10/01/2018
Last week, US EPA put forth three TSCA-related actions you should know about if you manufature, process, or use chemicals on the TSCA Inventory: New user fees to defray the costs of Lautenberg Law-required risk evaluations, the withdrawal of Significant New Use Rules for 145 chemicals, and preparations for the next 73 chemical risk evaluations EPA must complete.
09/25/2018
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a Final Rule in the Federal Register on Tuesday, September 25 to remove requirements for electronically controlled pneumatic brake systems (ECP brake systems) on “high hazard flammable trains” of HHFTs.
09/24/2018
The RCRA hazardous waste rules regulate hazardous wastes from “cradle-to-grave.” But as generators, our responsibilities for compliance actually go beyond the grave. When you send waste off for disposal, it pays to know for sure that you’ve given your treatment, storage, and disposal facility (TSDF) the information they will need to properly lay your waste to rest.
09/17/2018
In this week's EPA Enforcement Roundup, a wood treatment facility and a city power and water authority will pay for hazardous waste and Clean Water Act violations, respectively. In addition, EPA will collect a civil penalty from a city-owned incinerator in New Hampshire...
In a recently wrapped-up court case, Texas vs. EPA, a Texas District Court judge decided last week to halt implementation of the new Clean Water Act requirements in three states: Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
09/10/2018
The RCRA hazardous waste management program provides a “cradle-to-grave” management system that applies to all hazardous waste generators. But when the government creates rules broad enough to apply to everyone, those rules don’t necessarily work well in every real-world situation...
08/30/2018
In today’s EPA Enforcement Roundup—EPA and DOJ reach an $11 million CERCLA agreement, and a vegetable oil and biodiesel plant faces a half-a-million dollar fine for Clean Water Act SPCC violations. In addition, the owners of a rail car cleaning company have been indicted for their actions surrounding a 2015 explosion that killed 2 workers.
08/27/2018
California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is preparing to finalize “emergency regulations” to ensure proper recycling and disposal of Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT) and CRT glass.
08/20/2018
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water… A US district court in South Carolina has invalidated EPA’s effort to delay by two years the effective date of a 2015 Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Final Rule. The Charleston, SC court ruled that EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers failed to follow the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act when it delayed the rule.
On Friday, August 17, US EPA announced Significant New Use Rules (SNURs) under TSCA Section 5(e) for twenty-seven chemical substances used as flame retardants, plasticizers, lubricants, and waterproofers in products like rubber, adhesives, textiles, and others.
What to do before, during, and after a RCRA hazardous waste inspection to defend your site from rising state and Federal penalties.