or develop. For some of the questions (especially 5–7), you may want to refer to the Corps’s Wetlands Delineation Manual. A “Yes” answer […]
Q. Throughout our construction project, we have amended our SWPPP several times. What are our obligations now that we have altered our SWPPP?
In the wake of Executive Order (EO) 13650, issued in August 2013 and titled Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security, federal agencies have been working to modernize key policies, regulations, and standards, including EPA’s Risk Management Program (RMP) and OSHA’s Process Safety Management (PSM).
Judge Jeffrey S. White of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has ordered the EPA to require industry to be in compliance with the formaldehyde emissions limits for composite wood products the Agency established in its 2016 final rule (Formaldehyde Rule, December 12, 2016, Federal Register (FR)) by June 1, 2018.
In a new report, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) states that EPA’s discretionary grants program needs improvement in several areas.
Several EPA offices involved in reviewing toxic chemicals for commercial use have been moving to approve alternatives to using live animals—called in vivo testing—as part of their regulatory testing requirements. In the latest development, the Agency’s Office of Pesticide Program (OPP) has issued a document describing a process for evaluating and implementing alternative approaches to […]