Unfortunately, many of the advances in our industrialized world have come at great expense to our environment. Currently, one of the biggest environmental problems in the United States and other developed nations is the contamination of soil and groundwater caused by accidental releases of hazardous chemicals and petroleum hydrocarbons.
- By Bob Kelley
- June 01, 2007
This article originally appeared in the 06/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.
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.
- By Constance L. Senior
- June 01, 2007
This article originally appeared in the 06/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.
An analysis of the lighting industry shows a significant shift from the use of incandescent bulbs to fluorescent bulbs. Incandescent bulbs use more fossil fuel energy, cost more and are less effective than fluorescent bulbs, which produce more lumens.
- By Anthony Zippi, Mark A. Ceaser
- June 01, 2007
This article originally appeared in the 06/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.
More than 7.6 billion tons of industrial solid waste are generated annually in the United States. That’s the equivalent of more than 8,500 Golden Gate Bridges, more than 2,000 Empire State Buildings, or 1,200 Hoover Dams.
- By Sherleen H. Mahoney
- May 01, 2007
This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.
As urban centers grow in size, substantial areas of agricultural and industrial land are being converted to residential use. One of the issues frequently encountered when such a change in land use is implemented is the presence of elevated concentrations of chlorinated pesticides and herbicides historically used in agricultural crop production.
- By Alan Seech, James Mueller
- May 01, 2007
This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.
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.
- By Cindy Chen, Mike Hicks
- May 01, 2007
This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.
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.
- By Ryan Kreutzwiser
- April 01, 2007
This article originally appeared in the 04/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.
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.
- By Stephen Paff
- April 01, 2007
This article originally appeared in the 04/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.
Did you ever notice that advertisements for environmental, health and safety (EH&S) software products sound like commercials for pain relief?
- By Elizabeth Donley
- April 01, 2007
This article originally appeared in the 04/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.
This article originally appeared in the 12/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
A new type of electronic nose, based on ultra-fast gas chromatography, can perform analytical measurements of volatile organic vapors in near real-time with part-per-trillion sensitivity.
- By Edward J. Staples
- November 01, 2006
This article originally appeared in the 11/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
The following is the second of a two-part series that analyzes new Phase 1 ESA requirements and their impact on consultants and their clients. The first part, ESA Rules: Plain English Version (Part 1) was published in the October 2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
- By Nick Albergo, PE
- November 01, 2006
This article originally appeared in the 11/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
The following is the first of a two-part series that analyzes new Phase 1 ESA requirements and their impact on consultants and their clients. The second part is scheduled to be published in the November/December 2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
- By Nick Albergo, PE
- October 01, 2006
This article originally appeared in the 10/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
Insurance companies are helping turn contaminated sites turn into solar energy producers
- By Jeffrey Hanneman
- July 01, 2006
This article originally appeared in the 07/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
On Jan. 23, 2006, the arsenic rule was implemented with a new limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb) (the old standard was 50 ppb). The new rule has a broad reach; it affects large and small drinking water treatment systems, including non-community water supplies.
- By Darin St. Germain
- June 01, 2006
This article originally appeared in the 06/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
The need for removal and destruction of contaminants of concern (COC), like petroleum hydrocarbons and chlorinated organics, in soil and groundwater has led to the development of a wide range of technologies for both in ground (in-situ) and above ground (ex-situ) treatment of these contaminants.
- By Jason Muessig
- June 01, 2006
This article originally appeared in the 06/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez has called it "a unique and deadly threat to our nation -- which destroys lives far beyond those of just the addicts and the users."
- By Lynn D. Dewees
- May 01, 2006
This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
Aug. 25, 2005: Hurricane Katrina, the 11th named tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and first Category 5 hurricane of the season, makes landfall north of Miami, Fla., killing dozens. Four days later, the slightly weakened system touches down on the Central Gulf Coast of Louisiana.
- By Dianne P. Crocker
- May 01, 2006
This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
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.
- By James J. Hattler
- April 01, 2006
This article originally appeared in the 04/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
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.
- By James Martin
- March 01, 2006
This article originally appeared in the 03/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.