Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Wood-Burning Heaters—Safety and Efficiency Tips 1) Replace wood burning appliances manufactured before 1990 and only use EPA-Certified or EPA-Qualified appliances. According to the EPA, there are 12 million residential wood stoves in use in the United States and 9 million of those are older, not certified by the EPA and may be as much as […]
National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship—Resources The electronic devices and equipment we use all day every day at work and at play represent a huge challenge when it comes to ensuring these products do not end up in a landfill. For businesses of every size, however, the federal government is working toward making it both easier […]
National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship—Accomplishments On America Recycles Day in November 2010, President Obama established the Interagency Task Force on Electronics Stewardship with the goal of developing a long-term strategy for managing electronics from cradle to grave. In the first update to the 2011 National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship (NSES), the Task Force outlined some […]
EPA Issues Refrigerant Warning EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Program (SNAP), evaluates and regulates refrigerants proposed as substitutes for ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) that are being phased out. Unless a new refrigerant is reviewed and approved by the EPA, it cannot be marketed legally in the United States. Unfortunately, at least one unapproved and potentially dangerous refrigerant […]
EPA’s Audit Policy—Nine Things to Remember The EPA promulgated the first Audit Policy in 1995 and revised it in 2000, expanding availability, clarifying language, and conforming to Agency practices. Today, it remains a valuable option for regulated facilities to take advantage of benefits such as elimination or reductions in civil “gravity-based” penalties, no recommendations for […]
Radon Testing and Mitigation FAQs Q: Are there state requirements for radon testing and mitigation activities? A: States have radon and/or radiation programs with varying requirements and regulations. At this time, 15 states (CA, DE, FL, IA, IL, IN, KY, ME, NE, NJ, OH, PA, RI, VA, and WV) regulate or require qualification, certification, and/or […]
7 Things Everyone Needs to Know About Radon Risk 1. Radon is a radioactive element that is derived from the decay of radium (uranium) that occurs in almost all soils. At normal temperatures, radon is an extremely toxic, colorless, invisible gas that moves up through the ground to the air above and can enter […]
Coal-Fired Utility NSR Violations Power plants and other major sources of air pollution in attainment areas are required to comply with NSR requirements for Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) when constructing new sources and when making major modifications at existing sources. These requirements include installing best available control technology (BACT) and undertaking an air quality […]
The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) receives wastewater from seven East Bay wastewater collection agencies in the cities of Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, and Piedmont, and the Stege Sanitary District which serves El Cerrito, Kensington, and a portion of Richmond. Together the EBMUD and its satellite systems serve a population of approximately 650,000 […]
Even as we swat away the last bees of summer and watch the occasional butterfly flit among flowers, agriculturalists are feeling the impact of the dwindling numbers of the pollinators we depend on for food crops. According to the White House, honey bees alone provide pollination for “at least 90 commercially grown crops in North […]