Latest Publications

Share:

Oregon OSHA to Enforce Statewide Face Coverings Rule

Starting July 1, 2020, all Oregonians over age 12 are required to wear a face covering in public indoor spaces and certain businesses to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the state. According to Governor Kate Brown, the state’s...more

City of Portland to Devote Portion of $550 Million PCB Contamination Settlement to Environmental Equity

The City of Portland and the Port of Portland are among the governmental entities that recently filed a proposed $550 million settlement to resolve part of a nationwide class action lawsuit against Monsanto Company,...more

Surprise! Oregon OSHA Is Here to Inspect Your COVID-19 Protections

As both businesses and employees adjust to changes in the workplace brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, employers may find themselves subject to surprise OSHA inspections related to the steps taken to protect employees...more

Cannabis Industry Environmental, Health, and Safety Issues

Assuring Needed Water Is Legally Obtained - Cannabis is an agricultural crop and, of course, needs water to grow. Before investing in a growing operation or entering into a long-term supply contract with a grower,...more

Oregon Air Toxic Sources Need to Focus on Their Priority and Plan

Oregon moved to regulate air toxics with SB 1541, which became effective April 10, 2018. Regulations implementing the air toxics requirements were adopted by Oregon DEQ in November of 2018 and, as explained below, draft risk...more

Clean Diesel Engines

According to the EPA, about 10,000 semi-truck glider kits are sold in the U.S. each year. Glider kits consist of new truck bodies fitted with remanufactured or salvaged engines and transmissions that do not use exhaust gas...more

Fundamental Hazard Communications to Control Risk

To assure environmental health and safety, businesses must let their employees know the potential chemical hazards in the workplace. Businesses with such hazards were required to implement OSHA’s revised Hazard Communications...more

Hazardous Waste Transporters Beware!

The Oregon Supreme Court upheld a penalty assessed against a hazardous waste Transporter for failure to manifest hazardous waste regardless of whether it reasonably relied on a determination by the generator that the waste...more

EPA Prioritizes Asbestos for Review Under Newly Revised TSCA

Yesterday, EPA announced the first ten chemicals to be evaluated for their potential risk to human health and the environment under the new Toxic Substances Control Act as amended by the Frank R. Launtenberg Chemical Safety...more

Steps to Keep OSHA from Raising the Retaliation Issue

OSHA’s new anti-retaliation provisions go into effect on August 10, 2016. The provisions require employers to: 1) inform employees of their right to report work-related injuries and illnesses without being subjected to...more

When is a Reward a Bribe? OSHA Policy Limits Workplace Safety Incentive Programs

Years ago, my employer gave employees a coaster every quarter that the group had no OSHA reportable incidents. Now it would have been in violation to have such a program. Despite criticism from workers compensation carriers...more

Was Flint the Love Canal of our Water System?

Both “hard” and “soft” water can contain minerals that can be slightly corrosive and cause low or high pH resulting in lead in drinking water. Common sources of lead in household drinking water include: Lead Piping and...more

Electronic Disclosure of Violations Coming This Fall

Under EPA’s Audit Policy, those who discover, promptly disclose and correct environmental violations may have penalties reduced or eliminated. 60 Fed Reg 66, 705 et seq. (1995); 65 Fed Reg 19, 617, et seq. (2000) EPA recently...more

OSHA Rules for Injury Reporting Change

Starting January 1, 2015, OSHA rules will require companies nation-wide to report all work-related in-patient hospitalizations, amputations and eye losses within 24 hours. Oregon is one of 6 states that already require...more

12/12/2014  /  OSHA , Reporting Requirements

West Virginia Chemical Spill Likely to Bring Oil and Chemical Inspections and Perhaps Regulatory Changes for Facilities with Large...

Last Thursday residents of Kanawha County reported a foul licorice odor in the air. State and local officials traced the smell to a leak from a 35,000-gallon above ground storage tank along the Elk River. The chemical had...more

OSHA Takes the “M” Out of MSDS and Changes Chemical Labeling Requirements

In 2012, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) revised the Hazard Communication System (“HCS”) and other regulations to conform them to the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and...more

Ashley II Holdings Require Caution

On April 4, 2013, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a much anticipated decision in PCS Nitrogen, Inc. v. Ashley II of Charleston LLC, No. 11-1662 (4th Cir. April 4, 2013) (Ashley II). ...more

It Is Easy to Lose the Privilege Protecting Audit Documents

In a recent case, documents related to an audit which was described in internal correspondence as being done to assess general compliance were not privileged in later civil litigation since the Court found: (1) the audit was...more

18 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 1

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide