Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
On April 26, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it issued a hazard alert letter to Amazon after six contractors were fatally injured and another severely injured when a December 10, 2021, tornado struck the company’s Edwardsville, Illinois, warehouse. OSHA is requiring Amazon to review its severe weather emergency procedures. After interviewing Amazon […]
How likely will your facility or worksite be subject to an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspection? The number of OSHA compliance safety and health officers (CSHOs) has declined over the past decade, while the number of U.S. businesses has increased, the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) recently pointed out. […]
On April 1, 2022, the EPA published proposed changes to the electronic manifest (e-Manifest) regulations for exported shipments of hazardous waste for treatment, storage, and disposal. When the Agency promulgated the e-Manifest User Fee final rule in January 2018, it stated it would not extend these requirements to exported shipments of hazardous waste until it […]
The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) published a second notice of modification to its proposed changes to Proposition 65 (Prop 65) safe harbor short-form regulations. About Prop 65 Prop 65 requires warnings labels to be placed on products sold in California that expose consumers to chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive […]
The EPA is investigating two administrative complaints alleging the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) discriminates based on race in violation of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The first complaint (No. 01R-22-R6) was filed by Earthjustice and Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law on behalf of Concerned Citizens of St. John […]
In April, the American Hospital Association (AHA) urged the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) not to establish a permanent healthcare COVID-19 standard based on the agency’s June 21, 2021, emergency temporary standard (ETS). The AHA voiced its opposition to establishing a permanent standard not aligned with evolving evidence-based guidance from the Centers for Disease […]
On April 21, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed revoking its final approval of Arizona’s state workplace safety and health plan (87 Federal Register (FR) 23783). Federal OSHA could resume concurrent workplace safety and health enforcement in the state, as the status of Arizona’s program would revert to initial approval. The agency has […]
In a close 5–4 decision, on April 6, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) reinstated a Trump-era Clean Water Act (CWA) regulation that limited state and tribal authority in the permitting process for projects in their territory. History The CWA made it unlawful to discharge any pollutant from a point source into navigable waters unless […]
A recently proposed rule would require facilities located near navigable waters and storing hazardous substances above certain levels to submit Facility Response Plans (FRPs) for worst-case discharges and substantial threats of worst-case discharges of those hazardous substances. “As climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, planning and preparedness for these incidents […]
The only known form of asbestos still imported into the United States has been proposed to be banned by the EPA. Chrysotile asbestos is utilized in asbestos diaphragms, sheet gaskets, brake blocks, aftermarket automotive brakes/linings, other vehicle friction products, and other gaskets also imported into the United States. The proposed rule banning the import of […]