Environmental Compliance

This week marks the third anniversary of the deadly explosions in Tianjin, China. A total of 173 people, including at least 80 firefighters, were killed and nearly 800 others injured when two blasts ripped through a warehouse that was improperly storing hazardous chemicals. As a small fire erupted in the facility, first responders doused the […]

By Phil Molé Large scale emergencies, such as the flooding that devastated Texas’ Gulf Coast during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, are often worsened due to failures in emergency planning that place first responders, workers and the general public at risk for exposure to hazardous chemicals. Incomplete knowledge of the identities and hazards of chemicals on-site, […]

VelocityEHS is reminding EHS professionals to submit their Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reports to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by the July 1, 2018 deadline. This annual reporting requirement covers facilities with 10 or more employees in specific industries that manufacture, process or use regulated toxic chemicals in quantities above the agency’s threshold level in […]

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 […]