The Environmental Protection Agency hands out some of the most significant fines among all government regulators. In the first few months of 2021, the EPA fined companies over one million dollars because of various Resource Conservation and Recovery Act violations. These charges ranged from improper disposal of hazardous waste to something we often see as
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What to Expect from a DEP Inspection
Attention small and large quantity hazardous waste generators: is your business following proper protocols and procedures to avoid violations during a DEP inspection? If you are unsure about the regulations surrounding hazardous waste and your business, you may be breaching regulations and face serious financial penalties. All generators of hazardous waste must follow Resource Conservation
... Continue ReadingFour Common EPA Violations Concerning Handling Waste Materials
Owners of businesses in nearly every industry need to stay up to date on EPA regulations and violations to avoid unwanted penalties and fines. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has regulations in place that affect local, state and federal governments and their respective agencies. In addition, the EPA has regulations for almost every
... Continue ReadingWhat Happens to a Business After a Destructive Event?
Disasters happen more often than you think. Fires, floods, hurricanes, and other destructive events can not only bring severe damage to a business’s building, but hazardous waste can arise from the aftermath. On June 14, 2021, a chemical plant in Rockton, Illinois suffered an explosion and fire. It destroyed the building and sending hazardous debris
... Continue ReadingWhen Excess Hazardous Waste Contributes to Large Volume Designations: Managing Episodic Events
Producers of hazardous waste are broken down into three categories of waste generator status. We broke down these categories and their stipulations to define what constitutes a small quantity vs large quantity generator in a recent article. While the different categories are clear, the higher hazardous waste producers have a much higher level of compliance
... Continue Reading4 Characteristics of Hazardous Waste for Completing Your Waste Profile
The EPA requires all hazardous waste producers to fill out an important form called a Hazardous Waste Profile. Formally known as the Waste Characterization Profile, the Hazardous Waste Profile requires a list of all chemical properties associated with the waste produced. This form must be completed before waste is disposed of or transported. The Hazardous
... Continue ReadingClean Up Your Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest Forms or Risk Fines
Hazardous Waste Generators regardless of generator status are breathing a sigh of relief that 2023 is not a reporting year for submitting the Biennial Hazardous Waste Report. However, it’s always an excellent time to check that you’re using the best reporting practices possible. Federal regulations require generators and transporters of hazardous waste and owners or
... Continue ReadingSmall Quantity vs Large Quantity: What are the designations?
When it comes to hazardous materials handling, the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) has outlined three types of generators. Hazardous waste generators produce waste in three categories that are determined by the amount of waste generated per calendar month. There are three categories of generators and three very frequently used acronyms: VSQG: Very small quantity
... Continue ReadingTop 6 Things to Know About Episodic Hazardous Waste Generation
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines an episodic event as an activity that does not normally occur during a generator’s operations. The event causes a hazardous waste generator to exceed the upper limit of its normal generator category for that month. This often affects Small Quantity Generators (SQGs) or Very Small Quantity Generators (VSQGs) negatively,
... Continue ReadingEmpty HAZMAT Container? Check Again.
What appears empty to the normal eye may not be considered empty by the EPA. So even though you set out to comply with all the hazardous waste management regulations for the material itself, you may still end up being at risk of violating the law. The Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) contains
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