Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Here’s a scenario: A storm blows through your area, and the strong winds drop a tree on your hazardous waste storage building. A number of containers are damaged, and some materials have spilled. Do you have spill control measures in place? What about secondary containment?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced its strategy to “ease the burden of managing hazardous wastes in a retail setting.” But, how helpful will these actions be for retailers faced with numerous and varied hazardous wastes and the convoluted regulations surrounding the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)? Yesterday we examined EPA’s plans […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced its strategy to “ease the burden of managing hazardous wastes in a retail setting.” But, how helpful will these actions be for retailers faced with numerous and varied hazardous wastes and the convoluted regulations surrounding the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)? Let’s take a look and […]
As a hazardous waste generator, are you prepared in the event of an emergency? Does your facility have a “contingency plan”? Both large quantity generators (LQGs) of hazardous waste and small quantity generators (SQGs) of hazardous waste must comply with certain specific emergency preparedness and prevention procedures. These procedures involve use of response equipment and […]
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is celebrating respiratory protection this year on Tuesday, September 6. It’s called N95 Day for users of N95 level filtering respirators. In the spirit of N95 Day, we will take this opportunity to focus on respiratory protection requirements specific to hazardous waste operations.
The owner of a defunct South Carolina company that hauled away lead waste from more than 100 firing ranges in 16 states has been indicted by a grand jury for violating the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). If convicted, Glenn Welch of Welch Group Environmental faces up to […]
The 2012 Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act (e-Manifest Act) directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a hazardous waste e-manifesting system. The EPA recently proposed a system of user fees for e-manifests. Yesterday we looked at how these fees are intended to work and who will actually end up paying for the […]
The 2012 Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act (e-Manifest Act) directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a hazardous waste e-manifesting system. The EPA recently proposed a system of user fees for e-manifests. Today we will take a look at how these fees are intended to work and who will actually end up […]
Stuff happens. One day you’re a conditionally exempt small quantity generator (CESQG) of hazardous waste, and then the next day you realize you’re a small quantity generator (SQG) of hazardous waste. Only it’s not one day that’s the issue; it’s one month, as hazardous waste generator status is determined by the volumes of hazardous waste […]
In a final rule, the EPA has added three categories of non-hazardous secondary materials (NHSMs)—construction and demolition (C&D) wood, paper recycling residuals, and creosote-treated railroad ties—to the initial list of four categories it published in a 2013 rule. NHSMs in these seven categories can be burned in combustion units as nonwaste fuels without the owner […]