02/29/2016
US EPA has proposed revisions to its Risk Management Program (RMP) for facilities that manufacture, use, or store certain thresholds of hazardous chemicals. RMP came into being with the passage of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, which required US EPA (and OSHA) to develop regulations and guidance for preventing large-scale chemical accidents. OSHA, for its part, created its Process Safety Management (PSM) requirements, which are similar—but not quite identical—to EPA’s RMP rules.
02/26/2016
In essence, the Addendum II comprises changes to the rules for shipping lithium batteries that will go into effect April 1, including a prohibition on lithium-ion batteries as cargo on passenger aircraft approved by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) earlier this week.
This year, PHMSA has responded to a number of requests-for-interpretation from industry professionals seeking clarity on specific parts of the Hazardous Materials Regulations at 49 CFR 171–181. These interpretations are a great representation of the way hazardous materials regulations intersect with the realities of managing and shipping hazmat in the real world.
02/25/2016
A German lighting company now faces $117,480 in civil penalties from US FAA for alleged violations of hazmat air shipping regulations. The company offered 9.6 liters of a flammable liquid (glue) for air transport from Düsseldorf to Chicago. In a February 24 press release, FAA alleges that the shipment exceeded the quantity limits for flammable liquids shipped by passenger aircraft.
02/23/2016
Yesterday, February 22, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) announced that a prohibition on lithium ion batteries (UN 3480) as cargo on passenger aircraft will take effect April 1, 2016.
Under RCRA, anyone who treats hazardous waste needs a permit from the EPA. [40 CFR 270.1(c)] US EPA defines hazardous waste “treatment” as any activity that renders a hazardous waste non-hazardous, less hazardous, reduced in volume, or more amenable for transport. [40 CFR 260.10]...
02/22/2016
On February 22, US EPA announced the release of a public draft inventory report of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United States from 1990 to 2014. Greenhouses gases are one of the major focuses of US EPA’s enforcement of the Clean Air Act. EPA requires industrial facilities that emit specific pollutants to report through the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, or GHGRP.
When EPA civil penalties rise, so does the value of environmental compliance.