Yearly Archives: 2014
Common Permits for Industrial Facilities
POV
December 23, 2014
Some of my most exciting work at SMG is to manage environmental permitting for new facilities or facility expansions. Identifying all of the permits and registrations required is no simple job, especially when the site is located in a jurisdiction where we have not had previous projects. It is common to have federal, state, and […]
TOILETS, Drugs, Wipes, Babies, Cats!
POV
December 22, 2014
One daily action most often taken for granted is flushing the toilet. Where does the water go when we flush? How many miles of pipe does wastewater travel before reaching the treatment plant? How is wastewater treated to become an acceptable effluent for discharge into a receiving water? We typically don’t think about these things […]
EPA Recognizes Market-Based Nutrient Trading Program
POV
December 19, 2014
The EPA, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the White House Council on Environmental Quality recently recognized a market-based nutrient trading program run by the Commonwealth of Virginia. The nutrient trading program works to offset increases in phosphorus loads by creating a market supply and demand for land capture and storage of nutrients. For […]
Chesapeake Bay Region Streams are Warming
POV
December 16, 2014
Based on the new U.S. Geological Survey research published in the journal Climatic Change, the majority of streams in the Chesapeake Bay region are warming which appears to be driven largely by the rising air temperatures. Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States, with a watershed covering 64,243 square miles including parts […]
OSHA’s Top 10 Most Cited Violations for 2014
POV
December 11, 2014
There have been significant changes in OSHA programs this year. The changes to hazard communication (GHS) is being enforced as well as new fall protection requirements. OSHA enforcement has put an emphasis on temporary worker safety and new recordkeeping and reporting rules have been released. An article from Safety + Health magazine poses a great […]