OSHA revised its policy for all Outreach Training Programs to limit the number of hours each day that a student may spend in OSHA 10- and 30-hour classes. OSHA revised the length of daily classroom instruction to prevent workers from being saturated with so much information that they may miss content that could prevent injuries, illnesses and death. [more…]

Groundwater pump and treat systems often provide a false sense of security to both responsible parties and their consultants. These systems have historically been installed to mitigate potential future risks associated with off-site contaminant migration and are considered by many to be an effective groundwater containment system. Environmental Resources Management (ERM) conducted high resolution site
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A new Climate Change Vulnerability Index has been released by the risk analysis firm Maplecroft. The index uses 42 separate social, economic, and environmental indicators to calculate the vulnerability of 170 countries to the impacts of climate change over the next 30 years. Sixteen countries, including some of the fast-growing economies in Asia, were identified
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A new bill introduced in the U.S. Congress proposes to change how chemicals that are manufactured or imported into the United States are regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The bill places the burden on chemical manufacturers to demonstrate to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that their chemicals are safe. It would replace the current law that allows chemicals into commerce until EPA demonstrates that the chemicals pose an unreasonable risk to health or the environment. [More…]

Dead legs are sections of process piping that have been isolated and no longer maintain a flow of liquid or gas. They are often formed in industrial process piping as processes are changed or modified. Dead legs have been the cause of several industrial incidents, especially during the winter months. Dead Leg Danger In February
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In the world of environmental communication, what comes first, environmental awareness or environmental action? Most people would say that environmental awareness is the logical starting place for environmental action, but environmental communications expert Erik Eckl believes that environmental action is actually the more important goal. [More…]

Maplecroft launched rebalanced rankings for the Climate Innovation Indexes (CIIs), which rate the top 350 U.S. companies based on their climate innovation and carbon management programs. GE, Ford, Alcoa, Air Products, J&J, Praxair, Lexmark, Intel, UTC and AMD top the list. [More…]

  Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is an initiative of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to certify “a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, carbon dioxide emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship
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With the increased focus on sustainability in the marketplace, consumers have the choice between sustainable and traditional alternatives in a growing number of product categories. Despite this growth in the number of alternatives available, not all consumers are buying sustainable products. In fact, the success of sustainable products differs by product category: for example, sustainable
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The aviation industry has long proclaimed that it has a relatively insignificant impact on global climate change, accounting for less than 3 percent of CO2 emissions. The industry also asserts that because of the high cost of fuel, there is tremendous incentive to reduce fuel usage through more efficient engine technology. In fact, some analysts argue that the industry’s engines have become up to 70 percent more fuel efficient since the 1960s. This article examines the validity of the aviation industry’s climate change claims. […]