EPA Inspections

EPA inspected test site, participated in public meeting, conducted books and record check. 

In the early days of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, the agency asked permission to inspect a Dow plant. When the company refused in 1978, the EPA inspected the plant by flying an airplane above it. Dow sued the EPA for illegal search and seizure, but lost in a case that reached the U. S. Supreme Court.151 Dow is a greener company today. It plans to reduce waste by 50%, losses from spills and leaks by 90%, release of dioxins by 90%, and of toxic chemicals by 75%, by the year 2005.152 Its president describes the third wave of environmentalism which will... 

The ERPs only come into play once the EPA has learned of a violation, either through self-reporting, an EPA inspection, or a whistleblower. To encourage companies to self-report potential violations, the EPA issued its Incentives for Self-Policing Discovery, Disclosure, Correction, and Prevention... 

At a certain level, the EPA acts as judge and jury. The Division of Enforcement is contacted when a violation is not corrected within the given time period or when penalties for a violation are assessed. Enforcement actions can include civil penalties or criminal charges, which can lead to fines and/or imprisonment. If an EPA inspection does result in a citation, the facility may choose to contest the citation through an appeals process within the EPA instead of paying the fine. The facility has 30 days after receiving the NOV to contest the citation. 

For more on EPA inspections, evaluations and enforcement actions for basins and shale I plays and energy extraction, go to http //www.epa.gov/. 

You take a job with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inspecting college chemistry laboratories. On the first day of the job while inspecting Generic University you encounter a bottle with the formula AI2Q3 that was used as an unknown compound in an experiment. Before you send the compound off to the EPA lab for analysis you want to narrow down the possibilities for element Q. What are the likely (real element) candidates for element Q ... 

A chemical company began making pesticides in 1980. From that time until 2007 employees poured the waste water from the pesticide production down the floor drain. This untreated hazardous waste went directly into the city sewer system. In 2007 an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inspection identified this illegal practice. The supervisor of the operation was sent to prison for 6 months, followed by 6 months home confinement, and a fine of 100,000. The vice president of the company is facing a similar fate. 

When EPA inspects a renovation job for compliance with these regulations, EPA will have the ability to verify, to the same extent, the validity of a course completion certificate held by a renovator at that job. Therefore, under this final rule, EPA is requiring that a course completion certificate from an accredited training provider serve as a renovator s or dust sampling technician s certification. To facilitate compliance monitoring, the rule requires a certified renovator or dust sampling technician to have a copy of the course completion certificate at the job site. 

EPA has 45 days to review each permit and to object to permits that violate the CAAA. If EPA fails to object to a permit that violates the Act or the implementation plan, any person may petition EPA to object within 60 days following EPA s 45-day review period, and EPA must grant or deny the permit within 60 days. Judicial review of EPA s decision on a citizen s petition can occur in the federal court of appeals. The public is guaranteed the right to inspect and review all permit applicahons and documents. There are provisions for three kinds of permit revisions administrative amendment, minor permit modification, and significant modification. 

You must keep a copy of each report. In addition, you must keep the supporting materials used to develop the Information contained in the report. These records must be kept at the facility for a period of three years from the date of the submission and must be readily available for Inspection by EPA. 

Compliance monitoring is used to determine a handler s level of compliance with RCRA s regulatory requirements. The primary method of collecting compliance monitoring data is through an inspection. Either U.S. EPA or an authorized state may lead inspections. Inspections must be conducted annually at all federal- or state-operated facilities and at least once every two years at each TSDF. The six types of inspections conducted under the RCRA program are2... 

If the PA reveals that a contamination problem exists, but does not pose an immediate threat that warrants a removal, U.S. EPA will continue to study the site during a site inspection (SI). Based on data collected during the PA and the SI, U.S. EPA will evaluate the site using the hazard... 

Once hazardous wastes are transported from a CERCLA site, they are subject to full RCRA regulation. Therefore, all transportation and TSD requirements under RCRA must be followed. This means that off-site shipments must be accompanied by a manifest. In particular, the off-site disposal of hazardous wastes can occur only at an RCRA facility in a unit in full compliance with the requirements. U.S. EPA policy requires that the disposal facility be inspected six months prior to receiving the waste. 

ATSDR believes that one way to ensure that the system continues to operate in a manner consistent with operating conditions specified in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) contract15 is for U.S. EPA to conduct frequent, random, unannounced facility inspections and to routinely provide the results to the public. Under some circumstances, permanent on-site inspectors might be advisable. 

Strength Habitability surveys conducted at CP (command post) upon arrival of Haz-Mat team. EPA conducted surveys at CP upon their arrival. SRS (Savannah River Site) and Richmond County Haz-Mat resources arrived on scene within a timely manner and were designated by FDIC (Fire Department Incident Commander) to be responsible for Haz-Mat operations. Haz-Mat personnel assisted in CP location determination. EPA utilized Coast Guard Gulf Coast Strike Team to provide monitoring and on scene response. By comparing consist (a list of all the cars in the train which describes their position in the train, type, contents, destination, etc.) to entry team visual inspection, chemicals involved were accurately identified. Written response plan and safety procedures implemented for Haz-Mat operations. Briefings provided to Haz-Mat responders by Safety Officer on entry considerations maps were covered for responders unfamiliar with the area. 

Section 11 - authorizes the EPA to conduct inspections and to issue subpoenas to collect information for enforcement of the Act. 

The paragraph that discusses the Inspection of a Testing Facility is of significant importance. It is found in both the EPA and FDA GLPs and, in essence, allows government representatives to enter the facilities and inspect and copy all records within the scope of the work at reasonable times and in a reasonable manner. A key statement here is that the EPA (or FDA) will not consider a study in support of an application for a permit if the testing facility refuses to permit inspection. Thus a facility must permit inspection. This inspection, or audit as it is often called, is therefore taken very seriously. 

BPT = Best Practicable (Control) Technology EPA - Environmental Protection Agency FDA = Food and Drug Administration FSIS = Food Safety Inspection Service IARC = International Agency for Research on Cancer NSPS = New Source Performance Standards OWRS = Office of Water Regulations and Standards PSES = Pretreatment Standards for Existing Sources PSNS = Pretreatment Standards for New Sources RfD Dose u.f. = Uncertainty Factor... 

The first section in each set is titled "General Provisions." In this section, in separate numbered paragraphs, the scope of the regulations is laid out (see Boxes 7.2 and 7.3), a number of definitions are listed, and the applicability of the regulations to studies performed under grants and contracts is covered. Also presented is a paragraph that indicates that the inspection of a testing facility is permitted. Besides these, the EPA GLP includes a statement of compliance or non-compliance as well as a statement on the effects of non-compliance. 

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