This Week's Headlines
USCG Guidance on Vessel and Facility Response Plans
Small Business Supports EPA's TRI Reform
EPA Proposes to Extend SPCC Compliance Dates
Bill Would Allow Tank Cleanup Financing
Cuomo Goes After ExxonMobil Over Newton Creek Oil Spill
More than 3,000 Gallons of Oil Spills in Kansas
Register Today for "The Habit of SellingTM"
SCAA, AEA Offer Webinar on Distributor/Manufacturer Relations
Who Else Should Receive Spill Briefs?
USCG Guidance on Vessel and Facility Response Plans
SCAA President John Parker recommends that members review the document
titled,
Guidance on Vessel and Facility Response Plans in Relation to Oil Spill
Removal Organization (ORSO) Resource Movements During Significant
Pollution Events. Should you have any comments, John would be happy
to hear them. You can reach him at
jparker@parkersystemsinc.com.
Small Business Supports EPA's TRI Reform
Small business supports the Environmental Protection Agency's recent reform of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) rule, according to testimony by Chief Counsel for Advocacy Thomas M. Sullivan.
The reform of the TRI rule is the result
of a 15-year process, which included public comment, stakeholder
meetings, expert testimony, and the notice and comment rulemaking
process. The result of EPA's listening and learning is an approach that
reduces unnecessary burden on small business while protecting the
public's right to know.
Chief Counsel Sullivan testified that, "the TRI Burden Reduction rule
will yield needed reductions in small business paperwork burdens while
preserving the integrity of the TRI program and strengthening the
protection of the environment."
According to his testimony, the reform is important because, "Small
businesses have consistently voiced their concerns to Advocacy that the
TRI program imposes substantial paperwork burdens with little
corresponding environmental benefit, especially for thousands of
businesses that have zero discharges or emissions to the environment."
Moreover, he said that "top environmental performers within industry
will benefit by being able to use the short form (Form A). . . Most
importantly, in order to use Form A, firms may not emit or discharge any
PBT (Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic) chemicals into the
environment."
Source:
Small
Business Administration
EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson
signed a
final rule to amend the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure
(SPCC) rule at 40 CFR part 112. EPA amended the SPCC rule to address
a number of issues raised by its 2002 final rule, including those
pertaining to facilities with smaller oil storage capacities, qualified
oil-filled operational equipment, motive power containers, and mobile
refuelers. EPA also removed sections of the rule that are not
appropriate for facilities with animal fats and vegetable oils, and
extended the compliance dates for farms.
EPA has prepared references to help the regulated community understand
and comply with the rule. EPA will also revise the
SPCC
Guidance for Regional Inspectors, as appropriate, to reflect the
amendments to the rule and will post any changes on the Web site.
EPA Proposes to Extend SPCC Compliance Dates
EPA is proposing to extend the compliance dates for owners and operators of facilities to prepare or amend and implement SPCC Plans. This proposed rule would extend the dates by which a facility must prepare or amend and implement its SPCC Plan, until July 1, 2009. EPA expects to propose further revisions to the SPCC rule in 2007, and the extension would allow EPA the time to promulgate further regulatory revisions before the compliance dates.
Bill Would Allow Tank Cleanup Financing
Illinois businesses might get long-overdue payment for cleaning up leaking underground fuel tanks through a proposal to let the private sector fill in for the delinquent state government. Legislation pending in the General Assembly would allow private financiers to take over tens of millions of dollars in state debt and pay the business claims immediately, minus interest.
The Associated Press reported in November that companies cleaning up the sites, often for gas stations and trucking companies, are waiting as long as 14 months to be reimbursed for their costs. Some have borrowed hundreds of thousands of dollars to stay afloat. In all, state government has built up a backlog of 1,544 bills totaling $55 million. Rep. Thomas Holbrook, D-Belleville, said his plan would mean quick relief for the firms that are owed money. DETAILS
Cuomo Goes After ExxonMobil Over Newton Creek Oil Spill
New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced his intent last
Thursday to bring a landmark lawsuit against ExxonMobil for the
17-million gallon oil spill at Newtown Creek, blaming the company for
endangering the environment and the health of residents in the Queens
and Brooklyn communities which the creek separates.
Cuomo's suit would be the fourth to be filed against the company for the
spill. In 2005, residents of Greenpoint, Brooklyn filed a class-action
suit, while elected officials from both affected boroughs have filed two
separate suits. But Cuomo's action would be the highest profile suit
against the oil giant to date.
"This is one of the worst environmental disasters in the nation, larger
than the Exxon Valdez and slower in the cleanup," Cuomo said.
"ExxonMobil has proven itself far less than a model corporate citizen,
placing its greed for windfall profits over public safety and the
well-being of the environment."
DETAILS
More than 3,000 Gallons of Oil Spills in Kansas
The El Dorado Kansas Fire Department spent
February 12 containing an oil spill after a gun barrel tank overflowed.
The leak happened on Friday, February 9 but wasn't reported until
Monday.
Jim Schmidt, director of the Butler County Department of Emergency
Management & Homeland Security, said the property owner reported he had
cleaned up about 60 barrels of oil on the ground over the weekend.
DETAILS
Register Today for "The Habit of SellingTM"
SCAA invites you to register for “The
Habit of Selling,” an interactive sales training seminar for all sales
professionals and managers set for March 20 – 22 in Dayton, Ohio. Like
professional athletes, sales professionals require ongoing practice and
training to succeed. Sales managers who understand this provide their
salespeople with opportunities to acquire new skills, increase
productivity and reach their goals.
Sales professionals will learn how to document their organization’s
value-added services and sell them to their customers. With the help of
the logical and systematic “5 A’s Selling Process,” attendees will work
on a target account of their choice to gain practical, hands-on tools
for better face-to face selling.
SCAA is co-sponsoring this sales training event with the Association
Education Alliance (AEA); which is a collaboration of associations that
work together to provide training and networking opportunities for its
members. This is your opportunity to meet and network with sales
professionals from a variety of different industries. Registration for
the course is $895 per person.
DETAILS
SCAA, AEA Offer Webinar on Distributor/Manufacturer Relations
SCAA and the Association Education Alliance are offering a webinar titled Distributor/Manufacturer Relations: Demonstrating Total Cost Savings. Tim Underhill will make the presentation March 28, 2007 from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. EST.
Manufacturers and distributors add value
with the products and services they provide their customers. The ability
to communicate that value, beyond price, is difficult for many
companies. As the prices of steel, energy, plastics and other
costs rise, the need to demonstrate your value is also rising.
This presentation will focus on why customers need suppliers that can
reduce their total operating costs and why you need to show your value.
It will show you how to document your value quickly and easily. More
details are coming soon.
''Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose. '' -- Bill Gates
Who Else Should Receive Spill Briefs?
SCAA's Spill Briefs is distributed free of charge to representatives of member companies. If there's someone else in your organization who might benefit from this newsletter, send their name and e-mail address to info@scaa-spill.org.
The Latest News from SCAA
Here's the latest news from the Spill Control Association of America.
You can find an archive of SCAA's newsletters on SCAA's web site.
Let us know what you think of the online newsletter. Send your comments or article ideas to Jackie King.
Coming Events
May 15-17, 2007
SCAA 2007 Annual Meeting
Sheraton National Hotel
Arlington, Virginia
SCAA Staff
Executive
Director
443-640-1085
ext. 105
Director of Meetings & Member Services
443-640-1085
ext. 112
Financial Manager
443-640-1085
ext. 103
SCAA Headquarters
2105 Laurel Bush Rd.
Suite 200
Bel Air, MD 21015
443-640-1085
fax: 443-640-1086
Disclaimer:
Although the Spill Control Association of America has made every effort
to be accurate, unintentional errors may appear.
© 2007 Spill Control Association of America. Unauthorized
re-distribution of this newsletter (including posting of links to this
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