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Manager's Notebook:Map Your Value Proposition

July 1, 2005By Richard MacLean

Strategy maps can reveal how EHS contributes to the business

EHS professionals know from experience that their efforts impact the company at many levels. For example, a switch to a non-toxic substitute may reduce raw material costs, decrease worker exposure, improve worker morale, reduce customers' disposal costs, improve the brand's image, and so on.

The Kyoto Protocol: Threat...or Opportunity?

July 1, 2005By Edward Hoyt

The new international agreement to reduce greenhouse gases could offer U.S. companies a chance to profit from the emerging global carbon markets

In 2001, President George W. Bush took the United States out of the Kyoto Protocol, the international agreement that commits the major industrial economies to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and several other substances.

Environmental Justice: Beginnings Through Today (Part 1)

June 1, 2005By H. Troy Stuckey, Jacqueline Fortin

An examination of the disproportionate impact of industrial pollution on racial minority and low-income populations and EPA's attempt to deal with the problem

In the 2004 election year, the environment has taken a back seat to other more publicized issues. According to the presidential candidates, their campaigns, and much of the American population, issues such as Iraq and the War Against Terror, tax relief, and healthcare are much more important.

Kyoto and Beyond

June 1, 2005By Laura L. Whiting

Understanding the legal framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions

All roads leading to the control of greenhouse gas emissions pass through Kyoto, right? Wrong! The Kyoto Protocol is just one part of the burgeoning web of mandatory, voluntary, and market-based programs for addressing global climate change.

Manager's Notebook:Global Drivers

June 1, 2005By Richard MacLean

Dealing with the next generation of regulations, standards, and corporate watchdogs

The U.S. environmental, health and safety (EHS) regulatory model has dominated the thoughts and agendas of America's EHS professionals for the past 30 years. State and federal regulations will not go away, of course, but they are rapidly being overshadowed by a fundamental shift in how EHS issues will be dealt with both here and abroad.

Tallying Emissions

June 1, 2005By Robert P. Newman, PE, DEE

An emission inventory is a key part of an effective corporate strategy for managing greenhouse gases

Now that the Russian Federation has ratified the Kyoto Protocol, mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction requirements will begin to take effect in those countries that have ratified the treaty.

The Bottom Line Approach

June 1, 2005By David E. Koch

A new process for siting and cleanup analysis promotes successful brownfield redevelopment by combining cost-effective remediation with smart business strategies

"Location, location, location." How often have we heard that mantra from developers describing successful projects? Locations balancing access to their target market and proximity to resources of labor, transportation, or public utilities enhance the financial return on investment.

The Heat is On

June 1, 2005By Mike Studer

Finding the resources to secure our most precious resource -- using thermal imaging cameras to guard water treatment plants

The lack of attacks launched against water treatment plants is by no means an indication that they are invincible. While treatment plants aren't typically seen as high profile targets, they are at risk of infiltration and/or sabotage. Plants, many of which are based in or near residential areas, purify water for vast regions.

Have Lab, Will Travel

May 1, 2005By Jim Norgaard

Using portable high speed gas chromatographs for field monitoring

Even today, first responders, technicians, and professionals who need to monitor or evaluate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the environment have limited choices regarding gas measurement.

Manager's Notebook: Merger Mania Math

May 1, 2005By Richard MacLean

Restructured EHS organizations face the new math: 1+1= ¾

They're baaccckk! "The most vigorous merger market in five years" is what the Wall Street Journal calls the recent wave of corporate restructurings. For officers and directors, these are happy times because a wonderful exit package awaits even those who lose their lofty positions. But, for real people doing real work, the prospects are much grimmer.

Mastering Mold Problems

May 1, 2005By Steven R. Silicato, REM, CIE

The basics of remediating a variety of fungal species in homes and other buildings

Unlike asbestos and lead, the permissible levels of mold are neither clearly defined nor strictly regulated. There are no definitive guidelines for what constitutes a mold-contaminated building, or for that matter, how to treat it.

More Results with Less Infrastructure

May 1, 2005By David Laughlin

A low impact remediation strategy for mobile MTBE plumes

Groundwater impacted by methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) continues to challenge remediation efforts around the country, and it remains a high priority for many companies due to the potential for contamination of potable groundwater supplies. MTBE is a flammable liquid that is used as an additive in unleaded gasoline.

The ABCs of AAI

May 1, 2005By Michael E. Covert, PG

Conducting Phase I environmental site assessments in accordance with EPA's "all appropriate inquiries" regulations

As most environmental professionals who perform or review Phase I environmental site assessments (Phase I ESAs) probably know by now, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) upcoming all appropriate inquiries (AAI) regulations will have a significant impact on how Phase I ESAs are conducted.

X-treme Monitoring in the Field

May 1, 2005By Laura Stupi

Advances in X-ray fluorescence instrumentation continue to push the technology toward better serving environmental consultants

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instrumentation has become an essential as a tool for expediting and improving site characterization for inorganic contaminants and corrective remediation. On site, it is useful for determining contamination boundaries, monitoring remediation efforts, pre-screening clearance samples of soil and sediment, and eliminating potential downtime from off-site lab testing.

A More Natural Approach

April 1, 2005By Jon E. Kallen

Low impact development finds a place in local government stormwater ordinances

Low Impact Development (LID) is an environmentally sustainable approach to stormwater management that offers an attractive alternative to conventional management techniques. Local and state planners and government officials are becoming more receptive to incorporating LID approaches into stormwater, zoning, and site development ordinances. In 2003, two Virginia jurisdictions in the Chesapeake Bay watershed incorporated LID approaches into their local zoning ordinances, signaling a new trend in overall stormwater management.