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The EPA is taking steps to address the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water and other media, but, to date, the Agency’s actions involve gathering more information rather than issuing regulations. In its latest announcement, the EPA discusses its use of nontargeted analysis to identify PFAS in samples. This method allows […]
Dangerous chemicals necessitate adequate security to mitigate risks. If you are a facility with a chemical designated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a chemical of interest (COI), you may only have 60 days after taking possession of the COI to initiate a security screening process under the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards […]
The tragic explosion of fertilizer-grade ammonium nitrate at the West, Texas, distribution facility in April 2013 has had a powerful impact on the direction of the EPA’s implementation of the Clean Air Act’s Risk Management Program (RMP, CAA Section 112(r)).
After years of sputtering progress, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program is beginning to resemble a well-run, if not yet mature, government-industry undertaking.
The June 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) expanded the categories of persons who may request confidential business information (CBI) about chemicals, which regulated entities submitted to the EPA.
The Trump EPA has issued a final rule to add a nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) category to the list of toxic chemicals subject to reporting under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and Section 6607 of the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA). The rule had been proposed by the Obama-era EPA and […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard gives workers the right to know about the chemicals and chemical hazards in their workplace. But is knowing enough? This was the question addressed by Ann Lindsey, Vice President of Decision Point Associates, at the American Society of Safety Professionals’ (ASSP) Safety 2018 Conference and […]
A 6-year effort by Greenpeace to obtain information about facilities removed from the high-risk lists developed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under its Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) was turned back by a judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Q: When questioning whether a chemical is reportable under SARA 312 Tier II what’s the best way to make that determination? Other than exceeding the 10,000 lb quantity on hand, what makes a chemical reportable under Tier II?
Asbestos—a known human carcinogen the EPA was virtually powerless to regulate under the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)—is the most noticeable member of the Agency’s list of the first 10 chemicals it will evaluate under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which amended the 1976 law. Other well-known chemicals […]