The Canadian Ministry of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard recently announced that it is investing $2.4 million in scientific research at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in New Brunswick.
With this investment, the Centre will study how spill response measures, such as the use of dispersant chemicals, affect fish and other aquatic species of interest. The goal of the project is to ensure the use of effective response measures, without harming ocean life in the event of a spill.
The Huntsman Marine Science Centre is located in St. Andrews, New Brunswick. The Centre is engaged in a broad range of marine science and applied research initiatives.
Huntsman Marine Science Centre (Source: huntsmanmarine.ca)
https://hazmatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/huntsman-marine.png53250John Nicholsonhttps://hazmatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/hazmat-logo.jpgJohn Nicholson2019-05-22 23:25:442019-05-22 23:25:45New Brunswick Marine Research Centre to study impact on spill clean-up chemicals on aquatic life
Also, the B.C. Environment Ministry has posted a draft version of seventeen new analytical methods for public comment. The analytical methods can be found at “Methods Posted for Review”.
Public comment on the new methods will be accepted until June 17, 2019. All public comments should be direct to Joyce Austin, Senior Provincial Laboratory Specialist, Knowledge Management Branch at [email protected].
Technical questions regarding the proposed new methods should be directed to Mark Hugdahl (BCELTAC Chair) at[email protected].
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VelocityEHS, a Chicago-based environment, health, safety (EHS) software company, recently announced it has acquired Spiramid, developer of the a system for managing industrial hygiene (IH). The acquisition adds Spiramid’s occupational safety & health software to the VelocityEHS’s EHS platform. The software, now called VelocityEHS Industrial Hygiene, gives organizations the capabilities to efficiently run an industrial hygiene program.
VelocityEHS is launching its new Industrial Hygiene solution at a time when IH is at an important crossroads. The need for workplace programs that anticipate and prevent workplace hazards is growing, while the number of certified industrial hygienists and investments in traditional programs has been on the decline.
“We’re
excited to launch our powerful new Industrial Hygiene product. It’s a perfect
fit for people working on the frontlines and has great synergy with our
market-leading Chemical Management capabilities. Its simple design cuts through
the complexity of IH tasks,” said Glenn Trout, president and CEO of
VelocityEHS. “While there’s no substitute for a well-trained, well-resourced
team of industrial hygienists, the reality today is that a growing number of
EHS generalists are being called upon to do sampling and run IH programs that
fall outside the scope of their training and traditional responsibilities.
Whether you’re a veteran hygienist or new to the role, we believe our new IH
solution will provide significant value.”
The software gives companies with sophisticated programs the ability to see, in one place and in real time, what’s happening across their enterprise. It gives staff hygienists new reporting tools — like dynamic risk matrices — to help them determine where and why to deploy resources, as well as to demonstrate the value of IH when talking with leadership stakeholders. For companies without a Certified Industrial Hygienist, it provides a framework for managing exposure risks and meeting a wide range of IH tasks.
“The goal of any industrial hygiene program is to help as many people in the workplace as you can. I am proud to see our IH software, which we have spent years perfecting, added to the VelocityEHS platform, which serves the industry’s largest EHS software community,” said Dave Risi, co-founder of Spiramid.
Managing
IH can require the collaboration of many stakeholders, including people
sampling in the field, IH consultants, outside laboratories, and program
managers. VelocityEHS’ Industrial Hygiene software is a central management hub,
facilitating the workflow and hand-off of responsibilities from party to party.
For instance, users can more easily plan and control all aspects of IH, from
selection of chemicals and analytical methods, to selection of laboratories and
access of sampling results, with options to share information with the right
stakeholders. The solution lets users send chain of custody forms directly to
labs and receive the analytical data electronically, inside the product,
eliminating the need for manual input and helping to avoid errors by making the
information readily accessible.
Other features include an in-product database of CAS Registry Numbers, OELs and laboratories, plus easy tools for tracking and managing of similar exposure groups (SEGs), qualitative assessments, sampling plans, medical surveillance, surveys, samples and equipment. It is the smartest and most efficient way to track a high-volume of complicated sample data and to manage risk assessments and mitigation programs.
The new IH software, together with VelocityEHS’ Chemical Management and Industrial Ergonomics solutions, provides industrial hygienists with the comprehensive resources they need to promote healthier workplaces.
https://hazmatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Spiramid400.jpg200400hazzmatt1https://hazmatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/hazmat-logo.jpghazzmatt12019-05-20 15:44:502019-05-20 15:44:53VelocityEHS acquires Industrial Hygiene Software company Spiramid
Where do the soils excavated from our
basements go? Our backyards, neighbors’ backyards or into our drinking water?
Background
Soil is an important natural resource that needs to be conserved for sustainability and hygienic reasons. Numerous activities and projects such as construction, mining, contaminated site remediation, expansive archaeological projects, etc., require soil excavation.
The excavated soil is used to refill the vacant land or removed from the project site as “excess soil” left over from a project. The disposal of excavated soil however, posses a challenge for the contractors undertaking the projects as the receiving sites or facilities for excess soils are either far, unavailable or result in expensive transportation costs.
In certain instances, this problem has resulted in illegal dumping of excess soils onto farmers fields and vacant lands across Ontario, without the appropriate consideration of soil quality or dumping location. A 2018 CBC story on illegal dumping estimated the amount of illegal soil dumped in Ontario could annually fill Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays, sixteen times.
Aerial view of Rogers Centre, Toronto (Photo by Tim Gouw from Pexels)
Previous Government Reactions
To tackle the problem of illegal excess soil dumping, the Ontario Environment Ministry released a guidance document titled: “Management of Excess Soil – A Guide For Best Management Practices.” There was no obligation for compliance to the guidance document and thus the illegal practice continued.
With illegal dumping continuing in the province, the Environment Ministry released of a legal document which required compliance. The legal document, Regulatory Framework on Excess Soil Management, was made to clarify the responsibilities of excess-soil generators and a list of requirements guiding the sampling and analysis, soil characterization, tracking and dumping of excess soils. The Excess Soil Management proposal was posted on the Environmental Registry of Ontario for public comments from concerned stakeholders for two months in 2017; and afterwards an amended proposal implementing changes influenced by the comments was released.
The Latest Regulatory Proposal
With the Ontario election in the June of 2018 resulting in a change of government, the regulatory proposals for excess soil management were put on hold. On May first, the government issued its an updated proposal for the management of excess soil.
A revised approach to waste designation, where excess soil is
considered waste and should be treated as one according to Part V of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (Waste
Management); unless the relocated excess-soil is reused in an appropriate way
or is deposited at a final receiving site that has appropriate approval
documents,
Reduced regulatory complexity, where waste related approvals
for low-risk soil management activities may no longer be required, provided
certain requirements are met,
Flexibility for soil reuse through a beneficial Reuse
Assessment Tool to develop site-specific standards and to provide a better
understanding of environmental protection,
Improving safe and appropriate reuse of excess soil by
quality soil testing, tracking and registration of soil movements for larger
and riskier generating and receiving sites,
Landfill restrictions on clean soil deposit unless it is
required for cover.
Once promulgated, the transition phase into the new regulations will take place over the period of 2 to 3 years, where the more flexible excess-soil reuse regulations, such as the amended Record of Site Conditions (O. Reg. 153/04), are already in effect. Other amendments, such as excess soil management planning and landfilling restrictions will come into effect between 2020 and 2022, to allow time for the production of alternative excess soil reuse approaches.
Benefits of
Policy
From an environmental perspective,
the proposal’s call for some regulatory key points are quite sustainably
beneficial. Registering and tracking the excess soil movement from excavation
source to receiving site or facility will minimize illegal dumping.
Transporting and illegal dumping of the excess soils is a source of concern
because excavated soil is a source of trapped Greenhouse Gases (GHG).
Inappropriate tipping of a considerable amount of excess soil will result in
the release of a significant amount of GHG in the atmosphere. Moreover,
vigorous testing and analysis of the excess soils meant for landfill will
ensure that contaminated soil is properly disposed of as hazardous waste,
instead of illegally covering it up at a landfill where is poses a threat as a
potential source of contamination to ground water.
Excess Soil
Market Impact
Economically, implementing the excess soil management policy will be beneficial to contractors and will encourage them to be more proactive in making their Excess Soil Management Plan (ESMP) in favor of excess soil reuse. This will assist in developing alternative, better and cheaper ways of reusing their excess soils; or selling off some (or all) of the excavated soils to a buyer, who will put it to good use.
In addition, there has been a report of excess soil “black market” emergence in the industry; where contractors are avoiding the higher costs of tipping at provincially regulated designated facilities in exchange for illegal tipping at ignorant landowners’ fields. These landowners are receiving the excess soils at a small fee from the contractors, without consideration for the quality of the soil and possible environmental effect in the future. Implementation of the policy will minimize the expansion of this market, especially because of the registration and tracking requirements of the excess soil load and the approval documents required of the receivers.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) recently announced that it is adding seven sites to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) where releases of contamination pose human health and environmental risks.
The NPL includes the United States’ most serious uncontrolled or abandoned releases of contamination. The list serves as the basis for prioritizing U.S. EPA Superfund cleanup funding and enforcement actions. Only releases at sites included on the NPL are eligible to receive federal funding for long-term, permanent cleanup.
“By adding these sites to the National Priorities List, we are taking action to clean up some of the nation’s most contaminated sites, protect the health of the local communities, and return the sites to safe and productive reuse,” said U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Our commitment to these communities is that sites on the National Priorities List will be a true national priority. We’ve elevated the Superfund program to a top priority, and in Fiscal Year 2018, EPA deleted all or part of 22 sites from the NPL.”
Superfund cleanups provide health and economic benefits to communities. The program is credited for significant reductions in birth defects and blood-lead levels among children living near sites, and research has shown residential property values increase up to 24% within 3 miles of sites after cleanup.
Redeveloped Superfund sites can generate a great deal of economic activity. Thanks to Superfund cleanups, previously blighted properties are now being used for a wide range of purposes, including retail businesses, office space, public parks, residences, warehouses, and solar power generation. At 529 Superfund sites returned to productive use, 8,600 businesses operate and 195,000 employees earn more than $13 billion in annual income.
The Superfund Task Force is working to improve the Superfund program. The U.S. EPA has implemented nearly half of the Task Force’s recommendations to expedite site cleanups and redevelopment and expects to complete the remaining recommendations by July 2019.
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The United State Department of Labor seeks the services of a qualified service-disabled veteran-owned small business to perform soil remediation services at the Gainesville Job Corps Center’s facilities in Florida.
Interest in this pre-solicitation announcement is open to all service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) businesses relative to the primary NAICS code 562910 with a Small Business Standard of $20.5 million and/or 750 employees. The magnitude of this procurement is between $100,000 and $250,000.
Execution of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Remedial Action Plan includes site demolition, placement of clean soil, soils compaction, site restoration, and notifications and reporting to the FDEP.
The work involves construction services to address the impacts of metals, PCBs, and PAHs that exceed FDEP Soil Cleanup Target Levels. Oversight of the work and reporting will be provided by a Florida Licensed Professional Engineer. Offers are due by 2:00 PM ET on June 5, 2019.
https://hazmatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/hazmat-logo.jpg00hazzmatt1https://hazmatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/hazmat-logo.jpghazzmatt12019-05-09 00:11:182019-05-09 00:11:19U.S. Business Opportunity: Site Clean-up
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (U.S. OSHA) has cited 7 S Packing LLC – operating as Texas Packing Company in San Angelo, Texas – for exposing workers to releases of hazardous chemicals. The company faces $615,640 in penalties.
The U.S. OSHA determined that the meat-packing facility failed to implement a required Process Safety Management (PSM) program for operating an ammonia refrigeration unit containing over 10,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia. The employer also failed to provide fall protection, guard machines and equipment, control hazardous energy, and implement a respiratory protection program.
The PSM Covered Chemical Facilities National Emphasis Program focuses on reducing or eliminating workplace hazards at chemical facilities to protect workers from catastrophic releases of highly hazardous chemicals. PSM standards emphasize the management of hazards associated with highly hazardous chemicals, and establishes a comprehensive management program that integrates technologies, procedures, and management practices to prevent an unexpected release.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to help ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance.
https://hazmatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/OSHA-logo-620x264.jpg264620hazzmatt1https://hazmatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/hazmat-logo.jpghazzmatt12019-05-08 23:57:052019-05-08 23:57:08Meat Packing Plant facing major fines for exposing workers to hazardous chemicals
Ontario is proposing changes to the excess soil management and brownfields redevelopment regime.
The changes are designed to “make it safer and easier for more excess soil to be reused locally…while continuing to ensure strong environmental protection” and to “clarify rules and remove unnecessary barriers to redevelopment and revitalization of historically contaminated lands…while protecting human health and the environment.”
Opponents will see this as a deregulation which will primarily benefit business interests at the cost of environmental protection, notwithstanding these assurances.
Excess Soil
The changes will include the development of a new excess soil regulation supported by amendments to existing regulations including O. Reg. 347 and O. Reg. 153/04 made under the Environmental Protection Act supports key changes to excess soil management.
Proposed changes include:
clarifying that excess soil is not a waste if appropriately and directly reused;
development of flexible, risk-based reuse excess soil standards and soil characterization rules to provide greater clarity of environmental protection;
removal of waste-related approvals for low risk soil management activities;
improving safe and appropriate reuse of excess soil by requiring testing, tracking and registration of soil movements for larger and riskier generating and receiving sites;
flexibility for soil reuse through a Beneficial Reuse Assessment Tool to develop site specific standards;
landfill restrictions on deposit of clean soil (unless needed for cover).
Record of Site Condition
Under O. Reg. 153/04, a Record of Site Condition must be filed on the Ministry’s public registry if there is a change in property use from an industrial, commercial or community use to a more sensitive use, such as residential, institutional, agricultural, or parkland.
The Ministry is proposing amendments to O. Reg. 153/04 including reduced requirements to fully delineate contaminants (i.e. additional sampling) for properties going through the Risk Assessment process when contamination is already well understood.
The amendments would also provide flexibility on meeting standards where exceedances are caused by the use of a substance for safety under conditions of snow and ice, discharges of treated drinking water, and the presence of fill that matches local background levels.
Other proposed amendments would remove the requirement for a Record of Site Condition for specific low risk redevelopment situations, including converting:
Low-rise commercial buildings to mixed-use residential with commercial on main floor;
Temporary roads in construction areas to residential;
Indoor places of worship to residential; and
Industrial or commercial to indoor agriculture in or on the same building.
The proposal is posted for comment on the Environment Registry until May 31, 2019. To read the full proposal, click here.
This article has been republished with the permission of the author. It was first published here .
This article is provided only as a general guide and is not legal advice. If you do have any issue that requires legal advice please contact Manning Environmental Law.
About the Author
Paul Manning is the principal of Manning Environmental Law and an environmental law specialist certified by the Law Society of Ontario. He has been named as one of the World’s Leading Environmental Lawyers and one of the World’s Leading Climate Change Lawyers by Who’s Who Legal. Paul advises clients on a wide range of environmental law issues and represents them as counsel before tribunals and the courts. His practice focuses on environmental, energy, planning and Aboriginal law.
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The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks recently issued an amended Order to Ontario Graphite Ltd. (OGL), a mining company operating in Kearney. The Order requires the following actions:
The implementation of a long term water level monitoring program of the wastewater treatment works.
The construction of a polishing pond system to treat industrial wastewater generated from the mining operation.
The construction of a stormwater trench and groundwater collection system.
The company is appealing the latest Order from the Environment Ministry.
The OGL mining operation is located in Kearney, Ontario. The town is situated in the Almaguin Highlands region of Parry Sound District of Ontario, Canada. With a landmass of 531 square kilometres and a year-round population of 882 in the Canada 2016 Census, Kearney claims to be the “Biggest Little Town in Ontario.” Butt Township was amalgamated with the Town of Kearney in 1979.
The Order is a the latest in a number Orders issued against OGL. In 2018, the Ontario Environment Ministry issued an Emergency Director’s Order to Ontario Graphite Ltd. (OGL) related to its mining site in Butt Township, Kearney, Ontario. An Emergency Director’s Order is issued when the Environment Ministry is of the opinion that inaction of a situation can result in one or more of the following: danger to the health or safety of any person; harm or serious risk of harm to the environment; or injury or damage or serious risk of injury or damage to any property.
Under the 2018 Emergency Order, OGL was required to take immediate actions to protect the natural environment and to prevent or reduce the discharge of a contaminant into the natural environment from the undertaking or property, or to prevent, decrease or eliminate an adverse effect.
OGL is a privately owned Canadian mining company is in the process of re-commissioning and operating the Kearney Graphite Mine, one of the largest confirmed graphite mineral resource projects in North America and among the largest individual deposits in the world. OGL estimates that there are sufficient graphite reserves at the site to maintain mining operations for over 30 years.
Graphite is a crystalline form a carbon. It occurs naturally in this form and is the most stable form of carbon under standard conditions. Graphite is used in pencils and lubricants.
https://hazmatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Ontario-Graphite-Mine-Site_Cropped.jpg345460John Nicholsonhttps://hazmatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/hazmat-logo.jpgJohn Nicholson2019-05-08 15:46:332019-05-08 15:46:36Environmental Enforcement at Ontario Graphite Mine
Novus Environmental, a 25-person specialized consulting firm with offices in Guelph ON and Calgary AB, was recently acquired by SLR, an UK-headquartered global environmental and advisory firm.
Novus will bring additional capability to SLR’s North American business in air quality, noise and vibration, and wind and climate. The Novus team will join SLR’s Canada business, which will now be 280 strong with 18 offices.
SLR began as SECOR Ltd. in 1994. Starting as a UK business, the company now operates as a global company with more than 1,100 people delivering client solutions across five regions. SLR offers a wide range of advisory and environmental consulting services.
This is SLR’s third acquisition in four months, reflecting the confidence of the company and its new investor Charterhouse Capital Partners in the market, according to Neil Penhall, SLR’s chief executive.
https://hazmatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/novus.gif94300John Nicholsonhttps://hazmatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/hazmat-logo.jpgJohn Nicholson2019-05-08 14:59:592019-05-08 15:00:01Canadian Consulting Firm acquired by UK Giant
