Environmental Protection Logo

Poll

Feature

A Shock to the System

June 1, 2006By Darin St. Germain

A new, stricter arsenic rule is starting to affect small and large water supplies

On Jan. 23, 2006, the arsenic rule was implemented with a new limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb) (the old standard was 50 ppb). The new rule has a broad reach; it affects large and small drinking water treatment systems, including non-community water supplies.

A Sure Thing

June 1, 2006By David L. Coduto

Dissecting the seven habits of highly effective environmental firms

Some successful insurers prosper not because of anything they do internally, but because the people, businesses, or other organizations they insure behave in a way that leaves claims personnel twiddling their thumbs more often than not.

Oxidants on the Job

June 1, 2006By Jason Muessig

Chemical oxidation is proving successful in degrading soil and groundwater contaminants

The need for removal and destruction of contaminants of concern (COC), like petroleum hydrocarbons and chlorinated organics, in soil and groundwater has led to the development of a wide range of technologies for both in ground (in-situ) and above ground (ex-situ) treatment of these contaminants.

Perspective, Population, and Pollution

June 1, 2006By Anthony J. Sadar

Rethinking the impact of global population on environmental degradation

People are closed-minded. When it comes to ideas that oppose their own, most people will defend their position rather than give some serious consideration to an alternative viewpoint.

Trailblazers

June 1, 2006By Steve Barnett

In the absence of adequate federal programs, a new state initiative is tackling greenhouse gases and fossil fuel use

There is a rising flood of coverage in America of global climate change and greenhouse gases (GHGs), including a motion picture (The Day After Tomorrow), an HBO feature (Too Hot Not to Handle), a New York Times piece (Yelling 'Fire' on a Hot Planet), a TIME magazine cover story (Be Worried. Be Very Worried), a film starring Al Gore (An Inconvenient Truth), photos of receding glaciers, and reports of drowning polar bears.

What Kind of EHS Leader Are You?

June 1, 2006By Richard MacLean

The six Ws of leadership

The vast majority of environmental, health, and safety (EHS) professionals are competent, dedicated soldiers who fight the day-to-day battles to protect the health and safety of fellow employees, the community, and the environment.

It's Not My Job

May 1, 2006By Richard MacLean

In a changing business environment, just what are your job responsibilities?

Environmental, health, and safety (EHS) roles and responsibilities have been shaped over the past 30 years primarily by U.S.-based regulatory requirements. But what happens if other forces were to dominate how EHS professionals add value? That tipping point may be approaching, and once reached, EHS roles and responsibilities could dramatically shift, hopefully for the better -- but maybe for the worse. Will other functional areas grab the very best jobs? The answer lies in whether EHS professionals will lead, follow, or get pushed out of the way.

Lead Out

May 1, 2006By Trudy Heller, PhD

Management's greatest environmental resource might be right under its nose

When the McDonald's Corporation formed an alliance with the non-profit Environmental Defense Fund in 1990 it was an extraordinary and newsworthy event. Business and environmentalists had been pitted against each other in conflicting values, policies, and public debate.

Speeding Up Meth Lab Remediation

May 1, 2006By Lynn D. Dewees

As the pace of methamphetamine production accelerates, environmental professionals are overcoming difficult cleanup challenges

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez has called it "a unique and deadly threat to our nation -- which destroys lives far beyond those of just the addicts and the users."

Weathering the Storm

May 1, 2006By Dianne P. Crocker

A critical look at the promising future of the Phase I ESA market in a hurricane-ravaged New Orleans

Aug. 25, 2005: Hurricane Katrina, the 11th named tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and first Category 5 hurricane of the season, makes landfall north of Miami, Fla., killing dozens. Four days later, the slightly weakened system touches down on the Central Gulf Coast of Louisiana.

What's Up Dock?

May 1, 2006By Heida Diefenderfer, Shelly Randall

Net ecosystem improvement gives new life to an old design

Near-shore construction projects can take forever. Design, environmental studies, permitting, building, and unforeseen circumstances, create a labyrinth worthy of any Minotaur.

Auditing

April 1, 2006By Richard MacLean

Moving through four transitions

The nature of environmental, health, and safety (EHS) auditing has changed dramatically over the past 30 years. It may be on the verge of making its next big transformation: joining ranks with mainstream business governance functions. How has EHS auditing changed, and what may be on the horizon?

Environmental Justice: Beginnings Through Today (Part 2)

April 1, 2006By H. Troy Stuckey, Jacqueline Fortin

A continuing look at the disproportionate impact of industrial pollution on racial minority and low-income populations and EPA's attempt to deal with the problem

The environmental justice movement found its roots in the 1980s when studies were published describing environmental and public health injustices in minority communities. Impacted areas across the southern United States continued to surface throughout the decade.

If You Build It

April 1, 2006By Scott D. Wallace

Constructed wetlands provide an ideal solution for dealing with stormwater in increasingly urbanized environments

Stormwater managers around the country are challenged by growing regulatory requirements in the face of increasingly urbanized land uses. As cities continue to grow, more and more areas are covered with roads, buildings, parking lots, and other impervious surfaces.

The New Iron-fisted Approach to Mercury

April 1, 2006By James J. Hattler

California's tougher mercury-disposal restrictions are opening the way for innovation in mercury containment and transport

The California Department of Toxic Substances (DTSC) began enforcing Universal Waste management rules for all waste generators effective Feb. 9, 2006. All businesses and households are now required to properly dispose of batteries and mercury-containing lamps and devices at a certified recycling facility.