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A Look at Common Ski Area SPCC Violations Having an SPCC Plan that was not fully implemented. 40 CFR Section 112.3, states, “The owner or operator or an onshore or offshore facility subject to this section must prepare in writing and implement a Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plan … in accordance with 112.7 [General […]
Multiple Ski Areas Learn SPCC Compliance Lesson Over the past few years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached settlements with a number of ski areas in New England communities throughout Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. According to the EPA, the settlements “were reached under an expedited settlement program whereby EPA agreed to resolve […]
Fracking Company Settlement In late December 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice announced a settlement with a subsidiary of the nation’s largest holder of natural gas reserves for violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA). According to the EPA, the company allegedly violated sections 301(a) and 404 of the CWA […]
Understanding Coal Ash and the New Final Rule—Part 2 Coal ash will not be considered a hazardous waste. The final requirements for coal ash disposal were established for nonhazardous waste under Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), rather than under Subtitle C that covers hazardous waste. As one result, under RCRA, […]
Understanding Coal Ash and the New Final Rule—Part 1 The makeup of coal ash: Coal ash is essentially the byproduct of the combustion of coal at power plants that contains contaminants like mercury, cadmium, and arsenic associated with cancer and various other serious human health effects. Coal ash is disposed of in wet form […]
Truck Manufacturer Settles Alleged RCRA Violations In mid-November 2014, one of North America’s largest heavy-duty truck manufacturers settled with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a range of alleged RCRA violations at its Pennsylvania truck assembly plant. RCRA is the federal law that regulates how covered facilities manage the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous […]
Resources for Choosing Cleaner, More Efficient Vehicles The U.S. mandate to eliminate leaded gasoline became effective on January 1, 1996, following the gradual reduction of lead in gasoline that began in the early 1970s. But that was just the first step to reduce toxic air pollution from a variety of mobile sources aimed at specific […]
Impacts of Near-Roadway Air Pollution It’s the rare person that has not had the unfortunate experience of driving too close to a vehicle like a heavy-duty diesel truck and getting a car full of smelly exhaust. But the everyday impacts of the cumulative emissions on major roads are also under scrutiny by the Environmental Protection […]
FAQs About the Definition of Solid Waste (DSW) Rule—Part 2 Q: Does the 2014 DSW rule help to ensure that hazardous materials are actually legitimately recycled and not disposed of illegally? A: In addition to the changes to permitting and variances, the 2014 DSW rule “establishes a clear, uniform legitimate recycling standard for all hazardous […]
FAQs About the Definition of Solid Waste (DSW) Rule—Part 1 Q: What was the impetus for the DSW final rule? A: According to the EPA, the 2014 DSW final rule addresses “significant regulatory gaps in the 2008 rule” that could result in negative impacts on “communities adjacent to third-party recyclers, including disproportionately impacting minority and […]