Audit, Compliance and Risk Blog

6PPDQ: How a Solution Became the Problem

Jane MacVicar — Wed, 13 May 2026 21:11:39 GMT

Discovering a preservative that can extend the life of rubber tires, brakes and hoses, translating into fewer of these products ending up in the landfill sounds like a good environmental solution to the problem of rubber degradation. Now, what if such an anti-degradant exists in your garden hose and in the brakes and tires on your car, but it’s so toxic that it kills salmon and has recently been linked to Parkinson’s disease in humans?

Often, the solution to one problem can absolutely ravage our safety in a completely different area. What I am talking about in this case is: 6PPD-quinone (6-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline quinone or 6PPDQ) (CAS No. 2754428-18-5). Developed in the early 1960s and patented in 1965, 6PPDQ was widely used by the 1970s. It is not an additive exactly, but a transformation product that forms when 6PPD (CAS No. 793-24-8) reacts with ozone and oxygen. The idea behind it was to make tires last longer, which is a great environmental objective, however, 6PPDQ has been found to have a devastating effect on salmon, specifically coho and chinook salmon.

India’s Labour Reforms - New Streamlined OSH Code and Beyond

Jen Chiapella — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:00:00 GMT

On November 21, 2025, India’s long-awaited Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Code, 2020 came into force. It replaces 13 National Labour laws with a single consolidated Code intended to improve transparency, enhance worker welfare, and promote ease of doing business in India. Significant labour reforms were also brought into force on this date in three additional Codes: the Code on Wages 2019, the Industrial Relations Code 2020, and the Code on Social Security, thereby replacing 29 laws with these four Codes and establishing a framework to enable robust improvements in OHS for workers and employers. It is important to note that many of the detailed provisions will be fully enacted upon the issuance of state rules.

What the Latest EPA Monitoring Data Reveal About America’s Drinking Water

Frank Skiba — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:30:00 GMT

On February 12, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a major update to its national drinking water monitoring data under the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5). This dataset, representing nearly 95% of the monitoring results collected through 2025, gives the most comprehensive snapshot yet of the prevalence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in America’s public water systems.

The Hidden Cost of Cutting EHS Compliance Content

shannonm@stpub.com (Shannon Major) — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) functions are too often viewed as cost centers, and, as a result, are among the first areas scrutinized when organizations seek to reduce expenses. In today’s climate of economic uncertainty, many EHS leaders are being asked to re-examine already lean budgets and identify potential cuts. It is a difficult mandate.

Increasingly, EHS regulatory compliance content is among the first items considered for reduction. Before making that decision, however, it is critical to examine the forces driving this impulse and the broader implications for the organization. What appears to be a short-term saving can ultimately generate far greater costs in reputation, risk exposure, and financial performance.

New York court orders state to issue overdue greenhouse gas regulations

Jon Elliott — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 19:37:06 GMT

New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019 (CLCPA) sets out ambitious goals for the state to measure and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has not met all the act’s deadlines to issue implementing regulations. Most recently, on October 24, 2025 a state trial court (the Supreme Court of Albany County) ordered DEC to issue overdue regulations directing emission sources to reduce GHG emissions. The remainder of this note discusses CLCPA and its status.

Quebec extends occupational health and safety program requirements

Jon Elliott — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 18:59:59 GMT

Effective October 1, 2025, Quebec has extended the reach of occupational health and safety (OH&S) “prevention plan” requirements to additional employers, by granting assent (effectiveness) to the last provisions of 2021’s “Act to modernize the occupational health and safety regime (Bill 59)” by amending the “Act respecting occupational health and safety” (OHS Act) and a related Occupational Health and Safety Commission (CNNEST) regulation (Regulation respecting prevention and participation mechanisms in an establishment).

Value of using a trusted EHS monitoring notification feed

Daniel Friedman — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 16:30:29 GMT

In an era of rapid regulatory change, Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) professionals face mounting pressure to ensure their audit checklists and compliance tasks are maintained for facilities located across the globe. While generative AI tools like ChatGPT can be used for EHS research, they lack the precision, reliability, and specialization in EHS required for managing compliance risk. STP ComplianceEHS, as a dedicated EHS content provider, provides a targeted platform through the RegHub product for monitoring regulatory change, including expert editorial oversight, global coverage, and purpose-built compliance tools.

Future-Proofing Compliance: Building Agile EHS Audit Programs for a Changing Regulatory Landscape

shannonm@stpub.com (Shannon Major) — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 18:00:00 GMT

In today's rapidly evolving regulatory environment, meeting compliance obligations is more than a legal requirement—it's a business imperative. For organizations committed to excellence in Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) management, a well-designed and agile EHS audit program is a vital tool. Beyond simply checking boxes, it helps identify risks, protect workers, ensure environmental stewardship, and drive continuous improvement.

This blog explores the key elements of a successful EHS audit program, the critical role of the Audit Program Manager, and how to effectively integrate emerging regulatory requirements to stay ahead of change.

California Extends and Amends its Greenhouse Gas Cap and Trade Program

Jon Elliott — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 16:59:59 GMT

In September 2025, California extended and amended authority for its statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) “cap and trade” program through 2045 – and rebranded it as “cap and invest.” The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has administered this program since 2012, as part of broader GHG reduction provisions created by 2006’s Assembly Bill (AB) 32. AB 32 initially committed the state to reduce total GHG emissions back to 1990 levels by 2020 (achieved in 2018); ARB’s latest GHG reduction scoping plan (issued in 2022), seeks to reduce statewide emissions to 85% below 1990 levels by 2045, achieving carbon neutrality. Subsequent legislation extended implementing authority for cap-and-trade and other related programs available to the California Air Resources Board (ARB) and other agencies through 2030. (I wrote about that extension (AB 398) HERE ). The newest legislation (AB 2017 and Senate Bill (SB) 840) continues the state’s GHG reduction efforts by making further changes to ARB’s cap and trade authority. The rest of this note summarizes these changes.

California provides checklist for required climate-related reporting

Jon Elliott — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 16:59:59 GMT

On September 2, 2025, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) posted a draft checklist with information to help targeted “covered entities” comply with requirements to provide “Climate Related Financial Risk Disclosure.” These Disclosures are required beginning January 1, 2026, in compliance with state legislation (SB 261 (Stern)) enacted in 2023 (which I wrote about HERE), and amended in 2024 (SB 219 (Wiener); I wrote about it HERE). The remainder of this note summarizes SB 261 and ARB’s draft checklist.