How EPA Uses AI and Your Own Compliance Data to Target Facility Inspections
EPA uses machine-learning models and facility compliance data to target inspections. How the RCRA model works — and how plant managers lower their risk profile.
EHS Insights & Compliance Updates
Article archive — page 2 of 18
New York's 2026 Data Center Moratorium: What the Scope Actually Covers — and What Keeps Moving
New York's 2026 hyperscale data center moratorium pauses new state permits for facilities of 50 MW or more. Here is the actual scope, exemptions, and timeline.
The NO2 Standard Isn't Changing in 2026: What EPA's NAAQS Review Draft ISA Actually Means for Air Permitting
EPA's draft ISA opens the NO2 NAAQS review — but the standard isn't changing in 2026. What the science step means for air permitting and modeling headroom.
Confined Space Program Requirements for Fleet Maintenance: What the FleetPride Tanker Trailer Citations Demand
OSHA's $264,380 proposed FleetPride citation shows what a confined space program for fleet maintenance and tanker entry requires under 29 CFR 1910.146.
Data Center Generator Air Permits: The 1995 EPA Memo That Decides Whether Your Fleet Is a Major Source
Air permit rules for data center backup generator fleets: the 500-hour PTE default, the 100-hour emergency cap, PSD triggers, and the Memphis citizen suit.
Iowa Renumbered Its Air Quality Rules: The Title V Permit Citation Crosswalk to Complete Before August 17, 2026
EPA's July 16, 2026 approval moves Iowa Title V rules from IAC 567 Chapter 22 to Chapter 24, effective August 17. The permit citation crosswalk facilities need.
Inhalable Microplastics in Recycling and Plastics Operations: Why the Missing Exposure Limit Is the Risk, Not the Reprieve
No OSHA limit covers inhalable microplastics, yet shredding spikes respirable particles up to 2,910x background. Here's how to monitor worker exposure now.
Confined-Space Liability Doesn't Stop at the Host Employer: What the Converse, Texas Staffing-Agency Citations Prove
A 2026 Texas confined-space fatality drew separate OSHA citations for a staffing agency and its host contractor — proof neither escapes liability for temp labor.
OSHA Made First Offenses Cheaper in 2025. It Left Repeats Exactly Where They Were.
OSHA cut first-offense penalties up to 70% in July 2025 and froze 2026 rates. Repeat violations still get 2x-10x gravity multipliers and no history discount.
Repeat OSHA Lockout/Tagout Citations: How a Prior Citation Raises Your Penalty Exposure
A prior lockout/tagout citation can make the next one a repeat at $165,514. What the five-year lookback really measures, and what you can still contest.
Hazardous Waste Determination Requirements Under RCRA: What EPA's $996,703 Denka Settlement Tells Every Generator
EPA's $996,703 Denka RCRA settlement shows how hazardous waste determination failures under 40 CFR 262.11 unfold — and what EHS managers should document now.
EPA Proposes to Drop Federal Public Notice Minimums for Minor Source Air Permits: What Actually Changes at Your Plant
EPA's July 2026 proposal would end federal public notice minimums for minor source air permits. What changes, what doesn't, and the Title V risk EPA flagged.
EPA's New ERC Guidance: NNSR Permits Can Now Issue Before Offsets Are Secured — Here's the Catch
EPA's July 1, 2026 guidance lets air agencies issue NNSR permits before emission reduction credits are secured. The two mandatory conditions — and the risks.
You Have Locks. Do You Have a Compliant Lockout/Tagout Program?
A LOTO program isn't compliant just because you own padlocks. OSHA's 1910.147 requires four elements — miss one and it's a citation. Here's the full audit.
PFAS in Biosolids: What Facilities That Discharge to a POTW Should Audit Now
EPA walked back its 2025 biosolids risk assessment and there is still no federal PFOA/PFOS limit. Here is the real liability for facilities discharging to a POTW.
Plywood and Composite Wood NESHAP: 2026 Compliance Requirements for Panel Plants and Lumber Kilns
EPA's final PCWP NESHAP takes effect July 6, 2026, reaching 219 major-source facilities. Here's what plywood, OSB, MDF, and lumber-kiln operators must do to comply.
LDAR Program Requirements Under NESHAP: Method 21, Leak Thresholds, and the Repair Clock Every Facility Gets Wrong
LDAR isn't one rule but four. Method 21 leak thresholds by component, the 5-day/15-day repair clock, and per-day CAA penalty exposure under NSPS, NESHAP, and HON.
You Won an EPA Brownfields Grant. Here Is How to Procure the Phase I ESA Correctly
Won an EPA Brownfields grant? Every grant-funded Phase I ESA must meet All Appropriate Inquiries under 40 CFR Part 312 and ASTM E1527-21. Here is what to require.
The Chemours $450M PFAS Settlement: Why Active Industrial Sources Need a Source Audit Now
EPA's $450M Chemours PFAS settlement draws the enforcement line at active industrial sources. What a facility source audit covers and the liability it documents.
OSHA's August 19 Hearing on the Carcinogen and Respirator Proposals: What's Changing, What Isn't, and Why You Shouldn't Touch Your Program Yet
OSHA's Aug 19, 2026 hearing covers 20+ deregulatory proposals affecting respirator rules across 13 carcinogen standards. The exposure limits are not changing. Here's what's actually on the table.
The PFAS Drinking Water Deadline Moved. Your Industrial Liability Didn't.
EPA proposed extending the PFOA/PFOS drinking water MCL deadline to 2031, but it's not final and CERCLA liability for manufacturers is unchanged.
RCRA on the Job Site: How Construction and Demolition Contractors Get Hazardous Waste Right
Construction and demolition contractors face RCRA hazardous waste rules the moment debris is generated — generator categories, lead-paint D008, and disposal duties.
Just Made Safety Manager? Here's How to Get Your OSHA Compliance House in Order
Newly assigned safety manager? Work your OSHA compliance in the order OSHA enforces it — recordkeeping, 8/24-hour reporting, written programs, and deadlines.
OSHA Workplace Violence Prevention: The Program Requirements That Apply Without a Standard
There is no federal OSHA workplace violence standard. Here are the prevention program requirements that actually govern employers under the General Duty Clause.