Environmental Daily Advisor Week in Review: April 13-17
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Environmental Daily Advisor Week in Review: April 6-10
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Employer Beware: Don’t Fall for False OSHA Inspectors
Shortly after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a woman named Connie Knight began making the rounds of the Southeast Asian fishing communities in coastal Louisiana. She claimed to be a high-ranking OSHA hazardous waste safety instructor and inspector, and she showed off federal identification cards to prove it. She promised trainees that she could […]
Dings in Your NPDES Permit Shield
NPDES permits establish allowable discharge limits or effluent limitations that include both concentration and volume of flow. Section 402(k) of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) provides for what is known as a “permit shield.” This means that if you are in compliance with your NPDES permit, you are deemed to be in compliance with […]
Do You Have a Warrant? The Pros and Cons of Asking
Under the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Marshall v. Barlow’s, Inc., employers have a constitutional right to demand that OSHA obtain a warrant before initiating an inspection. Such a warrant must be based on probable cause—that is, a reasonable basis for the selection of the facility. If OSHA, when faced with a request, fails to […]
Refinery Go Boom! Possible New Model for Process Safety
Every time a facility explodes, we look for ways it could have been prevented. Well, in the wake of a refinery explosion in Richmond, California, Cal/OSHA has proposed strict process safety measures at oil refineries. We are taking a look at Cal/OSHA’s proposal because it has been suggested that other states follow California’s lead. The […]
Are Your Workers Complaining to OSHA? It Could Get You Inspected
Today, many OSHA inspections are triggered by employee complaints. That’s just one of the reasons wise employers should respond promptly to employee concerns and, ideally, resolve them so that a worker doesn’t need to go to OSHA for redress. Here’s how OSHA responds when an employee complains and what conditions can trigger an inspection. Complaint […]
4 Extra Chemical Reporting Tips for Waste Facilities
The EPA claims that there are sufficient regulatory reasons for TSDFs to be in contact with local authorities concerning emergency procedures. The Agency points to 40 CFR 264.30 to 264.37 and 40 CFR 265.30 to 265.37, the requirements that TSDFs develop preparedness and prevention plans, and specifically 40 CFR 264.37 and 40 CFR 265.37, where […]
What Are You Doing Here? OSHA’s Inspection Triggers
It could happen at any minute. An OSHA compliance officer arrives for a visit and your program and people are under the microscope. Are your written programs in order? Do your employees’ practices reflect the training you work so hard to provide? Was the complaint, injury, or statistic that brought the officer in the door […]
What’s a ‘Green Job’ and How Can I Get One?
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 […]