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UST O&M—Release Detection Changes in the Works Leak detection is a key component of a compliant UST operation, but one that is often found to be lacking when it comes to ongoing system O&M. According to the EPA, although inspectors often find release detection equipment installed on UST systems, they also routinely find that it […]
UST O&M—Changes in the Works Historically, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) UST regulations were focused on improved equipment, with not a lot of attention given to O&M practices. However, based on more than 20 years of regulatory experience, the EPA acknowledges that a higher level of O&M, in addition to better equipment, is required to […]
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 […]
Chemical accidents involving ammonium nitrate are rare, but have the potential for significant property destruction, injury and death. Although the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) all have regulations in place, they apparently are not adequate to prevent accidents or ensure emergency response is prepared. […]
What we know about ammonium nitrate is that it is commonly used both for fertilizer in agriculture and for explosives in mining and other industries, and that significant quantities of the chemical are stored throughout the country. What we do not know is exactly how much ammonium nitrate is in storage and where this storage […]
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 […]
Safer Substitutes for Flame Retardants Flame- retardant chemicals have long been incorporated into different products like furniture, carpets, electronics, appliances, and building products to meet state and federal flammability requirements designed to decrease ignitability and inhibit combustion. Unfortunately, monitoring and testing studies found that certain flame- retardant chemicals exhibit undesirable characteristics such as being persistent […]
New Insect Repellent Graphic Will Aid Consumers Using insect repellents to protect against the increasing threat of insect-borne diseases may become as common as using sunscreen to protect against skin cancer. At least that is the hope of the EPA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in their joint effort to encourage the […]
CDC and EPA Combine Forces Against Insect-Borne Diseases In the United States, mosquito bites used to be more annoying than anything else, requiring old-fashioned remedies and maybe a bandage to ward off infection. That all changed in 1999, when the CDC revealed that mosquito-borne West Nile virus was detected in the United States, a disease […]
SPCC Secondary Containment Impracticability FAQs Q: How does the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) define “impracticability” in regard to secondary containment? A: According to the EPA, the meaning of “impracticability” relative to SPCC secondary containment requirements is the determination that a “facility owner/operator cannot install secondary containment by any reasonable method.” Q: What considerations are acceptable […]