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Who Has to File a TRI Report? Facilities in different industry sectors, facilities in Indian country, and federal facilities must annually report how much of each toxic chemical they managed through recycling, energy recovery, treatment, and environmental releases. Either a facility’s owner or operator may file the TRI report, but both will be held responsible […]
BLS and Green Jobs The BLS green jobs definition contains 2 components. Green jobs are either: Jobs in businesses that produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources; or Jobs in which workers’ duties involve making their establishment’s production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources. Green Goods […]
As a generator of HSM, you ultimately decide whether the material is safely managed. The decision to send your HSMs to an off-site recycling business should be followed by a careful review of the qualifications of available recyclers. Improper management can increase liability of the originating company (remember RCRA’s “cradle-to-grave” mandate). Environmental managers investigating recycling […]
New Definition of ‘Sham Recycling’ Sham recycling refers to claims by a hazardous waste generator that the waste is being recycled when it is in fact being discarded. A new definition at 40 CFR 261.2(g) codifies EPA’s concept of sham recycling: “A hazardous secondary material found to be sham recycled is considered discarded and a […]
Civil Penalties With a few exceptions, most violations of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) hazardous materials regulations (HMRs) carry a civil penalty of up to $75,000 per day per violation for knowingly violating one of the HMRs. If the violation results in death, serious illness, or severe injury to any person or […]
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 […]
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 […]
Simple Steps for Minimizing Stormwater Pollution Stormwater runoff is the major contributor to the ongoing degradation of our nation’s surface and groundwater. Although we cannot control precipitation, there are plenty of ways to control its impact through measures that are both common sense and required by law. Here are some of EPA’s recommended measures for […]
FAQs About the Definition of Solid Waste (DSW) Rule—Part 2 Q: Does the 2014 DSW rule help to ensure that hazardous materials are actually legitimately recycled and not disposed of illegally? A: In addition to the changes to permitting and variances, the 2014 DSW rule “establishes a clear, uniform legitimate recycling standard for all hazardous […]