Acid mine drainage (AMD) is the outflow of acidic water from metal or coal mines. Mining activities typically involve large-scale earth disturbances, usually within rocks containing an abundance of sulfide materials. When surface water and/or groundwater come in contact with these pyritic rocks, along with air, oxidation of the sulfides occurs – generating acidic metal-bearing AMD. The pH of AMD can be extremely low (yes…negative pH levels are possible, as described below) – equivalent to or less than sulfuric acid.

Liquids that drain from coal stockpiles, coal washeries, and coal waste tips can be highly acidic; and this liquid effluent is analogous to AMD. In addition, other large earth-disturbing activities – such as construction sites, subdivision projects, and transportation projects – may create acid rock drainage (ARD). Continue Reading →

Use free word association for “pollutant” and the first several things that probably come to mind are “lead”, “petroleum”, “PCBs” or “dioxins”. Or use the Clean Air Act definition for the six most common pollutants and you might associate pollutant with smog, ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, or lead. How you slice it does not matter. A pollutant is simply something that is unwanted and not originally present in the environment that might cause adverse damages. Sediment is usually not thought of as a pollutant and doesn’t make the list. However, more and more sediment is being tendered on environmental insurance claims and causing potential high exposure to pollution-based policies for cleanup. With or without commingled contamination, sediment can still cause devastating damages as it makes its way to rivers, lakes, wetlands and oceans.

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Major revisions to the federal underground storage tank (UST) regulations, proposed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in 2013, were finalized and became effective on October 13, 2015 (40 CFR Parts 280 & 281). The EPA sought to strengthen regulations that were first implemented in 1988 – to include current technologies and advancements in UST systems that allow improved release prevention, detection and containment. The revisions were also implemented to further protect groundwater by improving early detection and release prevention and to ensure that all USTs in the country, including Indian Lands, meet the same minimum standards.

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The National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA’s) consensus standard for employees working in and around live electrical circuits – NFPA 70E – was developed to protect these workers from potentially lethal or disfiguring injuries related to mishaps. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that there were nearly 6,000 fatal electrical injuries to workers in the U.S. between 1992 and 2013. BLS data also shows that there were 24,100 non-fatal electrical injuries from 2003 through 2012.¹ Employees are injured from contact with open electric circuits, improper shields, and exposure to dangerous arc flash. A rapid release of energy during an arcing fault between two electrical conductors is sustained by the establishment of a highly conductive plasma, which results in the release of deadly shrapnel and molten metal.

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Legionella is a bacterium that causes a type of serious lung infection known as Legionnaires’ disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), health departments reported approximately 6,100 cases of Legionnaires’ disease in the United States in 2016. Unfortunately, about 10  percent of people diagnosed with this disease will die – with the majority of fatalities occurring among the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. Legionella thrives in a narrow temperature range that includes the human body temperature. And since the symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease are similar to other illnesses, it is likely underdiagnosed and the true number of cases underestimated by the CDC. Due to the large number of Legionella cases each year and the resulting personnel and economic costs, Legionella    water management programs are now an industry standard for large buildings in the U.S. Continue Reading →

Lead has been one of the most important and widely-used metals in construction for thousands of years.  Successive societies have dealt with the numerous acute and chronic health consequences of occupational exposure to lead for just as long. Despite its widespread availability and useful characteristics – historically used in construction materials such as plumbing materials, surface coatings, roofing materials, etc. – the United States has recognized lead as a dangerous substance. Although the Consumer Product Safety  Council has banned the use of lead-containing paint in residences since 1978, lead-based paints and surface coatings are still used in outdoor applications, especially on large steel structures for its anti-corrosion and rust properties. The toxic properties of lead have spawned some innovation for material substitution, but lead remains in many new building materials and products as well.

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After several years, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) is still waiting for approval of its proposed regulatory changes to the Lockout/ Tagout (LO/TO) Standard (1910.147). First proposed in 2012, and then again at the end of 2016, the former administration attempted to make the changes under OSHA’s Standards Improvement Project-Phase IV (“SIP IV”)¹. These changes are still pending under the current administration.

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On June 23, 2018, new standards for silica exposure became effective for all operations in general industry as well as in maritime. The standards for the construction industry went into effect last year on September 23. So what does this mean for employers whose workplaces have exposure to crystalline silica? Continue Reading →

School indoor air quality (IAQ) affects the health, performance and comfort of school staff and students. Routine classroom and school activities – such as art, biology and chemistry – can contribute to indoor pollutants. Normal cleaning and sanitizing of school buildings can release particulates and hydrocarbons. In newly-constructed school facilities, exposure to indoor air pollutants has increased due to a variety of factors – including construction of tightly-sealed buildings; reduced ventilation rates to save energy; off-gassing from synthetic building materials and furnishings, such as medium density fiberboard; use of personal care products; and increased use of vehicles and power equipment within and around the buildings. Aging and poorly-maintained school facilities are also affected by some of these issues, as building materials decay and water infiltration can lead to fungal growth.

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There is renewed concern for the quality of indoor air both in the workplace and the home environments. Many indoor air contaminants – including formaldehyde – can pose serious human health risks. Continue Reading →