Compliance Resources to Help you Stay Current

PepsiCo is well on its way to becoming one of the world’s most sustainable companies. About a couple of years after it launched its Path to Zero program, the company has released an update on the progress it has made in respect of its environmental targets and its pursuit to become a fossil fuel-free operation by 2023.

According to documents associated with the case, the Mine had 11 unpermitted discharges into the Nenana River, Hoseanna Creek, Sanderson Creek, and Francis Creek between April 2007 and July 2010. During that time, the mine also had 10 violations of their discharge permit limits.

For new and remodeled Denny’s restaurants in the US, Cree Inc has become the preferred manufacturer of energy efficient LED lighting. The Durham, NC-based lighting maker cites the experiences of two Denny’s franchisees that have seven restaurants and use Cree LR6, 6-inch downlights.

Gasco Energy, Inc., the erstwhile operator of the Riverbend Compressor Station on the Uinta and Ouray Indian Reservation near Vernal, Utah, has agreed to pay $350,000 as penalty and provide for air pollution controls at its facilities in the Uinta Basin to resolve the allegations of having violated the Clean Air Act at the facility.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) have joined hands to promote technical cooperation on chemical management activities. ECHA is the agency that implements the European Union’s chemical management program known as REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals). In line with their shared commitment to improve chemical safety, ECHA and the EPA have signed a statement of intent to cooperate at the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) meeting in Washington, D.C. In practice, the cooperation will take place between ECHA and the EPA’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics and the National Centre for Computational Toxicology.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) levied a fine of USD 82,400 on Monterey Park, Calif.- based Kinetic Solutions Inc., for allegedly selling unregistered and misbranded pesticides. The company made illegal public health claims for its air purifier branded “Nano Silver Pre filter” and the filter’s ability to control over 650 types of bacteria. It also claimed that its filter incorporated a substance called "nano silver" or "silver nano ions,” which prevent, destroy, repel or mitigate bacteria and mold. Law defines products that kill or repel bacteria or germs as pesticides, and hence they must be registered with the EPA before distribution or sale. EPA does not register a pesticide until it has been tested to demonstrate that it will not pose an unreasonable risk when used according to the directions. According to EPA, the Nano Silver Pre Filter was marketed as a pesticide although it was not registered as such. Thus, the company’s false claim and failure to comply with the federal law violated the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. The violations were discovered through an online search and subsequent inspection by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

Vital community information will be provided shortly with the release of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) annual national analysis of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). Information on the disposal and release of toxic chemical into the air, land and water, and on waste management and pollution prevention activities in neighborhoods across America is published by the TRI program. The report claims that there has been a 12% decrease in the release of toxic chemicals into the environment from 2008, with the 2009 figures being 3.37 billion pounds.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) celebrates its 30-year-old Superfund program as well as working towards making it stronger and more effective. It is focusing on dealing with cleaning up hazardous waste sites, a constantly changing challenge. The Superfund or the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) came into effect in December 1980 in order to deal with the sites in the United States that were the most complex, uncontrolled, polluted, or abandoned.

The U.S market is currently flooded with various "environmentally-friendly" products of every category - from automobiles to groceries. More than 95% of consumer products marketed as "green," were found to have made spurious claims or indulged in "greenwashing." The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Better Business Bureau, the media and a growing number of consumer advocates are endeavoring to curb greenwashing by increasing self-regulatory efforts and stepping up enforcement of truth-in-advertising laws.

The latest and perhaps the hottest trend witnessed nowadays among the world leading consumer companies is to evolve and be recognized as environment friendly companies. The newest to join the list are Procter and Gamble and Coca Cola.

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) levied a penalty of USD 15,000 on two construction companies found violating the Clean Water Act at Flathead Lake in Flathead County, Montana. EPA also levied a fine of USD 10,000 on Dockmaster, Inc, a barge owner.

The U.S government has sought reduction of air pollution from large ships. The reduction would apply to ships that operate in the coastlines of Puerto Rico and the U.S Virgin Islands. A proposal has been presented to the International Maritime Organization (IMO). It calls for defining these waters as an emission control area. Once so defined, large ships have to use cleaner fuel or install superior pollution control technology. Air Pollution in Puerto Rico and U.S Virgin Islands is mainly caused by tankers, container vessels and cruise ships.

A Pittsfield printing company, Interprint Inc, has agreed to shell out USD 80,000 as penalty and spend USD 305,000 to replace old, polluting wood stoves in Western Massachusetts. They will be replaced by cleaner models such as EPA-certified wood stoves or gas or propane heaters. This is in settlement of claims by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that charged Interprint with violating the federal Clean Air Act. The company will provide USD 1000 worth vouchers to each household to encourage replacement of the pre-1988 wood stoves.

Lead UN climate negotiator Christiana Figueres has her hands full what with 194 countries breathing down her neck to arrive at a consensus on a climate change treaty at the global warming talks in Cancun.  

Unlike last year in Copenhagen, she was holding forth on leveraging value chains – a phrase one would associate with supply chain management.  She implored to the 200 business leaders in attendance at the World Climate Summit to transform the sector they operate in.  The latter may oblige in the backdrop of climate action stagnating at Cancun and Congress.  Companies are dealing with the supply chain climate problems on their own. They are collaborating and open-sourcing with their peers beyond all expectations. Quicker, cheaper and larger-scale solutions are thus emerging.

Tacoma-based Pacific Functional Fluids LLC., has been fined USD 21,000 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to settle hazardous chemical reporting violations. The company stores and distributes petroleum and other products at its facility.

Service Energy LLC, headquartered in Dover, Delaware, was fined USD 40,000 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for violation of oil spill prevention regulations at its two oil storage facilities located at Lewes and Sussex. The settlement penalty took into account the company’s financial position, the co-operation it extended to EPA and its eventual compliance with EPA regulations.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered the owner of an abandoned factory, Hillcrest Building, located in the Scranton area, to comply with asbestos cleanup regulations. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection conducted two inspections and issued two notices of violation to Walter Stocki, for violating asbestos regulations. EPA conducted a follow-up inspection and confirmed that the property was still contaminated with asbestos.

Industry veterans joined Green Automotive Company Corporation to facilitate the company’s endeavor towards vehicle compliance and certification to ensure it conforms to standards as they gear up for its U.S. sales of the Zotye Electric SUV. Green Automotive Company is a U.S. public company and the exclusive importer/distributor of Zotye Electric Cars/SUVs to North America.

Nike has announced the release of a public version of its Environmental Apparel Design Tool. The tool was built over seven years at a cost of USD 6 million. The eco-friendly design tool gives each design an overall score allowing designers to make informed decisions and effect design changes in the earliest stages of production thereby minimizing wastage.

On November 29 a report was released by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCSAT). Called Accelerating the Pace of Change in Energy Technologies through an Integrated Federal Energy Policy, the report furnishes a roadmap for the federal role to transform the energy system within a decade or two. The PCAST has sought regular strategic Quadrennial Reviews of energy policy on the lines of quadrennial reviews brought out regularly by the U.S. Department of Defense.

The first one is scheduled for early 2015. The group is comprised of presidentially appointed experts from varied fields. The fields represented are academia, nongovernmental organizations and industry. The group suggests a DOE level version of the review by June 1, 2011, focusing on DOE’s activities. According to the authors, the following factors justify the federal plan: