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Presents a perspective regarding the application of the Environmental Management Systems (EMS) in the U.S. Details of EMS; Overview of the study conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the effectiveness of EMS; Facts on EPA's position on EMS.

Provides guidelines for environmental compliance managers in the U.S. Development of the employee response plan; Maintenance of good professional working relationship with other agencies; Restriction in the distribution of memos and electronic mails.

Presents practical tips in managing agency inspection in the United States. Types of inspections; Selection of companies for inspection; Consideration on the rights of the company and the agency.

The article provides advice to business enterprises and industries in the U.S. on how to prepare a hazardous waste manifest. If there is no state-specific manifest form required by either the destination state or the generation state, the federal Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest Form may be used. Tips on filling up the various items in the form are presented. Treatment storage and disposal facility (TSDF) personnel must confirm the receipt of the waste indicated in the manifest. Each shipment should have at least four copies of the manifest.

Comments on the less relevance of the information technology (IT) as a strategic management tool. Natural outcome of IT; Costs of collecting data; Assessment of Total Quality Management , a management concept.

Presents ways in integrating with employees at an industrial plant. Types of plant managers; Preparation of a capital appropriation request in order to obtain the corporate funding; Identification of environmental problems in the plant.

Elaborates on the importance of environmental due diligence. Approaches on doing environmental due diligence; Legal liability issues involved; Benefits of hiring an attorney when performing due diligence.

Provides tips in choosing hazardous waste hauler for environmental services in the U.S. Need to ensure the legal permission of transporters from the Environmental Protection Agency; Selection of a Treatment Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) for hazardous wastes; Request for and audit package from the candidate TSDF.

Describes the types of environmental audits by environmental managers in the United States. Audits as beneficial tools for environmental managers to ensure compliance with environmental regulations; Enumeration of the audits; Benefits of regular internal reviews or audits.

The article reports on the provision made by the Congress wherein private citizens can sue people or companies who they think is violating the law when federal, state or concerned agencies fail to perform their responsibility. Environmental groups can act under the "citizen suit" provision when state or federal enforcement has not taken action against a violating company. In order for the violating company to avoid the troubles, it can negotiate with the group who filed the suit and make necessary settlements. The company can also ask agencies to take legal action about the company's violation to avoid the citizen lawsuit. The option of fighting it in the court is not a wise move because there is only a limited defense for the company.

The article offers practical steps for manufacturing facilities to avoid having to obtain a stormwater permit in the United States. It discusses the main purpose of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) stormwater management program. Manufacturing facilities should demonstrate to EPA or the state agencies that their activities do not actually impact the stormwater quality. The EPA's no-exposure exclusion is applicable to industrial facilities located in states or territories where EPA is the permitting authority. The article discusses how to determine if a manufacturing facility is truly qualified for no-exposure with respect to stormwater.

Explains how companies in the U.S. can avoid being required to have a Title V permit according to the Clean Air Act amendments of 1990. Extensive amounts of record keeping and semi- and annual reporting and certifications required in a Title V permit; Strategies for reducing emissions to levels below the limits that require a Title V permit.

Relates the experience of a perishable goods company in the United States that was fined for not having a written hazard communication program and a hearing protection program. Safety inspections by industrial hygienists; Lessons to be learned from the company's experience; Retention of an external safety consultant.

Provides information on how to develop an effective Environmental Management System (EMS) for companies without ISO 14001 certification in the U.S. Need for support for the idea of implementation of an EMS; Assignment of responsibilities in an organization; Importance of setting broad environmental objectives and targets.

Offers ways to use U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) web site, www.epa.gov. Interpretation of EPA regulations; Obtaining of copies of EPA's compliance audit protocols; EPA's Enforcement and Compliance History Online; EPA's Self Audit Policy; Official policy on the Environmental Management System; Links on EPA's web site.

Discusses practical ideas on how to put plant ownership back into the process of hazard analysis of the operation after occurrence of plant accidents in the U.S. Role of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board; Focus on situations depicting real-life example of plant ownership deficiency; Adoption of a concept to ensure ownership of any plan.

Part II. Presents tips on how environmental consultants can connect with potential clients. Importance of returning phone calls; Importance of listening to clients; Personal touch from consulting firms.

Provides tips on how industrial managers can select and manage environmental consultants. Need to hire consultants that have actual hands-on experience working in a corporate or manufacturing plant setting; Need to avoid hiring a nationwide environmental consulting firm for small jobs; Need to look in to the number of hours proposed for quality assurance review.

Identifies factors relevant to the prevention of and preparation for chemical spills or accidents. Importance of following standards in the storage of chemicals; Consequences of the absence of a standard operating procedure; Tips to minimize chances of accidents.

Focuses on effective professional and working relationships with regulatory agencies in the U.S. Importance of effective relationships with regulatory agencies in environment management systems; Research of problem areas to be resolved with the agencies; Conduction of meeting with agency staff prior to the submission of permit applications.

The article focuses on the move of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revise solid waste regulations. On March 26, 2007, EPA proposed to revise the concept of solid waste to exclude certain secondary hazardous materials being reclaimed or recycled. According to EPA, about 4,600 facilities dealing with over 500 million tons of secondary hazardous substances will be affected by the proposed decree. The agency adds that the industries that could be most affected by the proposal include chemical manufacturing, electronics sector and industrial waste management industry. It is stated that an earlier version of the proposal has been suggested on October 28, 2003.

The article offers tips in avoiding problems on environmental compliance. Companies should identify all laws and regulations that are essential, and communicate environmental policy to all employees. The designation of a corporate official who will lead the compliance is suggested as well as development of an emergency plan. Small problems should be recognized to undertake corrective actions, and hazardous wastes production should be minimized. It also suggests to check out disposal site before the wastes are shipped, and conduct regular reviews or audits.

The article focuses on the issue of co-generation in tracking hazardous waste in the U.S. It is a lesser known fact that if a contractor operates a manufacturing process for a company and that process generates hazardous wastes, the generator and contractor will be considered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be co-generators of those wastes. As the owner of the manufacturing process, the generator also owns the wastes from the process. In other words, generators could also be liable for the wastes they have produced and be fined if they fail in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The author concludes that the best way to protect the generator is to have an agreement that clearly states the contractor's responsibilities for managing waste.

The article focuses on the requirements of the training programs for environmental compliance according to the Hazard Communication Standard by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the U.S. The author discusses the training prerequisites in protecting employees from exposures to dangerous chemicals in the workplace and the key to provide such training to employees. Furthermore, he talks about the environmental programs that require the implementation of best-management practices.

The article reports on the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act signed by President George W. Bush. The act, known as the brownfields law, accomplishes the amendment of the Superfund law, provided funds to assess and clean up brownfields sites, provided funding to enhance state and tribal cleanup programs and clarified Superfund liability provisions for certain landowners. It also required the Environmental Protection Agency to develop regulations on the standards and practices for prospective landowners on performing due diligence and the establishment of the "all appropriate inquiry" rule which represents the requirements for assessing the environmental conditions of the properties before acquiring it.

The article offers information on the Early Warning System for self protection of an organization's environmental manager (EM). EM can minimize its personal liability by understanding all the requirements. EM has the responsibility to voice his objections forcefully and immediately. It is also important to let everybody know that you will not be part to any kind of conspiracy to commit an environmental crime. EM should pay attention to electronic mails and memos that is in his desk. It was also emphasized that when it comes to environmental compliance in the corporate setting. EM should never go along to get along.

The article presents information on preparing an SPCC plan, an oil program that has been supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. According to the Clean Water Act, owners of all onshore and/or offshore facilities to prepare an SPCC plan if they have more than 1,320 gallons aggregate above ground storage or in case more than 42,000 gallons below ground of any kind of oil and these oils have the potential to impact navigable waters. The first step is to make sure that one includes only oil for which he has responsibility as an owner or operator. It has been noted that in most cases one is neither the owner nor operator of the station because only utilities have access to the transformer stations. EPA made a number of changes to SPCC regulations. One of the most significant changes is that containers less than 55 gallons in capacity no longer need to be counted towards the 1,320-gallon aggregate threshold. The SPCC regulations state that a plan must to be a carefully thought-out plan and has the approval of management at a level with authority to commit the necessary resources.

This article lists the common hazardous waste violations that have been cited by many state agencies and how to avoid these violations in the U.S. Importance of assigning one person to be in charge of putting labels on any container before waste is placed into it. Placement of reminder notices in the accumulation area and conduct regular briefings for employees to make sure they are aware of this legal requirement. All new employees who would be handling hazardous wastes must receive initial training within six months and cannot handle hazardous wastes without supervision during that time.

This article presents information on the mixing zone concept, a practical way to minimize wastewater treatment costs in the U.S. The concept of a mixing zone is quite simple; it is an approved geographic zone in the receiving water where one or more site specific water quality criteria can be exceeded. The site-specific water quality criteria are federally mandated levels of quality that each state has to set for its receiving waters. This is for the purpose of preventing degradation and preserving existing beneficial uses. A mixing zone is basically an area where pollutants are mixed with cleaner receiving waters to dilute their concentrations in the water. In other words, it is a zone of variance. Federal regulations under the Clean Water Act allow individual state agencies to develop their own mixing zone guidelines for their specific bodies of water. As with all federally delegated programs, these state developed guidelines are subject to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency overview and approval. A common dilution ratio in a mixing zone is 100:1. In such instances, you are allowed to discharge 100 times the level of the water quality standard for a particular parameter at the end of the pipe as long as you are able to meet the water quality standard for that parameter at the edge of the defined mixing zone. This is a rare instance where dilution can be a solution to pollution.