Environmental Protection Logo

Poll

Feature

Auditing

April 1, 2006By Richard MacLean

Moving through four transitions

The nature of environmental, health, and safety (EHS) auditing has changed dramatically over the past 30 years. It may be on the verge of making its next big transformation: joining ranks with mainstream business governance functions. How has EHS auditing changed, and what may be on the horizon?

Environmental Justice: Beginnings Through Today (Part 2)

April 1, 2006By H. Troy Stuckey, Jacqueline Fortin

A continuing look at the disproportionate impact of industrial pollution on racial minority and low-income populations and EPA's attempt to deal with the problem

The environmental justice movement found its roots in the 1980s when studies were published describing environmental and public health injustices in minority communities. Impacted areas across the southern United States continued to surface throughout the decade.

If You Build It

April 1, 2006By Scott D. Wallace

Constructed wetlands provide an ideal solution for dealing with stormwater in increasingly urbanized environments

Stormwater managers around the country are challenged by growing regulatory requirements in the face of increasingly urbanized land uses. As cities continue to grow, more and more areas are covered with roads, buildings, parking lots, and other impervious surfaces.

The New Iron-fisted Approach to Mercury

April 1, 2006By James J. Hattler

California's tougher mercury-disposal restrictions are opening the way for innovation in mercury containment and transport

The California Department of Toxic Substances (DTSC) began enforcing Universal Waste management rules for all waste generators effective Feb. 9, 2006. All businesses and households are now required to properly dispose of batteries and mercury-containing lamps and devices at a certified recycling facility.

The Folly of 100% Compliance

March 1, 2006By Richard MacLean

How a myopic focus on compliance minimizes strategic thinking and business value

Environmental, health and safety (EHS) departments were created in response to regulations. For most, it continues to be their raison d'être in the minds of most business managers.

XRF Marks the Spot

March 1, 2006By James Martin

The benefits of X-ray fluorescence are helping change the way people look at brownfield remediation

This case study describes the use of portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instrumentation in site characterization and corrective remediation for heavy metals and other contaminants, a process that allowed the environmental engineers to accelerate remediation efforts as the client prepared to invest in the redevelopment opportunities of a commercial 26-acre site in Massachusetts.

A Watershed Year Ahead?

January 1, 2006By Jason V. Turner, Sarah Klahn

The top water-quality issues in 2006

While the sitting U.S. Congress might be characterized as attempting to expand federal spending abroad and restrict spending at home without regard to the impacts on domestic programs, including water quality-related programs, Hurricane Katrina and a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report on infrastructure maintenance may have been "watershed events" that will result in some re-examination of federal spending priorities in the public sector.

Looking at Our Industry's Future

January 1, 2006By Angela Neville, Jason Goodman

Environmental executives predict trends for the new year

We've asked leaders from different segments of the environmental field to gaze into their crystal balls and forecast significant developments they see occurring in 2006 and beyond.

Product Stewarship - Part 2

January 1, 2006By Richard MacLean

Adding governance to your stewardship strategy

The bottom line for companies is that now may be the right time to take a systematic look at their products and services.

Still Hazy After All These Years

January 1, 2006By Bill S. Forcade

The top air quality management issues in 2006

2006 promises to be a contentious and litigious time in the air pollution control area. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced some significant new hazardous and traditional pollutant regulatory programs that will be legally challenged as either too stringent or too lax, depending upon the litigant.

The Path Ahead

January 1, 2006By Stephen I. Addlestone, JD

The top waste management issues of 2006

2005 saw developments related to waste management in both the judicial, administrative, and regulatory contexts. These developments are likely to continue to influence policy and actions well into 2006. The following article summarizes some of these major developments, with an eye toward future effects.

(H+)eir Apparent

November 1, 2005By Jason Goodman

As the search for gasoline's replacement intensifies, hydrogen fuel cells may soon become the alternative fuel of choice for the automotive industry

It took years and years of designing, planning, and problem-solving before a vehicle that wasn't powered by a gasoline engine actually made it onto the market in quantities sufficient to satisfy more than the most adventurous or environmentally conscious of consumers.

Battling the Blue

November 1, 2005By Joseph F. Lorenz, Ronald E. Hutchens

Dense non-aqueous phase liquids can present a unique problem for cleanup operations

What's bright blue, heavier than water and mostly insoluble? In the case of a brownfield site in the Midwest, the answer is a daunting remediation challenge.

Product Stewardship Part 1

November 1, 2005By Richard MacLean

Adding governance to your stewardship strategy

The following is the first part in a two-part series that examines the subject of product stewardship. This issue is taking on a whole new significance in light of emerging global regulations based on the precautionary principle and management's push to develop new products in expanded markets.

Reuse, Reclaim, Recycle

November 1, 2005By Ed Jordan

Membrane bioreactor technology is helping treatment facilities find usable water in some unlikely places

Water reuse has gone from being a positive environmental alternative to a growing necessity. Reusing wastewater saves money and the environment, but it can be expensive to pipe treated water through miles of distribution lines from a centralized reclamation facility to where it is needed.