Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Permit coverage must be obtained by either the facility owner or the operator. These are frequently the same. However, if they are different, the responsibility to obtain coverage falls on the one who has day-to-day operational control at the facility. So if the owner does not have operational control, the operator bears the responsibility to […]
By law the U.S. DOE was required to develop a permanent geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, and begin accepting waste for disposal on January 31, 1998. But after decades of investigations, design, engineering, and testing at a cost of $14 billion, the Yucca Mountain option appears to have died under overwhelming negative response from […]
Also, in less catastrophic conditions, a UST system that has been prepared for the risks posed by surface-level floodwater or rising groundwater can be brought back online relatively quickly. If the UST has been in a flood, the following actions, depending on site-specific conditions, are recommended: Do not assume everything is OK because water didn’t […]
What are the regulations for taping/protecting the ends of batteries when preparing them for shipment/disposal? There are no requirements under EPA‘s Universal Waste regulations for taping/protecting the ends of batteries when preparing them to be sent offsite as universal waste. However, a handler of universal wastes (which includes the generator) may manage broken or damaged […]
Service stations must: Comply with EPA’s used oil management standards, Not mix used oil with any hazardous substance, and Accept used oil from Do-it-yourselfers (DIYs) and send it for recycling. Call the RCRA Hotline for complete details regarding this liability exemption. Some Help with Cleanup EPA recommends used oil handlers follow these cleanup practices: Maximize […]
All Facilities Applicants for a permit to operate a hazardous waste facility must include in the permit application a written outline of both the introductory and continuing training programs by owners or operators to prepare persons to operate or maintain the facility safely. Large Quantity Generators (LQGs) LQGs that accumulate hazardous waste on-site for 90 […]
My facility is required to have a SPCC plan. I am a P.E. and was wondering if I can write and certify my plan. If you are licensed as a professional engineer, you may write and certify your facility’s SPCC plan. You do not need to be certified in the state in which the facility […]
Equipment that met EPA’s definition of a mobile refueler were exempted from the sized-secondary containment requirements applicable to other types of oil-bearing equipment such as bulk storage containers or tank batteries. However, if you are a qualifying mobile refueler, you are still required to meet general secondary containment requirements. A few definitions you should know: […]
Here are several points you should think about to determine if your facility is subject to the SPCC program: First, the program applies to capacity, not the actual amount oil stored. Second, in calculating capacity, count only containers with storage capacity equal to or greater than 55 U.S. gallons. Third, oil-filled equipment also counts in […]
EPA compromised by splitting the responsibilities. Here’s what they did: Self certification is allowed if the facility has a total aboveground oil storage capacity of 10,000 U.S. gallons or less; and in the 3 years before the date the SPCC Plan is certified, the facility has had no single discharge of oil to navigable waters […]