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10 Things to Know About the GHG Reporting Program—Part 2 6) Facility owners and operators, not the EPA, are responsible for determining the facility’s “Designated Representative.” According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), when facilities covered by the GHG Reporting rule have more than one person sharing responsibility for reporting, “the greenhouse gas reporting rule […]
10 Things to Know About the GHG Reporting Program 1) The GHG Reporting Program covers only specific emissions. Only man-made (or anthropogenic) GHG emissions covered under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) must be reported. These are: Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), Perfluorocarbons (PFC), Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), […]
NPDES FAQs for Fracking Operations in the Marcellus Shale—Part 2 Q: If a publicly owned treatment works (POTW) were to consider accepting shale gas extraction (SGE) wastewater from a fracking operation, what wastewater information would the POTW need to collect? A: To meet the requirements of its own NPDES permit, a POTW operator would need […]
Spent Foundry Sands Assessment Is Good News Finding ways to safely reuse wastes generated by industry is key to reducing the need for virgin materials and for disposing of the wastes in landfills or other disposal facilities. One such waste is spent foundry sands, which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), now says can be reused […]
Green Power Purchasing—The Benefits Making the commitment to clean power brings with it important dividends—the right to make claims about renewable energy use and to seek the positive recognition that goes along with it. To do this right, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) have developed recommendations companies can follow. […]
Green Power Purchasing—The Options In the “Guide to Purchasing Green Power,” green power is defined broadly by the EPA and DOE as “environmentally preferable energy and energy technologies, both electric and thermal.” Specifically, green power includes “electricity generated by solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass, and low impact hydroelectric sources.” For most of us who are […]
A Look at Common Ski Area SPCC Violations Having an SPCC Plan that was not fully implemented. 40 CFR Section 112.3, states, “The owner or operator or an onshore or offshore facility subject to this section must prepare in writing and implement a Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plan … in accordance with 112.7 [General […]
Multiple Ski Areas Learn SPCC Compliance Lesson Over the past few years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached settlements with a number of ski areas in New England communities throughout Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. According to the EPA, the settlements “were reached under an expedited settlement program whereby EPA agreed to resolve […]
Fracking Company Settlement In late December 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice announced a settlement with a subsidiary of the nation’s largest holder of natural gas reserves for violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA). According to the EPA, the company allegedly violated sections 301(a) and 404 of the CWA […]
Simple Steps for Minimizing Stormwater Pollution—Part 2 5) Although many facilities are required by different regulations to implement spill prevention, control, and cleanup plans, even those that are not should consider the potential benefits. The EPA recommends the following aspects to incorporate in such plans: Spill prevention is the best way to avoid contaminated runoff […]