Environmental Regulation Compliance

Implementing an Environmental Management System (EMS) at your company can be extremely beneficial by providing a general framework for organizing the tasks for effective environmental management. Additionally, implementing an EMS can have the following benefits:

• Integrates existing environmental programs
• Creates an orderly process for understanding and meeting regulatory requirements
• Integrates environmental issues into mainstream business activities
• Reduces risks associated with environmental issues
• Builds an engine of continuous environmental performance
• Improves environmental performance
• Enhances image with public, regulators, lenders and investors
• Increases efficiency/reducing costs

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation of fugitive volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions, or leaks, arose out of the research projects conducted between the 1950s and 1980s at several facilities throughout the United States. The research concluded the cumulative effect of all the leaking components may present environmental and health problems to the surrounding area. The research also concluded when most components leak, they do so at very low levels, thus a majority of fugitive emissions come from a very small percentage (not exceeding 10 percent) of high leaking components. The need for fugitive VOC emissions was also necessitated by the fact that approximately 70 percent of total VOC emissions from facilities engaging in processing of gases and light liquids arose from uncontrolled emissions.

To learn more about LDAR, click here to read an article written by one of the environmental compliance specialists at August Mack Environmental.

The Safety and Environmental Base Module is the foundation of eCAP^®. This module is designed to provide ongoing solutions to environmental compliance requirements. It provides routine interaction with the environmental compliance consultant experts and plant personnel to ensure consistent environmental regulation compliance and program improvement. This can be accomplished at three levels: program development, program implementation and compliance monitoring. In addition, training can be provided to employees to establish an understanding of the facility’s environmental, health and safety mission. At least one of these options are required and selections of additional options is dependent upon the facility’s compliance needs.

Knowing the difficulties associated with compliance, August Mack has developed an environmental, health and safety compliance assurance program (eCAP^®) that can revolutionize the way facilities manage environmental regulation compliance. eCAP^® focuses on the facility’s regulatory compliance, while reducing facility expenses on an annual basis and allowing internal personnel to focus on production. August Mack’s proven program manages corporate risk by outsourcing a plant’s regulatory compliance for a fixed monthly fee.

Our experience shows that clients spend a significant amount of time and money participating in training seminars, policy and regulatory committee meetings to educate themselves and track the ever-changing regulatory requirements. After all the research and education, many manufacturers are still uncertain regarding the applicability of regulations for their specific operations. In the end, compliance can only be confirmed via regulatory agency inspections, which often result in “Notices of Violation”, penalties and fines. eCAP^® is designed to eliminate all of these uncertainties and allows you to focus on your bottom line.

eCAP^® provides a team of experts in all areas of EPA environmental compliance to implement, review and maintain an environmental management system that ensures compliance with current and future regulations. This allows the facility personnel to focus efforts on production requirements and August Mack experts to focus on the facility’s EH&S compliance issues.

eCAP^® is modularly designed to help facilities achieve and maintain compliance with the following: 

• Clean Air Act (CAA)
• Clean Water Act (CWA)
• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
• Resource Conversation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

It is estimated leaking components in facilities nationwide emit more than 40,000 tons of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) each year. Recent EPA audits suggest that actual facility leak rates are over five times as much as what had been previously reported. The EPA is increasing enforcement and more facilities are becoming applicable to Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) program requirements through the Clean Air Act via New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) regulations.

This informative webinar will detail applicability requirements of facilities subject to LDAR program from NSPS and NESHAP regulations. The webinar will also explore implementation options that facilities have to fully execute LDAR.

Click here to view this recorded webinar presented by an August Mack Environmental Compliance Consultant.

Since its inception in 1999, eCAP^® has been implemented for more than 100 clients throughout North America. When trying to determine the top benefits of eCAP^®, we asked our clients what they thought and four top benefits were mentioned: file organization, fixed cost structure, technical expertise and preservation of institutional knowledge.