August Mack Environmental

Have you ever heard of the Greater Indiana Clean Cities Coalition? The Greater Indiana Clean Cities Coalition, better known as “Clean Cities” is program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE) in order to promote alternative fuels and technology. The long term goals of the program are to improve our air quality and decrease our dependence on foreign oil, as well as create more green jobs.  To learn more about the topic for yourself, visit greaterindiana.com

This Friday, May 18, 2012 is National Bike to Work Day. What a great way to start another sustainable practice and get some exercise at the same time!  Make sure to wear a helmet and practice safe riding habits. So this Friday, help the environment, improve your health, and save some money!

Register now for our webinar on sustainability on July 19, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. This webinar will provide an introductory overview of sustainability as it relates to businesses and organizations. We will also discuss an approach to get started with planning and implementation of a sustainability program for your organization. We will cite specific examples of where sustainability saved organizations money. And best of all, the webinar platform for learning is an excellent sustainable practice...

Don't forget to register for the free August Mack webinar tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. covering the important topic of recordkeeping.

The preliminary stages of environmental due diligence associated with a commercial real estate transaction often identifies environmental concerns or recognized environmental conditions (RECs). At August Mack, after initial environmental concerns have been identified we are often asked, “what is the next step?” Whether initial environmental concerns were identified in a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (Phase I ESA), Modified Phase I ESA, or Records Search with Risk Assessment, a Phase II...

Did you know if your facility is importing materials from outside the United States, you may be applicable to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). TSCA regulates not only what you are manufacturing at your facility, but also what you are importing. For further assistance in determining applicability to the TSCA Chemical Data Reporting requirement, make sure to give us a call. The June 30, 2012 deadline is fast approaching!

In a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment report, a client might read in the report that a "de minmis" condition exists at the study site. A good example of this is oil stains that you see every day on the asphalt in a retail parking lot.  These stains are clearly from use of the lot and not from a large spill, but rather from typical vehicle leaks, etc.  So what does de minimus mean?

No explicit definition of de minimis exists in the current ASTM Standard (E1527-05).  That is rumored to...

If it’s not in writing, it did not happen! Environmental regulations offer some significant challenges to modern businesses.  Chief among these may be keeping the right records and keeping them the right amount of time to demonstrate environmental compliance.  In the face of these challenges, businesses need to develop clear recordkeeping systems and record retention policies.

Good recordkeeping systems can take on many forms.  However, they all have one trait in common; good organization!...

A devoted team of August Mack employees completed the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon on Saturday May 5, 2012 as charity runners for the American Cancer Society (ACS).   It was 13.1 miles of pure excitement as 35,000 runners from all over the country competed in one of the nation’s largest half-marathons.  This is the third year in a row that Heather, Laura, and Dave competed in the event and raised money for ACS.  It was Scott and Kim’s first year, and I know they’ll be back for more. Being the...

When your old appliance breaks down and ultimately needs to be replaced, consider purchasing an Energy Star rated appliance. To get this rating, the appliances need to meet certain energy efficiency requirements. One of the real costs of many appliances is the operating costs (energy). If you can minimize the amount of energy needed, this helps minimize your operating costs.

August Mack recently attended and exhibited at the Citizens Energy Group Energy and Water Education Conference. At the conference important information was presented regarding energy and water utility services that impact and improve both economic development and the quality of life for residents and businesses in Central Indiana. The educational sessions, held at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Indianapolis, covered topics such as Water Resource Planning for Central Indiana, Managing our Central...

Our office in Ohio does a wide variety of EH&S projects. But one project type that we do lots of is the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment. By the end of the year, we will have performed several hundred of these projects. This helps our clients understand and minimize their risk related to property transactions. If you are in need of having a Phase I performed, call Eric Cooper in our Ohio office at 614-798-9922.

August Mack Environmental is a proud member of the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association. Pictured to the left are August Mack's President and Vice President displaying our membership plaque. August Mack provides additional value to their membership by providing a Free Webinar Series program on a variety of EH&S topics.

On May 15, 2012, Bennett Thayer from our August Mack Environmental's Dublin, Ohio office will be making a presentation at the Operator Training Committee of Ohio, Inc.'s Industrial Pretreatment Workshop. Ben will be speaking on "Consulting the Waste Water Permit Holder" at 3:00pm at the Deer Creek State Park event. 

Don't forget tomorrow's webinar on Ohio’s New Industrial Storm Water General Permit. Register here to attend.

In 1975, the ban on asbestos products was expanded to include the use of wet-applied and pre-formed (molded) asbestos pipe insulation and block insulation on boilers and hot water tanks. In 1977, the EPA banned asbestos joint compounds, made domestically, but they could still be imported from other countries. In 1978, the EPA ban was extended to include spray applied asbestos containing products used for “decorative” purposes. Any structures built after 1980 which contained building materials...

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s (OEPA) new industrial storm water general permit (OHR000005) will be replacing the previous industrial storm water general permit (OHR000004) which expired on May 31, 2011.  In order to help industry more easily identify Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWP3) requirements and effective best management practices (BMPs) for specific operations, the OEPA has adopted framework from the federal Multi-Sector General Permit.  The new OEPA general permit...

Take advantage of the warmer weather and save a few dollars in gas money and ride to work. The benefits are endless.....  save money, improve your health, help the environment. This is definitely a win-win-win! And after you begin this effort, solicit some co-workers to join you on the ride into work. Team building at its best!

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the US. EPA announced a settlement case in early April that will result in lead abatement projects at 14 area buildings with 463 total units. 

The property management company in the settlement is to remove or replace windows with lead-based paint, address deteriorating paint on porch surfaces and undertake other projects within five years. An additional monetary penalty was associated with this settlement.

According to HUD and EPA,...

Being the owner and/or operator of an underground storage tank (UST) can be overwhelming at times. Since the compliance, closure, and corrective actions are constantly changing, it poses a challenge to UST owners to not only know and follow the regulations, but to do this while being profitable. As UST owners and/or operators, one of the worst things you can hear is that there has been a release at your property. These are typically discovered during UST closure activities or other subsurface...