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Category Archives: Environmental Compliance
Meet Us in Norfolk in July!
The 33rd annual Occupational Safety and Health Summer Institute in Norfolk, VA is scheduled for July 26-30, 2010. The Institutes, part of the North Carolina OSHERC continuing education program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, are designed for industrial hygienists, safety and environmental managers, occupational physicians and nurses and anyone else involved in EHS management. There are about 30 courses covering everything from regulations to healthcare hazmat to environmental health, all eligible for recertification points toward your CHMM, CIH, CSP or other professional certs.
IESO will be there instructing Environmental Regulations for Occupational Health and Safety Professionals, and co-teaching two new courses, Managing Hazmat Responses in Healthcare and Environmental Health and Safety Management Systems in Healthcare.
Posted in Environmental Compliance, Health and Safety Compliance, Resources
Tagged "chapel hill", "continuing ed", "continuing education", "Dr. Scott Harris", "hazardous substance training", "healthcare accreditation", "healthcare industry", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "iso 14001", "Keith Spencer", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "NC OSHERC", "osh erc", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", "summer institute", chmm, ehs, EPA, Gillings, institute, NCOSHERC, norfolk, nurses, OSHA, osherc, regulations, training, UNC
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Meet Us at St. Pete Beach in February!
The 30th annual UNC Winter Institute in St. Petersburg, FL is scheduled for February 14-19, 2010. The Institute is designed for industrial hygienists, safety and environmental managers, occupational physicians and nurses and anyone else involved in EHS management. There are about 30 courses covering everything from regulations to healthcare hazmat to environmental health, all eligible for recertification points toward your CHMM, CIH, CSP or other professional certs.
IESO will be there instructing Fundamentals of Environmental Health, and co-teaching two new courses, Managing Hazmat Responses in Healthcare and Environmental Health and Safety Management Systems in Healthcare.
The TradeWinds Island Resort in St. Pete Beach is a long-time favorite of attendees. Please take a few minutes and review the agenda. We believe you’ll find something really useful there and have a great time in a great place while improving your work skills and your network.
EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule is Final
In May we published an article on EPA’s proposed Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting Rule. The final Rule was signed on September 22, 2009, and will go into effect 60 days after Federal Register publication. It applies to an estimated 10,000 facilities in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. possessions and territories (i.e., Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa).
The final Rule requires facilities and suppliers of fossil fuels or industrial GHGs that emit 25,000 metric tons or more per year of GHGs and manufacturers of vehicles and engines to submit annual reports to EPA. The Agency equates 25,000 metric tons of CO2-equivalent to the emissions from 131 rail cars of coal, 58,000 barrels of oil or 4,600 passenger vehicles or the annual energy use of 2,200 homes.
Posted in Environmental Compliance, Hot List
Tagged "Dr. Scott Harris", "epa final rule", "GHG emissions", "ghg rule", "greenhouse gas emissions", "greenhouse gases", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", "stationary combustion sources", co2, EPA, GHG, GHGs, IESO, methane
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IESO Client Achieves ISO 14001 Certification!
Sekisui in Winchester, KY has passed their certification audit for ISO 14001! Congratulations to Chuck Bond, the Safety and Environmental Manager, and everyone else on the ISO team for a strong effort in joining nearly 155,000 other certificants in 148 countries.
Posted in Environmental Compliance, Management Systems
Tagged "Dr. Scott Harris", "environmental management system", "environmental management systems", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "iso 14001", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "Scott Harris", certification, EMS, IESO, ISO, iso14001, sekisui, winchester
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Another IESO Client Receives State Grant to Pay for ISO 14001
An IESO client in southcentral KY will develop and implement their ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS), joining world-class operations around the globe in embracing progressive, reliable environmental management. Luvata – Franklin will be the first facility in their corporation to implement the EMS, and expects real benefits from their new program.
Luvata is a world-leader in metal fabrication, component manufacturing and related engineering and design services, with around 8,000 employees in 18 countries. The Franklin facility is a leading producer of copper and specialty tubing products for the residential and commercial HVAC industry.
Posted in Environmental Compliance, Hot List, Management Systems, Risk Management
Tagged "bluegrass skills", "bluegrass state skills", "Dr. Scott Harris", "environmental management system", "environmental management systems", "environmental management", "iesollc", "iso 14001", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "luvata franklin", "Scott Harris", bssc, EMS, IESO, ISO, iso14001, luvata
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Guidance on the Use of Chemical Countermeasures on Inland Oil Spills
Guidance on the Use of Chemical Countermeasures on Inland Oil Spills
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) recognizes the major role of local government responders, such as firefighters, as the first line of defense for mitigating threats to public health and the environment from spills of oil and hazardous substances, and tries to provide them with the tools necessary to safely and effectively mitigate such incidents. Chemical countermeasures (CCMs) are one of those tools, but their use must be authorized and carefully managed. This article describes that process where countermeasures are proposed for use on inland events such as fuel spills that may affect navigable waters. These may include surface waters and conduits to them, including road ditches and storm drains, though the exact definition remains in flux.
Posted in Environmental Compliance, Resources, Risk Management
Tagged "chemical countermeasure", "Chemical Countermeasures", "Dr. Scott Harris", "first responder liability", "fuel spill", "fuel spills", "iesollc", "inland oil spill", "inland oil spills", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "navigable waters", "oil spills", "product schedule", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", "subpart j", CCM, CCMs, dispersant, dispersants, EPA, IESO, ncp, nrc, osc, rrt
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Proposed EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule
On March 10, 2009 EPA announced a proposed rule (“Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases”) that would apply to an estimated 13,000+ suppliers of fossil fuel and industrial chemicals, manufacturers of motor vehicles and engines and large direct emitters of greenhouse gases (GHGs) with emissions equal to or greater than a threshold of 25,000 metric tons per year. Those familiar with existing reporting programs should think “Form R” for GHGs. The quickest way to get familiar with it is to review the EPA fact sheet.
Posted in Environmental Compliance, Hot List
Tagged "clean air act", "Dr. Scott Harris", "GHG emissions", "greenhouse gas emissions", "greenhouse gases", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "proposed rule", "Scott Harris", CAA, carbon dioxide, ch4, co2, EPA, GHG, GHGs, greenhouse gas reporting", methane, PhD"
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Independent Audits and Reviews
Independent audits and reviews are one very good way of evaluating a program objectively and accurately to determine vulnerabilities and risk. These plans and programs come in many forms and serve many purposes, ranging from EPA and OSHA compliance and Emergency Action Plans to Risk Management Plans, Worst-case Scenarios and Off-site Consequence Analysis to SPCC and RCRA contingency plans.
A related critical risk management tool follows an environmental incident, such as a spill or explosion, and is frequently referred to as an Emergency Response Review or “Hotwash.” Following the review, you may be asked to develop a “lessons learned” or “after-action report” to help do the job better and safer the next time. EPA or other Agencies often require this following an emergency response in which they were involved.
Posted in Environmental Compliance, Health and Safety Compliance, Management Systems, Resources
Tagged "after action", "audit policy", "audit team", "compliance audit", "compliance audits", "corrective action", "Dr. Scott Harris", "emergency response review", "external auditing", "external auditor", "hot wash", "independent audit", "independent audits", "internal audit", "internal auditor", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "lessons learned", "regulatory audit", "regulatory inspection", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", "voluntary audit", "voluntary audits", "work product", audit, auditing, auditor, auditors, audits, consultant, consulting, disclosure, EPA, finding, findings, hotwash, inspection, inspections, inspector, internal, ISO, NFPA, OSHA, PhD", plan, plans, regulatory auditing", report, reporting, review, risk
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On Being an EPA Superfund PRP
On Being an EPA Superfund PRP
CERCLA, more commonly known as Superfund, allows EPA’s Emergency Response Program to take or compel action by others at sites contaminated or potentially contaminated by hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants, and then recover costs associated with those activities. Whether an emergency response or a longer-term investigation and cleanup, EPA uses an Enforcement First Policy (EFP) to identify potentially responsible parties (PRPs) to cover the cost of any action underway or anticipated. The hunt for you will be thorough, and there is a specific 381-page manual to guide it. There is even a directory of Agency experts (PRP Search Enhancement Team) available to support the effort.
Posted in Environmental Compliance, Resources, Risk Management
Tagged "contaminated site", "contaminated sites", "cost recovery", "demand letter", "Dr. Scott Harris", "emergency response", "enforcement first", "federal on-scene coordinator", "federal onscene coordinator", "iesollc", "information request letter", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "nfi letter", "notice of liability letter", "on-scene coordinator", "onscene coordinator", "potentially responsible parties", "potentially responsible party", "prp search enhancement team", "recovery action", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", cleanup, DOJ, EPA, FOSC, nfi, notice of federal interest", osc, PhD", PRP, PRPs, reimbursement, remediation, RP, Superfund, treble, UAO
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