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EPA Sets First-Ever Airline Pollution Standards

The U.S. is responsible for a quarter of global aviation greenhouse gas pollution. The aviation industry is the largest source of greenhouse gases in the U.S. that faced no federal air pollution standards. Back in 2016, The Obama Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), determined that airline pollution fueled the climate crisis and put public health at major risk. From 2016 to 2018, emissions from the aviation sector rose by 7%; regulations to curb greenhouse gas emissions are long overdue.

Taking note, on Monday, The Trump EPA finalized the Rule on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Aircraft. The rule has been met with criticism across the board from environmental groups, stating that the regulations do not go far enough. 

It is important to note that this new rule does not make any significant changes to reduce pollution. Instead, the rule acknowledges that the airline industry “contributes to the air pollution that causes climate change endangering public health and welfare,”. It aligns with and breaks down the already existing emissions standards set by the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The new regulations apply only to large turbine airplanes flown by commercial and business aviation operators, and all those currently in-service are exempt from these regulations. Independent of the ICAO standards, virtually all existing in-production aircraft that are non-compliant will either be modified and re-certificated as ICAO-compliant, or go out of production by 2028. As a result, non-compliant aircraft will likely seek an exemption from the GHG standards.

The EPA has itself admitted that it does not predict a reduction of emissions by 2028 from this rule. This is because it codifies guidelines that aren’t intended to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. According to a 2020 report from the Center for Biological Diversity, that if the federal government forced the sector to improve fuel efficiency by 3.5% in the next two decades, domestic airline pollution would be reduced by 75%. The new regulations do not do enough, they shouldn’t only account for the global warming impact of an industry, but also its part in contributing to toxic air pollution.

The new rules should apply to in-service aircraft, and new models to include new designs and improvements like fuel efficiency or combination of regulations for both older and newer aircraft. The government standards should be updated automatically and regularly, with accounting for technological developments.

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OSHA Collects over $3.5 Million in Coronavirus Penalties

Since the beginning of the novel coronavirus pandemic, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued citations based on existing standards as well as guidelines, focused on respiratory protections so that businesses can safely continue carrying out operations. If businesses are found to be violating these standards during inspections, they are to be issued citations. As of December 16th, The US Department of Labour has stated that OSHA has issued citations from 263 inspections throughout the country, all related to COVID-19 equivalent to $3.5 million in fines for workplace safety violations related to the COVID-19, mostly going to nursing homes, hospitals and other healthcare facilities incurring various violations such as the failure to record and report illnesses and fatalities, and violation of the General Duty clause.

For more information about COVID compliance and regulation, read about OSHA Standards Applicable to COVID-19 and OSHA’s most-violated standards related to COVID-19. 

 

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Chinese Miners Killed in Accident

DEC. 7th— According to the Chinese state media, 23 miners have been confirmed to be killed in an unfortunate coal mine accident at the Diaoshuidong coal mine in the city of Chongqing. The miners were trapped inside the coal mine. After a 30-hour rescue operation, only 1 miner survived. The workers were dismantling underground equipment at the mine, and Beijing has stated that this work was taking place unlawfully, without permission as Diaoshuidong mine has been closed since its license expired in August. The cause of the incident is still under investigation by The Work Safety Committee of the State Council.

Overall, mining safety has steadily increased over the years, but this accident follows a pattern of increasing fatalities in 2020. China, the world’s largest producer and consumer of coal, in 2020 alone, has reported over 100 coal mining accidents.

Just last September, a conveyor belt explosion at another mine in Chongqing, 16 miners were killed due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Beijing has responded to these fatalities by shutting down mines throughout the country for 1 year, with the intention of demanding and implementing more rigorous safety inspections, by directly focusing on infrastructure, risk prevention management as well as emergency response and rescue operations and capabilities.

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Explosion Occurs on Singapore-flagged Oil Tanker

MONDAY, DEC 14— An explosion occurred aboard a Singapore-flagged oil tanker, the BW Rhine, off of the port of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a key Red Sea port and distribution centre for Saudi Aramco. There were no reported injuries or fatalities, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. According to the owner company of the BW Rhine, Hafnia has stated that the fire was due to an external source, which caused an explosion and in turn, a large fire on board. 

Saudi state media reported later that attacked by a boat full of explosives, and have called this an act of terrorism. A slew of similar attacks on ships in the region over the last year highlights the infrastructural vulnerabilities in Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure. 

The tanker was carrying 60,000 tons of gasoline. Hafnia has reported hull damage and has not ruled out the possibility of an oil spill. The instruments onboard, there has been no change in the oil level on the ship. According to Hafnia, it has activated its shore-based emergency response team and has implemented cooling procedures to inert the cargo and mitigate the possibility of any more explosions or fires. The ship is currently being assessed for stability before being redeployed.

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The Importance of Proper Lithium Battery Disposal

An Oct. 1st fire at the Yolo County Central Landfill in California was announced by officials to have been caused by an improperly disposed battery pack. The fire was ignited at about 1 a.m. reaching a half-acre in size. According to the Davis Fire Department, it threatened a nearby lumber storage facility. Investigators traced the source of the fire to a lithium battery, tossed in with regular trash. Batteries are considered hazardous waste and require special disposal procedures; they do not belong in the regular trash or in curbside recycling.

Lithium batteries have also been the reason for spontaneously combusting consumer devices in recent years such as hoverboards and Samsung Galaxy Note smartphones. Some owners were severely burned and even lost their lives when products suddenly caught fire while in use.

As the holiday season gets closer, there is typically an increase in the gifting of battery-powered gadgets and toys. It is important to dispose of old devices safely.  Laptops, e-cigarettes, and vape pens, smartphones, watches, and rechargeable power tools are just a few items to watch out for. Landfill fires can be avoided by not throwing away batteries in trash or recycling bins.

Landfill facilities and garbage trucks are full of paper products and other flammable materials. Being pushed around, the pressure and heat alone cause the battery to reach such a high temperature that anything around it can catch fire. 

Although a battery might seem dead, if the battery terminal is exposed, it still holds active energy.  If it is met with another piece of metal, this could start a fire. Damaged batteries that swell, leak, overheat or smoke should be kept separate in a non-flammable, absorbent material such as sand or cat litter and kept in a cool, dry area.

Batteries should then be stored and disposed of separately. Either by clear plastic bags or by covering the terminals with non-conductive packaging or tape so they do not touch one another. They should then be taken to a designated hazardous waste facility.

For more information about battery disposal and recycling, visit www.call2recycle.org.

 

 

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New Cal OSHA Emergency Standards

The California Occupational Health & Safety Standards Board (Cal OSHA)  has received more than 4,000 complaints regarding workplace COVID-19 non-compliance. Although citations were issued for those in violation of safety standards, limited resources combined with a lack of accessible legal alternatives make enforcement an ambitious task. 

As a result, on November 19th, 2020, Cal OSHA unanimously adopted 21 pages of emergency COVID-19 safety regulations. The Regulations apply to all employees and places of employment except:

  1. Those places of employment with one employee who does not have contact with others; 
  2. Employees working from home; and 
  3. Employees covered by Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations, (Section 5199)

Cal OSHA’s new regulations went into effect on December 1st.  These new regulations are to increase protections for employees, namely those in the agricultural and service sectors, belonging to workplaces with COVID-19 outbreaks, as they have been disproportionately impacted by the virus.

These new standards seek to encourage workers not to risk showing up at work after being recently exposed to the coronavirus, coronavirus symptoms, or returning to work prematurely after being diagnosed with the virus.

The regulations mandate that:

  • Employers inform employees of potential workplace exposure to the coronavirus within one business day
  • Employers provide face masks to employees; and,
  • Employers provide on-site testing during work hours in the case of a possible outbreak
  • Employees isolating and following a workplace-related coronavirus outbreak must be paid for the two weeks of quarantine

These emergency standards apply to most workers in California not covered by Cal/OSHA’s Aerosol Transmissible Diseases standard. Cal/OSHA has posted FAQs and a one-page fact sheet on the regulation, as well as a model COVID-19 prevention program. Additionally, employers are invited to participate in training webinars held by Cal/OSHA’s Consultation Services branch.

For more information about COVID compliance and regulation, read about OSHA’s most-violated standards related to COVID-19.

 

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OSHA Nevada issues citations for COVID-19 Non-compliance

After over 10,000 visits to businesses all over the state, OSHA has cited numerous Nevada businesses for COVID-19 noncompliance. Nevada OSHA has issued a total of 188 notices of citation and penalty related to violations of required COVID-19 health and safety measures in effect since mid-March 2020. Although overall compliance has increased, it is not perfect. Gov. Steve Sisoalk has issued a statewide pause after finding a 96 percent statewide compliance rate.

According to the data, out of 4,902 complaints of non-compliance, 28 percent were for general retail businesses, 17 percent for restaurants and bars, and less than 10 percent for medical facilities, casinos, and grocery stores. These citations were issued as a result of employer observations and/or thoroughly investigating employee complaints and public referrals.

The Nevada Division of Industrial Relations (DIR) intends to focus its compliance enforcement efforts in regions with the highest COVID-19 cases per capita.

As of November 30th, Nevada OSHA has 18 active noncompliance investigations in which citations can and will be issued to businesses if the violations are found to be validated during the investigation.
Visit the OSHA Nevada Covid Compliance Dashboard to monitor compliance in Nevada by industry, county, complaints, and more. For more information about COVID compliance and regulation, read about OSHA’s most-violated standards related to COVID-19.