GS&P DIALOGUE - "Environmental Compliance"

Dim Wit

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 14:20:39 GMT

Month before last, the “Better Use of Light Bulbs Act” – an act to repeal minimum-efficiency standards for light bulbs in our country – failed to pass in the U.S. House of Representatives. The act was in response to George W. Bush’s Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, which intended to move the United States toward greater energy independence and security, to increase the production of clean renewable fuels and to increase the efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles, among other things. One of EISA’s provisions was the gradual phaseout of lower-efficiency general-purpose light bulbs by 2014. In 2020, the second wave of EISA standards will kick in and require all general-purpose bulbs (with a few exceptions) to produce at least 45 lumens per watt, an amount currently produced by all higher-efficiency bulbs like CFLs, halogens, and LEDs.

Anticipating The Impact of The EPA's New Definition of Solid Waste

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:00:44 GMT

Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its plans for a proposed revision to the 2008 Definition of Solid Waste rule - a rule issued by the EPA that eliminated many regulatory controls from the recycling process for hazardous secondary materials.

At the time, the EPA maintained that by streamlining regulations, they were attempting to encourage companies' recycling of these materials. But many environmental groups deemed the new rule a loophole, with one key element of particular concern. The new definition of solid waste excluded two specific categories of secondary materials:

Compliance is a Necessity!

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 10:29:26 GMT

Cities are increasingly experiencing a public that is asking for more of their public officials with regards to environmental stewardship, sustainability, or a number of other terms used to define public environmental awareness programs. But as city officials start to advocate for sustainability and talk about how "green" their city is, they should be sure to confirm they are in compliance first!

Sustainability efforts could be set back years if the Environmental Protection Agency or state equivalent finds you facing compliance challenges. You will have even more credibility describing the steps being taken to reducing your carbon footprint if you know and perhaps even highlight that your operating permits for air discharges are all in order.

Snow Shines a Light on Amazing Airports

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:08:45 GMT

Winter weather has been wreaking havoc at airports all over the country. New England states, including the major airports in New York, have been hit with three large winter storms since Christmas. More recently, icy conditions caused hundreds of flight cancelations at the world’s busiest passenger airport, Hartsfield-Jackson International in Atlanta.

A recent article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution indicated that limitations to airplane deicing at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport were a contributing factor to the many flight cancelations and delays. I agree that deicing an airplane requires time not normally planned for in daily operations; however, I would add that the large deicing operation at Hartsfield-Jackson contributed to hundreds of flights taking off safely instead of remaining on the ground. For Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, an airplane deicing system has been incorporated in a climate that typically receives less than three inches of snow annually.

Is Your Airport Ready for the Winter of 2010-2011 and Beyond?

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 09:14:58 GMT

December is here and thanks to our good friends up north (thanks Randy and Vic), early winter weather has pressed south across most of the country with near freezing temperatures in Florida to an early winter snow in Seattle. For airports, this means the start of the 2010-11 deicing season. Airports have planned for months and updated their protocols/ procedures for the application of pavement deicers, and collection of aircraft and pavement deicers as prescribed to their own unique circumstances. These protocols/procedures can be simple or highly complex, but in any case, they are an absolute necessity when it comes to (1) ensuring safe aircraft operations and (2) meeting environmental compliance requirements.

Changing Your Organizational Culture to Engage Environmental Programs

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 09:20:12 GMT

Many organizations are moving toward a culture of proactive environmental stewardship and developing and adopting environmental management systems (EMS) to provide structure to their commitments. Implementing an EMS requires communication throughout the organization and sometimes, a momentous cultural change.

Why More Airports are Embracing Environmental Stewardship

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:28:15 GMT

Many within the Aviation industry understand that mere compliance with environmental regulations is not enough to address all of our social, political or management responsibilities regarding the environment. Most airports are moving toward a position of proactive environmental stewardship: a commitment to continuously and purposefully work toward reducing an organization's impacts on natural resources.