Since 2011, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has administered an extensive Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP), which requires thousands of facilities and organizations to report annual emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) (40 CFR part 98). Although reports are usually due by March 31 of the following year, EPA has delayed the deadline for reporting year (RY) 2024 until May 30, 2025. EPA cites delays in making the new version of its Electronic Greenhouse Gas Reporting tool (e-GGRT) available.
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Tags:
EPA,
Greenhouse Gas,
sustainability,
GHGRP,
Environmental Compliance,
Environmental Regulations,
Carbon Reporting,
GHG Reporting,
Climate Reporting,
Compliance Update,
Emission Reporting,
eGGRT
What are Canadian agencies doing to evaluate and control the hazards of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – often referred to as “forever chemicals”? The short answer is “More all the time, directed at more types of PFAS.” On March 5, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Health Canada issued their joint “State of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Report” (Report), a 289 page status and plan report on research, information and regulatory efforts directed at PFAS hazards in Canada. The report completes a process that began in 2021, producing a draft Report In May 2023 and an updated draft in July 2024.
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Tags:
EHS,
sustainability,
PFAS,
compliance,
Regulatory Compliance,
Environmental Regulations,
Health and Safety,
Forever Chemicals
Incoming President Trump and the Republican majorities in Congress have begun sweeping plans to reverse many of the outgoing Biden Administration’s environmental policies. The timing and practicality of these reversals depends very much on each of the targeted activity’s legal form – law, regulation, Executive Order (EO), or guidance document. They also depend on where each particular target is in the governmental process: a non-binding policy, a proposed regulation subject, a final regulation subject to administrative appeals or court attacks, and a final regulation. President Trump has taken early executive action under each of these sets of situations. I will write about some separately, but the remainder of this note summarizes each general type of situation, with examples of each set out in order ranging from quickest/easiest to most time consuming/difficult.
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Tags:
EHS,
sustainability,
Executive Order,
Environmental Compliance,
Policy Change,
Trump,
Trump Administration,
Regulations
When companies claim they’re reducing their environmental impacts, how does anyone distinguish actual improvements from greenwashing? A growing number of national and international nonprofits and industry trade associations offer benchmarks and standards that companies can subscribe to, and third parties offer their services to evaluate and validate claims. Effective October 1, 2018 the state of Delaware has added a governmental layer, which Delaware companies can use to submit information and claims under penalty of perjury in order to gain formal state acknowledgement. The state claims this is the first such law.
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Tags:
Business & Legal,
Environmental,
sustainability,
corporate social responsibility,
directors,
directors & officers
Many of the items that make their way into your home are designed with only one purpose in mind. After you’ve opened up a bottle of champagne, the cage and cork become destined for the landfill. Once you’ve eaten all of the fruit out of the colourful plastic mesh bag, it can’t be recycled and it’s pushed into the trash bin. You can sit around getting blue about all the waste that abounds or you can do what I do and give those items a second chance at life.
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Tags:
Business & Legal,
Environmental risks,
Environmental,
Hazcom,
climate change,
sustainability
A lot of time is spent shopping for the right look and for fashion that will flatter or get attention, but are we spending our dollars wisely to make sure that the clothes we wear today will not damage the environment in other parts of the world or in our own backyards tomorrow?
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Tags:
Environmental risks,
Environmental,
Hazcom,
sustainability,
corporate social responsibility
When it comes to hospitals we all expect the highest standard of cleanliness and yet, we want every part of our lives to be more sustainable. Of course, when hospitals are faced with a choice that puts hygiene up against sustainability, hygiene always wins. But I wonder if it’s possible to find ways for both to win?
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Tags:
Health & Safety,
Environmental risks,
Environmental,
EHS,
EPA,
sustainability
Recent U.S. Presidents have issued a series of executive orders (EOs) that steadily expand federal agencies’ responsibilities to conduct their own activities in environmentally sound ways. President Clinton issued a number of EOs during 1993-1999 as part of “Greening the Government,” which were expanded upon and superseded by President George W. Bush’s 2007 EO Number 13423 “Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management.” Since taking office, President Obama has continued these expansions. Last month, he issued EO Number 13693 to require “Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade.” This EO also revokes a number of President Obama’s own relevant EOs, and President Bush’s EO Number 13423.
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Tags:
Environmental risks,
Environmental,
ghg,
Transportation,
sustainability
