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Educating Tenants about Energy Efficiency – A Win-Win In the commercial real estate sector, the disconnect between building owners and tenants can slow the switch to energy efficiency. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Energy Star® program, a significant portion of a building’s energy use is under the direct or indirect control of the […]
Upgrading Your Commercial Building Energy Efficiency? Pick a Partnership! Three words have always been considered the keys to real estate success: location, location, location. While location is still important, two new words, energy efficiency, have become essential as well, not only to property owners but to tenants too. Energy efficient buildings not only save money, […]
CAA Section 112(r) Violators on EPA’s Hit List Protecting communities from hazardous chemical releases is a priority of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the requirements of the CAA Section 112(r) is at the center of many related violations. In announcements made in January and March, the EPA highlighted how several companies violated the GDC, […]
Conventional power generation is a notoriously wasteful operation in the United States where the average efficiency of fossil-fueled power plants is just 33 percent, the same as it has been since the 1970s. The remaining energy produced is simply released in the form of heat, a curious fact when you consider that so much of […]
6. (Regarding well construction) EPA UIC Program Directors should ensure that a combination of casing and cement isolates the lowermost underground source of drinking water (USDW) encountered in the borehole from hydraulic fracturing (HF) target formations when specifying casing and cementing requirements for Class II wells using diesel fuel for HF. Owners/operators may be required […]
Restricted use pesticides can only be sold to or used by specially certified applicators or by someone under the direct supervision of a certified applicator. Although several states and Tribes have implemented their own certification plans, most state plans are not valid in Indian country, leaving a gap in protection of people and the environment. […]
Contractors performing almost any work that disturbs paint in residences, apartments, schools, and daycare centers built before 1978 must comply with the Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) rule. Yesterday, we reviewed recent violations of this rule, and today we will look at some of the frequently asked questions about who and what are […]
Defining responsibility for EPCRA compliance on a site can often lead to questions that apply only to that particular situation or event. One such situation is that of chemicals brought on a site by contractors hired to perform work and where reporting responsibility lies—with the facility owner/operator or with the contractor. According to the Environmental […]
One of the most confusing exemptions under EPCRA is that for “routine agricultural use” (Section 311(e)(5)) under Sections 311 and 312, which cover Safety Data Sheet (SDS) reporting and Tier I/Tier II Inventory reporting, respectively. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the exemption is “designed to eliminate the reporting of fertilizers, pesticides, and other […]
In February 2014 alone, the EPA announced enforcement actions against 37 contractors and training providers nationwide for failure to comply with requirements of the Lead-Based Paint RRP Rule. The RRP Rule requires that contractors that work on pre-1978 dwellings and child-occupied facilities be trained and certified to use lead-safe work practices. In February 2014 alone, […]