Environmental Protection Logo

Poll

Feature

Classroom Vision

September 1, 2005By Anthony J. Sadar

Helping environmental-science students see the invisible through instruction and instructional tools

Students enjoy the visible bounty of the Biosphere without a clue of the wondrous invisible world that embraces them. This invisible world indeed sustains their very lives, for within this microcosm exists not only the supply of life-preserving oxygen, but also potentially life-destroying microbes and toxic gases.

Drying Out

September 1, 2005

By changing to a new sludge-drying technology, one Florida city is able to switch to Class A biosolids

Finding the Better Way

September 1, 2005By Michael Whitehead, MS

More businesses are taking a proactive approach to prevention and compliance

I've been an environmental consultant for almost 20 years, and I've owned my own company for 10. Over the years, "Environmental Compliance Audits" have been one of the hardest products to sell to industrial customers.

Leaving It (Oil) Behind

September 1, 2005By Edward J. Wall

The U.S. Department of Energy's alternative fuel initiatives and partnerships are starting to produce results in the search for a cleaner way to move around

As competition for the world's oil resources increases with the advance of developing economies, the United States must seek out ways to reduce its petroleum usage or put its economic security at risk. The era of "cheap oil" may well be over, and as our imports increase we become more and more dependent on resources from such politically unstable regions of the world as the Middle East, Central Africa, and South America.

Manager's Notebook: Act Locally; Benchmark Globally

September 1, 2005By Richard MacLean

It's time to broaden your search for EHS best practices

Companies devote a lot of resources to benchmarking, and for good reason; the return on investment can be enormous. Why reinvent the wheel when battle-tested best practices are free for the asking? The United States has dominated environmental, health, and safety best practices for decades, but that is changing rapidly. Prescriptive regulations and fears of legal liability may be holding back U.S.-headquartered corporations from developing the next generation of corporate social responsibility best practices.

Moving From P2 to P4

September 1, 2005By Mark Wysong

New solutions for companies looking to better manage their MSDS inventories

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce or prevent pollution at its source, before it's generated.

A Positive Trade-off

July 1, 2005By Richard S. Dennis

By switching ions of contaminants with hydrogen ions, ion exchange technology treats wastewater and helps industry respond to stringent environmental regulations

On a global level, the wastewater minimization market is highly affected by a few key drivers: pollution prevention, water recycling, water reuse, and zero liquid discharge.

An E&O Eye Opener

July 1, 2005By John G. Nevius, Robert E. Frankel, Esq.

A guide to help environmental professional's errors and omissions insurance policies

In our litigious society, professionals of all kinds are keenly aware that their expertise and professionalism cannot always protect them against being sued. For environmental professionals, the uncertainty and variability associated with the natural environment compounds the risk of litigation -- and, therefore, elevates the importance of liability insurance.

ASTs: Above and Beyond

July 1, 2005By David Harris

Due to their many advances in design, modern aboveground storage tanks are able to store a wide range of hazardous substances successfully while protecting human health and the environment

The other day a person preparing to make a presentation on small aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) asked me for a "sexy spin" on fuel tanks. I wasn't sure if I should be amused or upset. Fuel tanks are designed to hold fuel. That's it.

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.