Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) marches forward with its regulatory agenda to quantify and control emissions of GHGs, facilities (both those currently regulated and those in the crosshairs), are scrambling to develop a GHG emissions reduction strategy. According to the EPA, an organization’s carbon footprint has three components for purposes of developing a […]
The Agency has estimated that approximately 70,367 tons per year of VOCs and 9,357 tons per year of HAPs have been emitted from equipment leaks. Many federal regulations under New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) at 40 CFR 60 and National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) at 40 CFR 61 and 40 CFR 63 […]
The EPA has identified more than 66,000 EPA- and state-tracked contaminated properties and mine sites (comprising over 35 million acres) with the potential for development as solar, wind, biomass, and/or geothermal facilities. However, before launching such a project, you should take a serious look at potential liability. In a reference guide that addresses potential liability […]
The EPA recently announced that it will review site cleanups and remedies at 20 Superfund Sites and oversee reviews at 4 federal facilities across New England this year. This got us to thinking about the relationship between the Agency’s efforts in encouraging the redevelopment of these sites and liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, […]
There are many points to consider when deciding whether to use recycled water for your facility operations. These include: The cost of water Quality constraints when reusing on-site wastewater Growing recognition of the value of reclaimed water Community and employee outreach Join us on Tuesday, March 3, for a webinar that will help you decide […]
Industrial reuse Reclaimed water can be used in industrial applications and facilities, power production, and extraction of fossil fuels. When reclaimed water was first used for industrial purposes (dating back to the first pulp and paper industries), it was generally treated and reused on-site. As water resources in the arid states have become increasingly stressed […]
Record Settlement Will Pump Billions into Cleanup Activities January 20, 2015, marked the last day for any appeals in the historic settlement with a Woodlands, Texas, energy company to address deadly uranium and other wastes. However, because no appeals were submitted, the $5.5 billion in payments are now secure. In the announcement, the EPA noted […]
2013 TRI National Analysis—Chemical Release Data The EPA tracks chemical waste disposal and other releases to keep the public informed and to help them “identify priorities and opportunities for government and communities to work with industry to reduce toxic chemical disposal or other releases and potential associated risks.” These chemicals may be released at the […]
2013 TRI National Analysis—Pollution Prevention and Waste Management One of the biggest challenges for anyone that produces toxic chemical wastes is to find ways to minimize disposal. The generally followed hierarchy of choices begins with source reduction, and moves down to recycling, then energy recovery, treatment, and finally, disposal or other releases. During the past […]
The phaseout of incandescent lightbulbs has led to an increase in the use of energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs, including compact fluorescent lightbulbs or lamps (CFLs). Traditional long-tube fluorescent bulbs and the compact variety contain mercury vapor and may have small amounts of liquid mercury, both of which can be released when the bulbs are broken or […]