The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has revised the 2006 NPDES General Stormwater Permit for Industrial Activity.  This permit expired on July 31, 2011. According to the Georgia EPD, the 2012 Industrial Stormwater General Permit No. GAR050000 (IGP) was signed on April 16, 2012 and is going to become effective on June 1, 2012.  All facilities that are currently operating under the 2006 IGP are required to continue compliance under that permit’s specification until the new permit is in effect.

Continue reading "Georgia Industrial Stormwater Permit Update" »

Posted by Adam Haroz at 04:14 PM | Permalink

On March 13, 2012, the US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, provided notice to associations and group representatives of owners of existing Area Source (GACT) boilers that the agency will exercise its discretion not to pursue enforcement for violations of the deadline to complete initial tune-up required in the final rule by March 12, 2012. In addition, the US EPA recently published a proposed re-consideration of the Area Source Boiler Rule that would postpone the tune-up from March 12, 2012 to March 12, 2013. This "No Action Assurance" applies to only the timelines of tune-up and the US EPA notes that nothing in this "No Action Assurance" affects any other provisions in the Area Source Boiler Rule. The "No Action Assurance" is to remain in effect until either (1) 11:59PM EDT October 1, 2012, or (2) the effective date of a final rule addressing the proposal reconsideration of the Area Source Boiler Rule, whichever occurs earlier.

Posted by PH Haroz at 02:01 PM | Permalink

On March 8, 2012, the US Senate voted by a 52-46 vote (60 needed to pass), to dissapprove the Collins Amendment (SA 1660). This Amendment requested to include the US EPA Regulatory Relief Act of 2011 in the Senate Transportation Bill (S.1813). The amendment would have given the US EPA more time to modify the Boiler MACT related rules, including the Non-Hazardous Secondary Materials that are the Solid Waste Rule.

For more information on the Boiler MACT Rules, visit www.boilermactcompliance.com

Posted by PH Haroz at 10:36 AM | Permalink

I will be speaking on Combustible Dust Safety at the following conferences:

• Region 8 VPPPA 2012 Conference (May 2-3 @ Greenwood Village, Colorado) - website
• Region 7 VPPPA 2012 Conference (May 8-9 @ Des Moines, Iowa) - website
  
• Region 6 VPPPA 2012 Conference (May 17-18 @ Fort Worth, Texas) - website
  
• Region 1 VPPPA 2012 Conference (June 11-13 @ Killington, Vermont) - website
• Region 4 VPPPA 2012 Conference (June 19-21 @ Chattanooga, Tennessee) - website
• 28th Annual National VPPPA Conference (August 20-23 @ Anaheim, California) - website

Posted by Brian Edwards at 04:49 PM | Permalink

On December 2, 2011, the EPA Administrator, Lisa P. Jackson, signed a notice and EPA is submitting it for publication in the Federal Register (FR). The proposed changes to the NSHM rule, include:

Continue reading "Proposed Changes to the Non-Hazardous Secondary Materials That Are Waste (NHSM) Rule" »

Posted by PH Haroz at 03:28 PM | Permalink

I spoke to an OSHA rulemaker who is working on the long-storied Combustible Dust Safety Rule that has been in the works for over 2 years now (Link to CTI's Blog on the ANPR).  The latest news I was told is that the proposed rule is scheduled to move to a Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) review panel in December of 2011.    

Continue reading "OSHA Combustible Dust Rule Moving Forward" »

Posted by Brian Edwards at 10:20 AM | Permalink

On September 13^th, the House Subcommittee on Energy and Power approved H.R. 2250 – The U.S. EPA Regulatory Relief Act of 2011.  There is also a companion bill, S.B. 1392, in the U.S. Senate. This proposed legislation, if passed, will stay the Boiler MACT/GACT, Incinerator MACT, and Non-Hazardous Secondary Materials rules.  Currently all but the Boiler GACT rules have already been stayed by the EPA.  This legislation would stay all four rules for at least 15 month and instruct the EPA to revise the rules according to achievable results.  Until the legislation passes, the Boiler GACT deadlines are still in effect.  The deadline for initial notification of applicability is still September 17, 2011 and the deadline for compliance is March 21, 2012.  H.R. 2250 is expected to be voted on this shortly.

Posted by PH Haroz at 11:20 AM | Permalink