Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Terry Reynolds, a 55-year-old Kansas homeowner, just wanted to relight the pilot light of his propane water heater on August 6, 2009. Unfortunately, the propane tank was leaking heavier-than-air propane gas into the water heater’s enclosure, and instead of lighting the pilot, Reynolds blew his house off its foundation and suffered burns over more than […]
Small manufacturers tend not to have the staff or resources that larger manufacturers do when it comes to bowing to pressure to make products and processes greener. We at the Advisor are always on the lookout for tips and suggestions to help small companies and manufacturers make their operations more environmentally friendly. Today we offer […]
An environmental monitoring system called IVAN (Identifying Violations Affecting Neighborhoods) is an environmental justice tool available to folks in California communities for reporting environmental concerns. What is IVAN? The partnership among local, state, and federal agencies and community groups, which started in 2009, has been implemented in the Wilmington area of Los Angeles, the Imperial […]
What Is the ESA? The ESA has been one of the more contentious environmental laws. This may stem from its strict substantive provisions, which can affect the use of both federal and nonfederal lands and resources. The Act defines “endangered” as “any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion […]
What WOTUS Does Briefly, WOTUS redefines which waters are waters of the United States and, by doing so, decides whether your project will need a permit. According to the EPA, the rule does not alter existing exemptions from Clean Water Act (CWA) jurisdiction, including exemptions for normal farming, ranching, and silviculture activities. The major and most […]
A TRI Recap TRI reports are required to be submitted by facilities with 10 or more full-time employees, in specified Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes, that manufacture, process, or otherwise use listed TRI chemicals in excess of the established thresholds. The thresholds per calendar year are: 25,000 pounds (lb) per […]
In this case, a foundry coke manufacturer in northern New York State will pay $2.75 million for alleged CAA, CWA, and EPCRA violations—and that is just the fine. ‘Citizen Scientists’ Complained A critical point in this case is that federal and state inspections came in response to local citizen complaints. The community even did their […]
EAB Throws Out Huge TSCA Penalty Earlier this year, EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) reversed a $2.5 million penalty against Elementis Chromium, Inc. for the company’s failure to report under TSCA Section 8(e) information contained in an occupational epidemiology study on hexavalent chromium. The study showed that occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium is associated with […]
What are nanoscale materials? Nanomaterials are chemical substances that have structures with dimensions at the nanoscale—approximately 1 to 100 nanometers (nm). To get an idea of their size, a human hair is approximately 80,000 to 100,000 nm wide. The thinking is that nanomaterials may have properties different from the same chemical substances with structures at […]
Even if you have insurance to cover repairs, bringing a damaged UST back up to code can be a lengthy process, particularly if the flooding is widespread and qualified UST contractors are in high demand. Damages could include piping connections broken by movement, compromised electrical and leak prevention/detection systems, infiltration by water, and loss of […]