A client didn't know how their oil/water separator worked. Their maintenance crew had been pouring degreaser straight into it for months. Here's what happened next.
An EPA inspector doesn't call ahead. When they pull into your lot, you have about 5 minutes. Here's what they look at first.
Waste profiles expire. Most facilities don't know that. An expired profile means you're shipping hazardous waste without proper characterization.
Your SPCC plan is federally required if you store oil. Most facilities have one from years ago that nobody has looked at since.
The fine is just the starting point. Cleanup, legal fees, and operational disruption can run 5 to 10 times the penalty amount.
The first 30 minutes after a spill determine whether it stays a minor incident or becomes a six-figure cleanup.
Most industrial facilities need a stormwater permit and are not sampling correctly. Here is what compliance actually requires.
Vacuum trucks handle jobs that nothing else can. Here is when you need one, what it costs, and how to avoid getting overcharged.
Underground storage tank removal involves permits, excavation, soil sampling, and disposal. Typical costs range from $10,000 to $40,000 per tank.
Not all environmental services companies are equal. Here is how to evaluate providers and spot the red flags.
Understand the three RCRA hazardous waste generator categories, monthly thresholds, accumulation limits, and what happens when you get your category wrong.
Used oil regulations, storage requirements, recycling economics, and the mistakes that turn cheap used oil into expensive hazardous waste.
DOT hazmat training, shipping papers, placarding, packaging, and common violations that carry fines up to $79,976 per occurrence.
Phase 1 ESAs protect buyers from inheriting contamination. What triggers one, what it covers, what it costs, and what happens when it finds something.
40 CFR 261.7 defines when a hazardous waste container is RCRA empty. Residue limits, triple rinse requirements, and common mistakes that trigger violations.
Industrial pretreatment permits regulate what you discharge to the sewer. Who needs one, what gets monitored, and what happens when you exceed limits.
NESHAP requirements under 40 CFR 61, survey obligations, the abatement process step by step, costs, and what happens when contractors skip the survey.
TSCA thresholds, cleanup levels, reporting requirements, disposal rules, and real transformer leak scenarios with actual costs.
OSHA 1910.146 confined space entry requirements covering atmospheric testing, permits, rescue plans, and real fatality scenarios from environmental jobs.
CERCLA liability, Phase 1 ESA requirements, high-risk property types, environmental insurance, and real remediation cost scenarios for commercial buyers.
RCRA hazardous waste storage requirements including container management, labeling, aisle space, inspections, and satellite accumulation rules.
Complete guide to emergency spill kits including contents, sizes, types, placement, training, and maintenance. Real cost scenarios from the field.
Month-by-month environmental compliance calendar covering Tier II, TRI, SPCC, stormwater, RCRA inspections, and biennial reporting deadlines.
RCRA satellite accumulation area rules under 40 CFR 262.15. The 55-gallon limit, 3-day transfer clock, labeling, and common violations.
