Category: Hazardous and Solid Waste

Environmental Groups Send a Letter to the EPW Concerning CCR Rule

Scores of national and state-based environmental groups sent a letter to the leadership of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) expressing their opposition to a bill that would negate many aspects of EPA’s rule governing disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCRs) from electric utilities.

Do you Know Which Hazardous Wastes to Count?

A generator’s hazardous waste status is based on the quantity of hazardous waste generated each month. So do all your generated hazardous wastes need to be counted? Yes, but no. The federal regulation at 40 CFR 261.5(c) and (d) sets forth a list of wastes that are exempt from being counted in connection with ascertaining […]

Webinar Wrap-Up: Navigating the Hazardous Waste Recycling Rules

In a recent webinar titled “Hazardous Waste Recycling: Uncover Cost-Effective and Legally Compliant Strategies for Your Organization’s Program,” speaker Philip Comella, Esq., head of the Environmental, Safety and Toxic Torts Group in the Chicago office of Seyfarth Shaw LLP, voiced what many have suspected: that the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste recycling […]

What You Can Do to Avoid Vapor Hazards When Opening a Tank Hatch

Improperly opening a storage tank hatch can be deadly for oil and gas workers. In a new report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlight nine sudden deaths caused by inhalation of hydrocarbon gases and vapors and oxygen deficiency among oil and gas extraction workers from January 2010 to March 2015. Four of […]

Does Your Asbestos Training Stack Up?

Yesterday we talked about some hefty fines that OSHA recently imposed on companies for exposing their workers to asbestos during a building renovation project. Today we will review required training for employees who must work with asbestos-containing material (ACM) in construction activities. In addition to the basic asbestos training requirements for general industry, OSHA has […]

Hefty Fines for Worker Asbestos Exposure

Late last year, three Austin, Texas-based employers were fined a total of $112,000 for exposing their workers to asbestos. Let’s see what happened in the Lone Star State and consider how you can avoid asbestos-related citations and fines. All three employers were involved in a commercial real estate renovation project at a residential apartment construction worksite […]

Training Under the Amended Pesticide Worker Protection Standard

In November 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) amended the Pesticide Worker Protection Standard (WPS). Yesterday we covered a number of key changes to the WPS—age limits, hazard communication, notification, entry restrictions, application suspension, PPE, and decontamination supplies. Today we will review the new training requirements for workers and handlers—what some people in the […]

The What and When of EPA’s Amended Pesticide Worker Protection Standard

In November 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) amended the Pesticide Worker Protection Standard (WPS). There are staggered compliance deadlines and a dizzying array of issues with which those affected by the amendments must contend. What are the critical changes in the amended standard and when are the deadlines for compliance? The final rule […]