Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
My facility is required to have a SPCC plan. I am a P.E. and was wondering if I can write and certify my plan. If you are licensed as a professional engineer, you may write and certify your facility’s SPCC plan. You do not need to be certified in the state in which the facility […]
Equipment that met EPA’s definition of a mobile refueler were exempted from the sized-secondary containment requirements applicable to other types of oil-bearing equipment such as bulk storage containers or tank batteries. However, if you are a qualifying mobile refueler, you are still required to meet general secondary containment requirements. A few definitions you should know: […]
Here are several points you should think about to determine if your facility is subject to the SPCC program: First, the program applies to capacity, not the actual amount oil stored. Second, in calculating capacity, count only containers with storage capacity equal to or greater than 55 U.S. gallons. Third, oil-filled equipment also counts in […]
EPA compromised by splitting the responsibilities. Here’s what they did: Self certification is allowed if the facility has a total aboveground oil storage capacity of 10,000 U.S. gallons or less; and in the 3 years before the date the SPCC Plan is certified, the facility has had no single discharge of oil to navigable waters […]
While there are no federal limits on formaldehyde in clothing, a recent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) may cause Congress and advocacy groups to put pressure on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to revisit the feasibility of imposing such limits. Formaldehyde is a heavily regulated substance and one of a handful of […]
How can I calculate emissions based on an inventory of stationary fuel burning equipment on my campus? Using emissions data provided by the equipment manufacturer or a stack test is the most accurate way to quantify emissions, other than direct measurement. However, in most cases, this information is not available or does not exist. In […]
However, he explains that energy efficiency is not the only reason. “Roughly a third of all energy use is associated with buildings, so you’ve seen green become associated with energy efficiency,” he explains. “But for a large employer, the largest expense is personnel.” As a result, IAQ and occupant health and safety issues have “ratcheted […]
The problem is so prevalent at colleges and universities that EPA developed a regulatory option (new RCRA Subpart K), intended to encourage officials in charge of thousands of academic labs to periodically collect old, unneeded, or expired chemicals (legacy chemicals), determine whether these chemicals are hazardous, and properly manage their disposal. If you are an […]
While EPA has yet to issue formal definitions for terms such as nanotechnology or nanoscale materials under any statute, the Agency understands those terms in the context of three conditions or elements: The material’s particle size measures typically between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers in at least one dimension. The material exhibits unique or novel […]
According to OSHA, “Management needs to be receptive to potential concerns and complaints and train workers on how to identify and report air quality concerns.” If employees have issues, it’s the job of leaders to assess the situation and take corrective action. Building owners and managers should develop and implement an IAQ management plan to […]