Marine Pollution Control8631 West Jefferson Avenue
Detroit, MI 48209 USA
313.849.2333 - 24/hour
11320 E Lakewood Blvd., #11
Holland, MI 49424
800-521-8232 – 24/Hour
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Part 121 Liquid Industrial Waste (to be renamed Liquid Industrial By-Products on March 16, 2016) Statutory Changes
3/11/2016
On December 17, 2015, an amendment to Michigan’s liquid industrial waste statute was signed into law. Two primary changes resulting from the amendment include:
Changing the title of the act and references throughout from “Liquid Industrial Waste” to “Liquid Industrial By-product,” and
Eliminating the required use of a Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest to document shipment of liquid industrial waste to a designated facility authorized to recycle or dispose of the waste/by-product.
The law was given immediate effect which provides for it to become effective on March 16, 2016. During the interim, the DEQ is allowing liquid industrial waste or liquid industrial by-product handlers to take advantage of the shipping documentation provisions established under the new law. It allows the use of a Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest or other written record which includes: 1) the name and address of the generator, 2) the name of the transporter, 3) the type of by-product shipped, 4) the volume of by-product shipped, 5) the date of shipment from the generator and 6) the name, address and Site ID number of the receiving authorized disposal or recycling designated facility. This change also eliminates the requirement to submit copies Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifests used for liquid Industrial waste shipments. As such, liquid industrial waste handlers may also immediately discontinue submitting copies of Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifests in light of the statutory changes.
Heavy Penalty on Oil Companies Responsible for Oil Spillage Drives Global Oil Spill Management Market
3/8/2016
Transportation of oil from oil production centers to major markets has been established through rail, road, shipping and, pipeline infrastructures. Much of the world's oil is transported by sea at some stage of transportation, which puts the marine environment at a much greater risk from oil spillage. Although spills occur mostly in ocean, the spilt oil is often carried to shoreline due to the action of winds, tides, and currents. This has several implications, but one of the most critical issues to deal with is the amount of waste generated after oil spillage. Historical data suggests that the amount of waste generated after an oil spill is nearly 30 times more than the amount of oil actually spilt.
This factor, combined with the harmful effects of oil spillage on human and environmental health, and the continuous surge in oil transportation activities across the globe have made oil spill management a crucial segment of the global oil and gas industry in the past few years.
The billion dollar oil spill management market had a valuation of US$94.2 bn in 2013. The market is expected to expand at a 2.80% CAGR over the period between 2014 and 2020, and reach US$114.4 bn by 2020.
Enbridge turns eye to renewable energy
March 4, 2016
Enbridge Inc.’s chief executive officer says the company is proud to embrace renewable energy while still seeking support for the Northern Gateway oil pipeline proposal.
Al Monaco cautions that Enbridge’s shift to operating in a low-carbon economy will be a lengthy process, so a prudent and balanced approach is required.
He made the comments on Thursday after participating in a panel discussion at the Globe 2016 conference on sustainable business.
“In terms of our company, we have a responsibility to make sure that we’re feeding the energy market with the energy that it wants,” he said. “On the other hand, we are making great strides in renewables. Our company alone has put $5-billion into solar and wind projects. These projects take time to develop. The transition is not going to happen overnight.”
Since 2002, Enbridge’s investments in renewable and alternative energy have included wind farms, solar operations, a geothermal project, waste-heat recovery facilities and a hydroelectric plant.
Legislation Passed to Protect Great Lakes
March 7, 2016
The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) through 2019, in addition to improving safety and oversight.
The bill increases standards for pipeline workers operating near or in the Great Lakes. It also mandates that pipeline companies prepare their equipment for harsh winter weather and create an emergency plan for spills in icy conditions.
"The legislation would include designating the Great Lakes a high consequence area, updating oil spill response plans to include ice cover and requiring reviews of pipeline age and integrity," says an official statement.
The pipeline legislation now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Senator Gary Peters of Michigan is sponsoring the legislation. "An oil spill in the Great Lakes would be catastrophic — not only for Michigan's economy and environment but for the 40 million people that rely on the Great Lakes as their source of clean drinking water," said Peters in a statement.
World's biggest floating solar farm powers up outside London
March 3, 2016 On a vast manmade lake on the outskirts of London, work is nearing completion on what will soon be Europe’s largest floating solar power farm – and will briefly be the world’s biggest.But few are likely to see the 23,000 solar panels on the Queen Elizabeth II reservoir at Walton-on-Thames, which is invisible to all but Heathrow passengers and a few flats in neighbouring estates.
“This will be the biggest floating solar farm in the world for a time - others are under construction,” said Angus Berry, energy manager for Thames Water, which owns the site. “We are leading the way, but we hope that others will follow, in the UK and abroad.”