compliance

October 11, 2016

SCS is working to get our landfill clients through NMOC and NSPS with timelines – they are prepared for what they need to do now and in the future. Listed here are the most popular and timely resources and information useful for your own planning.

Article in Waste360: explains who’s impacted and how to begin managing the costs.

SCS Technical Bulletin: a digest of hundreds of EPA regulatory policy into the information and timelines to act on now.

Article: strategic financial planning to support infrastructure costs.

Call our compliance specialists – find the office nearest you or email us at  

 

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 11:27 am

September 27, 2016

Use your data to tune wellheads making your wellfield more productive and safer with  SCSeTools®

 

SCSeTools® gives you the ability to instantly map air leaks, vacuum distribution, wells that are “over pulling” and wells that are underutilized – valuable tools for every wellfield technician to maximize system performance beyond simple compliance tracking and reactive wellhead tuning.

As a field technician, you walk a fine line – tuning to a threshold, pulling as hard as you can, as safe as you can. When important data factors start to wander you need to troubleshoot quickly to keep collecting as much as gas as possible without over compensating and adjusting wellheads multiple times. SCSeTools® makes troubleshooting faster and more efficient by turning your data into maps identifying important conditions in the field and the wellheads that need tuning. Field technicians know how to balance the wellfield without killing bacteria and without diluting the gas.

A map of your field with your specific tuning range quickly shows data that are typically missed in reams of data. SCSeTools alerts you to these indicators using a map of each wellhead in the wellfield. Where you formerly needed months for these changes to become apparent, SCSeTools tells you at the touch of a button when a change began occurring and which wellheads are impacted. As a technician you know what you need to tune and which wellheads need your attention.

oil and gas wellfield construction and remediation
Methane Range Map

Using SCSeTools pick any parameter that the GEM collects and create custom ranges or use specified guidelines to quickly identify trends throughout the landfill. Tuning ranges can be adjusted to specific conditions found at individual landfills. Smooth a saw tooth collection pattern and learn from your data for maximum vacuum and maximum collection without risk.

 

 

Learn more at SCS Engineers

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 11:09 am

September 21, 2016

Any facility that manufactures, uses, stores, or distributes certain chemicals above a specified quantity listed on Appendix A must complete and submit a Chemical Security Assessment Tool (CSAT) Top-Screen within 60 days of coming into possession
of the Chemicals of Interest (COI) .

In developing the list, the Department looked to existing expert sources of information including other federal regulations related to chemicals. With the publication of a final Appendix A, all provisions of 6 CFR Part 27, including § 27.210(a)(1)(i), are operative and in effect. The other sources that the Department referenced in part are:

  • Chemicals covered under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Risk Management Program;
  • Chemicals included in the Chemical Weapons Convention;
  • Hazardous materials, such as gases that are poisonous by inhalation; and
  • Explosives regulated by the Department of Transportation.

Many manufacturers, food storage facilties, cold storage facilities, and industries have chemicals that fall into one or more of the listed categories. Please contact our professional staff to find out if your business is at risk of non-compliance of CFR Part 27.

What to do?  Who to contact? Jake Tilley or Lee Pyle of SCS Engineers.

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 3:00 am

September 13, 2016

For years, Wisconsin landfills have relied on compliance with the storm water (stormwater) management requirements in the Chapter NR 500 code series to achieve compliance with the NR 216 storm water standards. Effective June 15, 2016, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) changed their policy, and now requires landfills and associated non-commercial borrow sites to obtain separate industrial storm water permit coverage.

Read the SCS Engineers Technical Bulletin to determine what action you may be required to take and by what date.

  • September 19, 2016, submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) form to WDNR.
  • WDNR will review your NOI and determine if your facility can be covered under the Tier 2 Industrial Storm Water Permit.
  • January 31, 2017, submit a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) Summary Form. This also requires preparation of a SWPPP report designed to prevent storm water discharges of pollutants to waters of the state.

If you have questions or need help filing or developing a plan, please contact:

Betsy Powers, PE

(608) 216-7347

Sherren Clark, PE, PG

(608) 216-7323

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:00 am

September 12, 2016

…and as waste settles, it can have an effect on equipment,” according to Pat Sullivan of SCS Engineers in this ClimateWire article. As the U.S. EPA focuses on pushing landfill owners into cutting down on methane emissions some worry that a combination of tightening regulations and poor cost analysis might put some smaller landfills out of business.

Read the full article here.

LANDFILL EMISSIONS: Going to the dump? You might make electricity
Kavya Balaraman, E&E reporter

Reprinted from ClimateWire with permission from E&E Publishing, LLC. Copyright 2016. 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:00 am

September 7, 2016

 

The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB)’s industrial stormwater website has developed many new guides to help industrial dischargers (Industrial General Permit, IGP, permitees) understand what is required  and how to best to utilize the on-line reporting protocols for IGP compliance.  Despite the resources and this outreach provided on the SWRCB website many industries and businesses could be at risk, and may not understand that they could be in violation of the current IGP.

 

Recent direct communications with SWRCB and local Regional Boards’ have indicated that during the 2016-2017 permit cycle year, inspections will be more detailed for facilities considered to be at high risk, which were specifically named as those with a long history of water quality violations, as well as scrap metal recyclers, and End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) recycling. There will also be increased focus on facilities that discharge to impaired waterbodies with adopted Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) requirements.

 

Industries should take action now if there is any uncertainty in regards to the meeting permit regulations.  Contact your local SCS Engineers’ office or one of our industrial stormwater experts in California, Cory Jones or Jonathan Meronek.  If you need questions answered, or if you are unsure of your business’s requirements, and believe that your facility may be in violation, SCS will help sort through the permitting red-tape. This includes SMARTs filing, NOI/NEC or NONA submittals, SWPPPs and Monitoring and Implementation Plans.

 

Recent News, Stats, and Resources

  • The State Board notified enrolled permittees that they must submit their annual reports electronically.  Reference the Electronic Reporting – Storm Water Multiple Application and Report Tracking System (SMARTS) Database
  • As of June 30, 2016, only approximately 2000 out of 8581 annual reports (statewide) have been submitted electronically.
  • NONA: The State Board has reviewed the Notice of Non-Applicability (NONA) forms submitted for the Statewide NPDES Permit Coverage for Drinking Water System Discharges; only a small percentage (9 of 150±) were done correctly and approved.
    • The State Board found that a certification by a professional engineer had not been completed approving that the sites are not hydraulically connected, or
    • A No Exposure Certification (NEC) should have been filed instead of a NONA.

 

More Resources

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:00 am

August 30, 2016

The EPA published NSPS – EG final rule in the federal register on August 29, 2016. This SCS Technical Bulletin compiles the 856 pages of NSPS and EG documents into 3 pages of the significant information you need to know. The rule takes effect 60 days after August 29, some requirements are linked to the publication date in the register.

 

Read the NSPS – EG Technical Bulletin

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 10:04 am

August 24, 2016

Article by Cheryl Moran, CHMM

Technological advances in traditional printing and the advent of digital printing can make it more challenging to know when you need an air permit and which permit is best for your operations.

There are two main activities that may trigger air permitting – construction and operation; each of these comes with its own permitting requirements.  Always check to see if you are required to apply for a construction permit before bringing new equipment on site.  Once a source is installed, an operating permit will be necessary, which is the focus of this article.

Federal Title V operating permits (also referred to as Part 70 permits) are required for any facility that is considered a “major source” of air pollution.  For purposes of operating permits only[1], a major source is a facility that has the potential to emit (PTE) more than 100 tons per year (tpy) of any criteria pollutant; volatile organic compounds (VOC), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter less than 10 microns (PM10), or more than 10 tons of any individual hazardous air pollutant (HAP) or more than 25 tpy of combined HAPs .  Permitting thresholds are lower for facilities located in non-attainment areas.

Some facilities take limits on material throughputs, hours of operation, or emissions in order to artificially lower their PTE to qualify for a Federally Enforceable State Operating Permit (FESOP).  These permits are also called “synthetic minor” permits.

Facilities that do not exceed federal permitting thresholds may still need to acquire a state operating permit.  State permitting programs have more options than ever before and several states are summarized below.

ILLINOIS:
All “emission units” are required to secure an air permit, or register with the Illinois EPA, even very small sources of air pollution.  An “emission unit” is any piece of equipment located at an emission source that has a potential to emit air pollution.  Registration of Smaller Sources (ROSS) is for operations that emit less than 5 tpy of combined criteria pollutants.  Sources with a potential to emit more than 5 tpy, but whose emissions are less than the threshold for a FESOP, may qualify for a “life-time” operating permit.

Visit for more information on the Illinois EPA permitting program.

WISCONSIN: 
ROP Type A Registration Permit is for facilities with actual emissions of less than 25 tpy for criteria pollutants and 6.25 tons per year for HAPs.

ROP Type B Registration Permit is for facilities with actual emissions of less than 50 tpy for criteria pollutants and 12.5 tpy for HAPs.

ROP C Registration Permit for Printers is only available to printers.  To qualify for this permit, emissions of each criteria pollutant are limited to 25 tons per year, and HAPs are limited to 12.5 tons per year.

General Operation Permit (GOP) for Printers applies to digital, screen, lithographic web printing (both heatset and coldset), and lithographic sheetfed printing.

 

INDIANA: 
Source Specific Operating Agreement for Surface Coating or Graphic Arts Operations is available to printers with total VOC and HAPs that do not exceed 15 lb/day (7 lb/day in select counties).

Permit by Rule may be used for facilities that qualify for an operating agreement with criteria pollutant and HAP emissions that do not exceed 20% of the major source limits.

Find more on the Indiana permit options at http://www.in.gov/idem/airquality.

Whether you are applying for a state operating permit, or a federal operating permit, all applications will go through your state environmental regulatory agency.

[1] For construction permitting purposes, the thresholds that define a “major source” are typically higher than the operating permit thresholds.

 

For more information contact Cheryl Moran at SCS Engineers, Wisconsin or Ann O’Brien at SCS Engineers, Illinois, or  for an SCS professional in your state.

Cheryl Moran is a Project Manager with SCS Engineers with more than 20 years of experience in the printing industry. She is a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) and has worked with air, water, and waste issues including permitting, environmental recordkeeping, reporting and monitoring programs, hazardous waste management, environmental compliance audits, and sustainability programs.

Ann O’Brien is a Project Manager with SCS Engineers.  During her 32-year career in the printing industry she was responsible for environmental compliance programs, including, but not limited to, air and water quality permitting, environmental recordkeeping, reporting and monitoring programs, hazardous waste management, environmental compliance audits, and environmental site assessments and due diligence associated with real estate transactions and corporate acquisitions.  

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:00 am

August 22, 2016

 

Author: Ann O’Brien

Alert: Toxic Release Inventory Form A and Form R Reports were due July 1, 2016

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) was created by EPA in response to several events that raised public concern about local preparedness for chemical emergencies and the availability of information on hazardous substances.

Printing is one of the industry sectors required to annually report releases of certain chemicals.  A printing facility with 10 or more full-time equivalent employees is required to report if the facility exceeds established chemical thresholds.  Note that TRI reporting is not based on the amount of emissions to atmosphere or how much waste is generated. Instead, a company that manufactures or processes more than 25,000 pounds or otherwise uses more than 10,000 pounds of a TRI-listed chemical were required to report releases of these chemicals by July 1, 2016.

There are currently over 650 chemicals covered by the TRI program including chemicals commonly used by printers, such as toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene,  glycol ethers, solvents, and metals. Of particular interest to lithographic printers is the wide use of glycol ethers in fountain solutions and more recently in cleaning solutions, to take the place of solvents with high vapor pressures.  It is important to mention that “glycol ethers” is a chemical category and within this category there are hundreds of individual chemicals that are reportable.  Safety Data Sheets (SDS) do not indicate the presence of “glycol ethers” as a constituent of a raw material so a printer must look up each listed constituent and compare it to the list of TRI chemicals to determine whether is it reportable.

For more information, contact Ann O’Brien () or Cheryl Moran () at SCS Engineers.

 

Ann O’Brien is a Project Manager with SCS Engineers.  During her 32-year career in the printing industry she was responsible for environmental compliance programs, including, but not limited to, air and water quality permitting, environmental recordkeeping, reporting and monitoring programs, hazardous waste management, environmental compliance audits, and environmental site assessments and due diligence associated with real estate transactions and corporate acquisitions.  

Cheryl Moran is a Project Manager with SCS Engineers with more than 20 years of experience in the printing industry. She is a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) and has worked with air, water, and waste issues including permitting, environmental recordkeeping, reporting and monitoring programs, hazardous waste management, environmental compliance audits, and sustainability programs.

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:00 am

August 17, 2016

SCS periodically prepares technical bulletins to highlight items of interest to our clients and friends. These are published on our website. This SCS Technical Bulletin addresses:

Inactive Surface Impoundments and EPA Direct Final Rules for Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals from Electric Utilities.

 

Read and share the SCS Technical Bulletin here.

SCS Coal Combustion Residual Services

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 12:22 pm
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