Environmental Compliance

As 2017 draws to a close, it’s a perfect time to recap OSHA and Health Canada’s regulatory activities regarding GHS, HazCom 2012 and WHMIS 2015 that have occurred this year. Let’s take a look back at what has happened, and paint a picture for the future of hazard communication.  OSHA’s Top 10 List – OSHA […]

Unprecedented flooding in the Corpus Christi and Houston/Galveston Bay areas caused by Hurricane Harvey has left businesses, residents and first responders in one of the nation’s largest petroleum and chemical processing regions with more to worry about than rising waters. Secondary effects of the flooding have created high risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals in […]

July 1 is the deadline for companies covered by Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) to submit Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data to the EPA for chemicals manufactured, processed, or otherwise used during 2016. A facility must submit a TRI report if it: Is in an industry sector with a NAICS […]

In 2012, the EPA published 40 CFR Part 60 Subpart OOOO, more commonly known as Quad-O, which set forth substantial new methane emissions monitoring and reduction requirements, as well as provisions mandating that owners and operators in the oil and gas industry implement comprehensive leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs throughout their facilities. In June of […]

As the deadline to file Tier II Hazardous Chemical Inventory Reports quickly approaches, VelocityEHS is reminding safety professionals to submit their 2016 inventory forms by March 1, 2017. Facilities with hazardous materials present at or above the threshold amounts established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are subject to the annual reporting obligations. What is […]

Last month, the United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published the final version of its Waste Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and Resource Conservation Rule. The Final Rule will require owners and operators of both new and existing federal oil and gas leases to implement comprehensive methane leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs throughout […]

EPA recently finalized its new Hazardous Waste Generator Improvements Rule, revising regulatory requirements under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) for hazardous waste generators. The rule becomes effective on May 30, 2017. The intent of the final rule is to clarify perceived ambiguity in the original regulations, and to provide more flexibility for generators […]

There’s been a lot of news surrounding the increases to OSHA fines that went into effect August 1st, 2016. It is the first such increase to occur since 1990 and combined with recently expanded recordkeeping standards, as well as OSHA’s revised inspection and enforcement policies, employers are sure to face substantial challenges moving forward. What you […]

Recent changes to Britain’s Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) regulations have introduced new reporting requirements for chemical producers, distributors and consumers in the U.K. Revisions to the REACH and CLP hazard communication standards following GHS adoption have prompted a comprehensive reclassification of chemical hazards throughout the E.U. Chemicals that were not previously classified as […]

The OSHA final rule governing respirable crystalline silica calls for employers to monitor air quality and conduct exposure measurements in some situations. But how exactly should this monitoring be conducted? How frequently? What should employers do with the results? In this entry, we’ll try to answer common questions related to this requirement. Who needs to […]