Audit, Compliance and Risk Blog

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. 

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Tags: Environment, Environmental Health and Safety, EHS Technology, AI, Artifical Intelligence, EHS Innovation, EHS Compliance, PFAS regulations, EHS audit program

On August 21, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) posted updated guidance for battery energy storage system (BESS) installation and incident response. EPA has added a 3-page Fact Sheet, “Battery Energy Storage Systems: Main Considerations for Safe Installation and Incident Response” to its online compilation of information for “Sustainable Management of Electronics and Batteries.”  EPA notes that BESS operations help stabilize electrical grids by providing steady power flow, particularly where there may be interruptions in grid power or fluctuations in production from renewable energy sources. However, EPA also notes that lithium battery fires at some installations (notably at commercial facilities in San Diego and Moss Landing, California) have raised safety concerns in many communities. EPA intends its new guidance to help address these concerns; the remainder of this note summarizes EPA’s new guidance. 

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Tags: EHS, EPA, sustainability, Clean Energy, Fire Safety, Environmental Health and Safety, Fire Risk Management, Risk Management, Battery Energy Storage

The US environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to narrow its enforcement focus in order to follow Trump administration priorities. I recently wrote about EPA’s May 2025 statement of new enforcement policies (I wrote about that memo HERE). Now, EPA has announced further changes, to align its activities with the President’s Executive Order “Fighting Overcriminalization in Federal Regulations” (EO 14294). The remainder of this note summarizes these changes. 

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Tags: EPA, Environmental Policy, Environmental Compliance, EPA Regulations, EPA Standards, Trump Administration, Environmental Health and Safety, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA enforcement

In the aftermath of January’s massive southern California wildfires, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has recompiled and highlighted its guidance for post-wildfire cleanup. Although this guidance is not unique (I’ve written about similar websites HERE), it provides a timely reminder to organizations in areas that may be subject to wildfires, and to other harmful incidents as well. The remainder of this note summarizes Cal/OSHA’s latest compilation.

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Tags: workplace safety, Cal/OSHA, Fire Safety, Wildfire Cleanup, Occupational Health, Hazard Assessment, Environmental Health and Safety, Wildfire Preparedness, Health Hazards, Safety Regulations, Fire Risk Management, Emergency Response, Worker Safety, Post-Wildfire Recovery, Workplace Safety Guidelines