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EPA Biofuels Team Develops Manual Providing Ethanol Facility Guidance

November 19, 2007

EPA Staff Calls for More Protective Airborne Lead StandardEPA Staff Calls for More Protective Airborne Lead Standard

November 5, 2007

An Unwelcome Intruder

October 1, 2007By Dave Hermance

A guide to what environmental professionals should know about vapor intrusion and its impact on real property transactions

Vapor intrusion. If you haven’t yet heard the term, you soon will: A growing environmental concern that has made national headlines, this indoor air quality issue develops when rapidly evaporating chemicals from polluted soil or groundwater make their way to the indoor air of overlying buildings, similar to the way radon enters homes.

Don't Let Your Energy Go Up In Smoke

September 1, 2007By Tim Golden

Well-managed VOC abatement systems can help capture process heat that can be reused

Competitive pressures and unpredictable energy costs continuously motivate us to examine our processes for opportunities to increase quality and productivity, and to decrease costs. Energy-intensive processes such as those associated with the manufacture of a wide variety of products utilizing water or VOC-based solvents offer opportunities to reduce operating costs through heat management or control.

The Particulars on Particulates

September 1, 2007By Lucy H. Fraiser

New EPA rules allow continuous monitoring methods for fine particle pollution

Last September, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revised the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particle pollution. As part of that measure, EPA issued revisions to the ambient air monitoring rules for fine particulate matter (PM-2.5). These actions were published in the Federal Register Oct. 17, 2006, and became effective Dec. 18, 2006.

Know Your Enemy

July 1, 2007By Steven A. Jaasund, PE

Understanding particulates smooths the operations of regenerative thermal oxidizers

Regenerativer thermal oxidizers (RTOs) that control volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by a wide variety of industrial processes are widely accepted. As a general rule, RTO technology has been very successful with most installations, operating trouble-free for extended periods. In some cases, however, operation has been troublesome, and a good proportion of these problem applications have been on biomass dryers.

Mercury's Rising Impact

June 1, 2007By Constance L. Senior

This contaminant, a combustion byproduct of power plants, is increasingly polluting land and water through air-borne deposition

Mercury is getting a lot of attention, both in the popular press and in state and federal regulatory agencies. Combustion systems, like coal-fired power plants, industrial boilers, incinerators, and cement kilns, are sources of mercury emissions to the air. This article outlines the mercury emission regulations that apply to different combustion systems and the best demonstrated means to control these emissions from combustion sources. This article focuses on utility and industrial combustion systems because they are the highest emitters and face the greatest reductions and tightest scrutiny.

Coming Into Compliance

May 1, 2007By Jim Stone

As part of meeting new MACT standards, one fiberglass manufacturer uses thermal oxidizer technology to capture the contaminant styrene and use it as a fuel source

For years, fiberglass-reinforced baths and showers have been perceived as “commodity” products. Of course -- as with any product -- there have always been quality differences between brands. Nevertheless, the manufacturing methods employed and the materials used have been roughly similar.

One Fine Mess

May 1, 2007By Steven J. Christiansen, JD

Revisions to air quality standards for particulate matter are being contested as both too harsh and overly lenient

On Sept. 21, 2006, Stephen Johnson, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), signed the latest revisions to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM), also known as PM-2.5.

The Greening of U.S. Industry

May 1, 2007By Gene Anguil

Many companies are voluntarily seitching to better air pollution control equipment

The Paradox of Politics

May 1, 2007By Cindy Chen, Mike Hicks

Party division unearths more environmental law development, analysis shows

Just as "it takes two to tango," it has taken two political parties working in tandem over the last few decades in the United States to produce the vast majority of major federal environmental laws.

A Cure for Healthy Computing

April 1, 2007By Elizabeth Donley

Like Picking a Good Doctor, Selecting the Right Environmental Software Takes Work

Did you ever notice that advertisements for environmental, health and safety (EH&S) software products sound like commercials for pain relief?

On the Road to Greater Compliance

April 1, 2007By Ryan Kreutzwiser

Implementation of mobile technology software cuts time, improves data collection and helps in meeting regulatory requirements

Facilities across many industry sectors are turning to mobile technology software designed for PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) handheld devices to meet various environmental compliance demonstration requirements. This article discusses the capabilities of mobile technology in this regard and describes several situations in which facilities fulfilled regulatory requirements by utilizing software designed for handheld devices.

Setting Up a Digital Control Center

April 1, 2007By Stephen Paff

Integrated software systems can help organizations with multiple generation sites handle hazardous waste responsibilities more effectively

When considering entities that manage hazardous waste generated at a large number of generating sites, most people think of billion-dollar national or multinational corporations, with factories and facilities distributed over a wide area.

Time for Some Fresh Air

January 1, 2007By Bill S. Forcade

The top air quality management issues in 2007

Change is in the air. Congress changed in November from Republican to Democratic leadership. A pending U.S. Supreme Court case and new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules probably will change the New Source Review requirements. These and other changes may affect how you operate your facility in 2007.