Tag Archives: EPA

New Air Quality Standards Due This Week

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Ambient Monitors

USDA Air Quality Testing Monitors

Particulate matter is the number one environmental issue we deal with for cotton gins. PM standards are the reason we have cyclones and the reason we’re moving through the process of adopting new rules for gins in many states. It appears that the EPA will be releasing a new proposed particulate matter standard later this week in response to a federal court order. Its hard to say what will happen with this new rule but rest assured we’ll be watching it.

The Clean Air Act established Particulate Matter (PM) as one of its base line pollutants. When it first came out, the main issue was TSP or total suspended particulate but as Continue reading →

>Farms Get More Time for SPCC

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>The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has recently posted, in the Federal Register, that farms will get an additional 18 months to comply with new Spill Prevention Containment and Countermeasures (SPCC) regulations. The delay will only apply to farms and farmers not to other facilities. Farms in place before 2002 should have a plan already in place under older rules. Farms that have been started since then will have until May 2013 to get a plan in place and those older farms with plans under the old rules must maintain that old plan and be in compliance with the newer rules by May 2013.

EPA has been in the process of implementing new SPCC regulations for a number of years with various delays and extensions. As of 2010, businesses must comply with the new SPCC rules by November 7, 2011. We have been working with our members for a couple years now attempting to get the word out and determining the level of plan necessary to be in compliance. The new rules require different levels of plan be in place depending on a number of factors such as petroleum storage capacity. If you need information on your status for SPCC compliance, contact Barry Nevius in our office.

Any businesses in place prior to August, 2002 should have a plan in place under the older rules. They may operate under those rules until the compliance date for the new rules. Those businesses that have started up since 2002 may be operating without a plan in place until the compliance date for the new rules. This is all very vague, I know, but dates and compliance requirements have only been somewhat firm (like jello) in the past few months even though the process has been ongoing for 6 or more YEARS.

The extension referenced above is for FARMS ONLY. Gins and any business that is not an actual production farm must be in compliance with the new rules by November 7, 2011. Farms have until May 10, 2013. Farms in production before 2002 should have a spill prevention plan under the old rules in place.

Give Barry a call if you have questions about your status.

Dusty