Managing Environmental Compliance In The Manufacturing Industry

Environmental compliance can pose significant challenges, particularly in the complex and diverse landscape of the manufacturing industry. Grace Kalivoda, Account Executive at Encamp, and Adam Estes, Technical Program Manager at Encamp, chatted through navigating intricate regulations, efficient waste and chemicals management, and unified data systems to streamline compliance during a recent webinar.

The Three Steps Compliance Strategy

Understanding the rules and regulations is the first crucial step toward successful environmental compliance. The varied and complex reporting requirements across different states and municipalities necessitate meticulousness in determining regulatory applicability. 

The primary variation is across federal, state-level, and even county regulations. To illustrate, let’s consider the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) designed for environmentally sound management of hazardous and non-hazardous waste. The federal and state reporting requirements under RCRA often differ, and the same holds for EPCRA Tier II reporting.

Managing is the second step. Adam rightly mentions, “In manufacturing you have to know what everyone is covered by on the environmental regs, clean air, RCRA, and then in manufacturing, what usually trips people up and leads to these violations are there’s so many if then triggers. You know, if you have a spill, what do you do?” demonstrating the depth of work this domain requires. 

When focusing on EPCRA Tier II reporting, Grace further advises, “Check the SERC website for more information on the submittal procedure and use the Encamp website for tips on navigating the portals.”

The final step is to comply. It includes adhering to all rules and regulations and submitting necessary documents on time. Simple steps can save significant time, “Consider logging into the portal early and ensuring all information is ready for the reporting season,” Grace advises.

Thresholds to Consider for EPCRA Tier II

Understanding the threshold requirements can be quite a task. Reports are required only when the material goes over a certain limit, which varies per state. Grace highlights, “While in Florida, the reporting is required only if the material goes over 10,000lbs, in Louisiana, it is much lower at 500lbs.”

Furthermore, the requirements may even extend to counties and cities, each might have their own threshold and protocols. Understanding these jurisdictional nuances is critical to ensuring continuous compliance. 

The Advantage of Modern Technology

Unified data systems, such as the one Encamp provides, are pivotal in managing environmental compliance. Grace emphasizes, “Having technology in place to track regulations, ensuring compliance is key.”

The speakers also highlight other critical tasks like threshold assessments, tracking SDSs, and maintaining effective communication lines between staff and the EHS group. They also emphasize the importance of reviewing waste and chemical management practices consistently, keeping contacts updated, and avoiding fines and violations due to non-conformity with regulations.

Technology can further aid in streamlining tasks and minimizing potential errors. It’s all about understanding, managing, and complying. Through this approach, companies can achieve and maintain environmental compliance, higher efficiency, and ultimately better business performance.