Corporate HSE Department Needed Site Remediation Oversight Support

Caltha LLP Project Summary

Project: Corporate HSE Staffing-Site Remediation Oversight
Client: Multi-national Chemical Company
Location(s): California, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ontario, Canada, Michigan, Kentucky, Arizona


Key Elements: Environmental Health & Safety Staffing, Site remediation


Overview: This chemical company contracted with Caltha to provide temporary staffing in its corporate HSE Department for the position that oversaw numerous site remediation projects being conducted across the US and Canada. Due to staff turnover the position needed to be filled quickly to assure that process on projects continued, on-site contractors had questions and issues addressed, and that required agency submittals were reviewed, approved and submitted on time. Caltha provided a highly experienced HSE professional to fill the position until the corporation could hire a permanent replacement. Caltha staff were then able to provide transitional support.


For more information on Caltha LLP services, go to the Caltha Contact Page

Certified Environmental Health and Safety Audit Services

Caltha LLP provides IAA-BEAC certified auditors to perform internal EH&S audits to support ISO 14001 registered organizations or to support routine internal audit programs implemented as part of an overall governance system. Caltha can provide:

• Single auditors to support audit teams as a media or regulatory expert,
• Audit teams to address multiple program areas, or
• Due diligence auditors / audit teams.

Caltha auditors can act as adjunct auditors to augment your existing internal audit team, or can act as an independent third party auditor.


Caltha auditors have conducted assessments in all 50 US States, Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe and Asia.


Click here for more information on Caltha Compliance Audit, Management System Audit and Due Diligence Assessment services

AZ Chemical Processor Needed Industrial Wastewater Management Plan

Caltha LLP Project Summary

Project: Compliance Review & Waste Water Management Procedure Development
Client: Chemical Processing Facility
Location(s): Arizona


Key Elements: Industrial waste water discharge, Waste management procedures, POTW industrial user rule, Wastewater sampling


Overview: Caltha LLP was retained by this Arizona chemical plant to conduct an assessment of wastewater management practices. The review included an evaluation of raw materials and waste products which could be discharged to the sanitary sewer from the process. Caltha staff met with POTW to determine waste acceptance criteria and developed key parameters which would be used to determine if specific waste streams were suitable for discharge to the POTW, or required alternate disposal methods. Caltha then prepared a written procedure for facility operators to use to screen waste streams to determine if discharge to the POTW was allowed. The procedure was provided to the POTW for review and concurrence.


For more information on Caltha LLP permit services, go to the Caltha Air, Wastewater and Waste Permitting Page

ADEQ SIP For Regional Haze Program

EPA is proposing to approve in part and disapprove in part a revision of Arizona's State Implementation Plan (SIP) to implement the regional haze program for the first planning period through July 31, 2018. This proposed action includes all portions of the SIP except for three electric generating stations that were addressed in a final rule published in the Federal Register on December 5, 2012. The Clean Air Act (CAA) requires states to adopt and submit to EPA SIPs that assure reasonable progress toward the national goal of achieving natural visibility conditions in 156 national parks and wilderness areas designated as Class I areas.

EPA is taking action on Arizona's Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) control analysis and determinations, Reasonable Progress Goals (RPGs) for the State's 12 Class I areas, Long-term Strategy (LTS), and other elements of the State's regional haze plan. If EPA takes final action to disapprove any portion of the SIP, EPA will work with the State to develop plan revisions to address the disapproved provisions.

Caltha LLP provides specialized expertise to clients nationwide in the evaluation environmental rules, developing EHS compliance procedures, and preparing cost-effective EHS management programs.
For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website 

 

Public Comment Extended For Arizona Regional Haze Rule

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency extended the public comment period for a rule (Regional Haze Rule) proposed earlier this month that would require additional pollution controls for nitrogen oxide at 3 power plants in eastern Arizona. The rule would improve visibility and human health at 18 national parks and wilderness areas, including the Grand Canyon, Saguaro National Park and the Petrified Forest.

EPA is soliciting public comments on the proposal through September 18, and will host two additional public hearings in Ariz. The hearings will be held on August 14, 2012 in Holbrook, Arizona, and on August 15, 2012 in Benson, Arizona. The deadline for final EPA action remains November 15, 2012.

On July 2, EPA proposed to approve Arizona’s plan that controls emissions of sulfur dioxide and coarse particles from older boilers at the Apache Generating Station, Coronado Generating Station and the Cholla Power Plant. In addition, EPA proposed a federal plan to limit nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions at these plants. The proposal is designed to cut NOx emissions by 7,800 tons per year at the Cholla Power Plant, 4,700 tons/year at the Apache Generating Station, and 4,500 tons/year at the Coronado Generating Station.

Under the Clean Air Act, Congress set a long-term goal of restoring natural visibility conditions in numerous national parks and wilderness areas throughout the United States, known as Class 1 Areas. One of the strategies for achieving this goal is the use of Best Available Retrofit Technology at older power plants that cause or contribute to visibility impairment at Class I areas. The three power plants impact 18 of these areas.


Caltha LLP provides specialized expertise to clients nationwide in the evaluation environmental rules, developing EHS compliance procedures, and preparing cost-effective EHS management programs. For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website 

Schedule For Action On State Regional Haze Plans

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a court ordered schedule to review and act on more than 40 state regional haze reduction plans, designed to improve visibility in national parks and wilderness areas. The EPA action by itself does not establish control requirements; EPA will work with the states to approve their plans by the court ordered deadline in the agreement. Under the terms of the consent decree, if a state plan cannot be approved, EPA will determine an appropriate federal plan.

The dates for promulgation of final rules (either accepting or rejecting State plans) begin December 13, 2011 and run through November 15, 2011. States are grouped within this timeframe.

EPA initially issued a rule in 1999 requiring states to submit regional haze plans. These plans were due in December 2007, but no action was taken by the agency in response to the submittals. National Parks Conservation Association and other environmental groups sued the agency in August 2011 to take action on these plans, and the consent decree resolves this litigation. EPA will accept public comment on this agreement for 30 days following publication of a notice in the Federal Register.

Caltha LLP provides specialized expertise to clients nationwide in the evaluation environmental rules, developing EH&S compliance procedures, and preparing cost-effective EH&S management programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at

info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

Greenhouse Gas Permiting in AZ, AR, ID, KS, OR, WY & TX

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed the final series of actions that will ensure that the largest industrial facilities can get Clean Air Act permits that cover greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions beginning in January 2011. The first set of actions will give EPA authority to permit GHGs in seven states (Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Oregon, and Wyoming) until the state or local agencies can revise their permitting regulations to cover these emissions. EPA is taking additional steps to disapprove part of Texas' Clean Air Act permitting program and the agency will also issue GHG permits to facilities in the state. These actions will ensure that large industrial facilities will be able to receive permits for greenhouse gas emissions regardless of where they are located.

In the second set of actions, EPA has issued final rules that will ensure that there are no federal laws in place that require any state to issue a permit for GHG emissions below levels outlined in the tailoring rule.

Beginning in January 2011, industries that are large emitters of GHGs, and are planning to build new facilities or make major modifications to existing ones, must obtain air permits and implement energy efficiency measures or, where available, cost-effective technology to reduce their GHGs emissions. EPA will propose standards for power plants in July 2011 and for refineries in December 2011 and will issue final standards in May 2012 and November 2012, respectively.

Caltha LLP provides specialized expertise to clients nationwide in the evaluation environmental rules, developing EH&S compliance procedures, and preparing cost-effective EH&S management programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at

info@calthacompany.com

or

Caltha LLP Website

Arizona PM10 Non Attainment Plan Disapproval Proposed

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed disapproval Maricopa County’s air quality plan because it does not adequately control emissions of coarse particulate matter. The Maricopa area is considered in “nonattainment” for coarse particulate matter (PM-10) The nonattainment area is located in the eastern portion of Maricopa County and encompasses the cities of Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler, Glendale, and 17 other jurisdictions and unincorporated County lands. The nonattainment area also includes the town of Apache Junction in Pinal County.

The State of Arizona submitted a plan in 2007 intended to ensure that coarse particulate matter was reduced by 5% each year until the standard was attained. According to EPA, Arizona did not correctly inventory the sources of PM-10, resulting in a plan that does not satisfy the requirements of the federal Clean Air Act.

EPA is proposing to approve those elements of the plan that will help reduce air pollution in the County, including ones regulating leaf blowers, unpaved areas, burning and other sources of particulate matter.

The proposed EPA action will be published in the Federal Register for a 30-day public comment period. EPA expects to will make a final decision on the plan in early January 2011, after reviewing public comments.

Caltha LLP provides specialized expertise to clients nationwide in the evaluation environmental rules, developing EH&S compliance procedures, and preparing cost-effective EH&S management programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at

info@calthacompany.com

or

Caltha LLP Website