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California Environmental Regulations Seminar
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Bring Seminar On-site- This seminar may be brought
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groups of 10 or more.
Provider:
Environmental Management and Training, LLC
Topic(s):
Energy & Environment
Who Should Attend?
Environmental managers, environmental supervisors, plant managers, operations managers, VP of operations, attorneys
Full Seminar Description
This is a practical 2-day course on how to comply with federal and California environmental regulations. Emphasis is on specific California requirements including Prop 65, CUPA, DTSC, California non-RCRA wastes, etc. The instructor is a former Fortune 100 corporate environmental manager with hands-on experience in California. Course includes presentation material and a CD-ROM with over 150 practical compliance tools and guidance documents. Fee per person: $895.California is well-known for its stringent and "pioneering" environmental regulations. If you are responsible for environmental compliance at any facilities in California, this seminar is designed to provide you with the following:
- An overview of major federal environmental regulations and their role in California
- An overview of the structure of Cal EPA
- Latest developments on CUPAs in California
- Specific discussions on California environmental regulations and how they differ from the federal requirements.
- Practical guide on how to manage hazardous wastes in California
- An overview of Prop 65 requirements and how to deal with them
- What to do when you have a chemical spill in California
- Enforcement policies of Cal EPA, DTSC and Air Quality Management Districts
Day One (8:30 am - 5:00 pm)
Regulatory OverviewThis session will provide you with an overview of the key federal environmental statutes and how they are applied in California. You will learn how the agency - California EPA - was structured. You will learn the role of the Certified Unified Program Agencies (CUPAs) in California. You will also learn about the roles of the legislature, the regulators, the regulated communities, citizens and public interest groups:
- Federal, state and local agency interaction
- Latest development and emerging trends
- Federal and state rulemaking process
- Organizational structure of the US EPA and Cal EPA
- Role of CUPAs, DTSC, RWQCBs, AQMDs and OES.
- Overview of major federal and California regulations
- General enforcement issues including citizen enforcement as in Prop 65.
- How to work effectively with agencies
Clean Water Act/Porter Cologne Act
This is by far the most comprehensive environmental statute ever enacted by Congress. It has been time tested in courts and is rigorously enforced by US EPA. You will learn the following key elements of the Act:
- The NPDES permitting process in California
- Definition of "navigable waters" of the US
- The role of the Regional Water Quality Control Boards
- How to get a mixing zone for your discharge
- New source performance standards
- Implications of Discharge Monitoring Reports
- Water quality criteria and standards
- Technology based effluent limitations
- Pretreatment standards and POTW
- Anti-backsliding and non-degradation
- Strategy on dealing with citizen law suits
- Best management practices
- Storm water management plans
- Spill Prevention and Control Countermeasures
- Clean Water Act enforcement
Noon - 1:00 pm Luncheon (included)
Clean Air Act
Learn how the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 unify local and state air regulations. You will find out how the CAA affects your permitting requirements through the Title V operating permits in California. You will also learn about the California Accidental Release Prevention program (CalARP). Specifically, this session will discuss the meaning of:
- National and California ambient air quality criteria
- State implementation plans
- Attainment and nonattainment areas in California
- The role of the California Air Resource Board
- The role of the various air quality management districts
- Title V operating permit requirements
- How to maintain maximum operational flexibility
- National emission standards for hazardous air pollutants
- New source performance standards
- Overview of RECLAIM
- Prevention of Significant Deterioration requirements
- Key elements of the California Accidental Release Prevention program
- How the Clean Air Act is enforced
Emergency Planning and Spills Reporting
Congress passed the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act as a result of a chemical accident that killed several thousand persons in India. You will learn how this and other reporting requirements affect your operation and what you need to do to comply with its requirements. There are additional reporting requirements in California when you have a chemical release. This session covers:
- Community Right to Know requirements
- The SARA Title III list of lists
- California's Hazardous Materials Inventory reporting (Business Plan)
- Reportable quantities and reporting requirements
- What to do before, during and after a spill
- California spill releases reporting requirements
- The role of the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES)
- Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) in California
- Toxic release inventory (Form R)
- How EPCRA is enforced
Day Two (8:30 am - 5:00 pm)
Hazardous Wastes Management and SuperfundThe Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is a stringent "cradle-to-grave" management program that governs all aspects of your hazardous waste activities. In California, the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) plays the lead role in RCRA implementation. The Superfund program (CERCLA) takes it beyond the grave! It holds generators eternally liable for their hazardous wastes disposal practices retroactively. This session will discuss the RCRA rules and regulations and the implications on Superfund. You will learn about:
- How to identify and manage hazardous wastes
- California special wastes
- The role of DTSC in California
- Accumulation, storage and handling requirements
- How to manage satellite accumulation point in California
- Manifests preparation and recordkeeping
- Key elements of a RCRA contingency plan
- Selecting TSDFs and transporters to minimize your liability
- Land disposal restrictions
- Superfund's joint, several and strict liability
- The meaning of Potentially Responsible Party (PRP)
- How to negotiate an equitable settlement with EPA
- The National Contingency Plan and cleanup process
- How EPA's Superfund mandate affect you as the PRP
- Implications on property acquisitions
- EPA's lender's liability policy
- How RCRA and CERCLA are enforced
Noon - 1:00 pm Luncheon (included)
Proposition 65
Prop 65 requires facilities that have certain chemicals that are deemed by the State to be either a cancer causing agent or to cause reproductive toxicity to notify employees and community. The law provides for private citizen enforcement action against companies. This session will discuss:
- The key elements of Prop 65
- Requirements for warning notices
- Up-to-date list of Prop 65 chemicals
- Strategy for avoiding citizen enforcement actions
Handling Agency Inspections
You will learn practical ways to minimize your liability and what to do before, during and after an inspection. You will receive copies of EPA's various Inspection Manuals on a CD-ROM. This session covers:
- EPA’s multi-media inspections
- Why EPA conducts inspections
- How to prepare for an agency inspection
- How to conduct yourself in the opening and closing conferences
- Your rights during an inspection
- When should you contact your attorney
- Different types of inspection
- EPA's enforcement and penalty policy
- How to negotiate penalties and fines
- What to do with Consent Decrees and deadlines
- How to avoid criminal prosecution
- How to develop an "internal early warning system"
- Ways to manage your staff to ensure compliance
Environmental Management Systems and Auditing
A good Environmental Management System (EMS) can be a very useful tool for ensuring environmental compliance. The topic of self auditing and disclosure is discussed here. California has its own policy on self disclosure. In this session you will learn:
- The key elements of a cost-effective environmental management system
- Management audit vs. compliance audit
- The pros and cons of environmental audits
- Practical ways of protecting your audit information
- What questions to ask during an audit and how to ask them
- EPA’s Audit and self-disclosure Policy
- Differences between the federal and California's Audit and self-disclosure policy
- US Department of Justice Guidelines for Prosecution
- EPA's internal policy on investigative discretion
- Cal EPA's enforcement policy
- Practical ideas on staying in compliance
Certificate of Completion, Course Manuals and CD-ROM.
As an attendee of our seminar, you will receive a Certificate of Completion and a complete set of course material written in plain English. Excellent material for future reference. You will also receive a CD-ROM containing over 240 files of key US EPA and Cal EPA policies, guidance documents, and numerous practical environmental compliance tools. Plus a separate 3-ring binder containing practical compliance tools for your daily use!Sponsor Background:
Our seminars are experience-based and very practical in content.They are delivered based on the hands-on experience of an instructor who has worked for over 33 years as a Fortune 500 corporate environmental manager and consultant.
Our seminars cover all major Federal EPA environmental laws and regulations under the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, RCRA, CERCLA (Superfund), and Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know (EPCRA). They also include topics on Enforcement, How to Manage an EPA Inspection, ISO 14000 and How to Performance an Environmental Audit.
Our California seminars cover all the major Federal EPA environmental laws and regulations cited above plus Prop 65 and other additional California specific regulations imposed on companies operating in the State of California.
Our instructor has practical and hands-on experience with all of the subject areas covered in the two day program. He is a former corporate environmental manager for a company with over 15 manufacturing facilities worldwide.
Quote From Past Participants:
"Norman - very knowledgeable in environmental compliance - Excellent presentation!" - Delco Defense, General Motor."Very knowledgeable instructor and objective." - Decore-ative Specialties
"Thank you for the handouts and reference materials you provided. I thought this was a very good class. The review of federal requirements was good and I needed to know the California requirements." - Coorstek.
"Overall the information presented was very good. I have learned a great deal about California regulations." - Coorstek.
"Once again it was great! Comparison between California regulations and US EPA very clear." - Woods Equipment Company.
