Environment
Viewpoint: Leadership commitment for safety and sustainability
Management commitment is an essential ingredient for building a healthy organizational safety culture. To achieve this objective, management must provide adequate resources, along with unstinted support and direction.
Shift to gas: A contribution on the path to sustainability
The COP21 event left the world with new mandates to develop and implement low-emissions energy sources to power the global economy. To limit global warming, the world must increase the use of resources like natural gas, which offers a quick, relatively clean and inexpensive interim step in the global transition from high-emissions resources to renewable energy sources.
US Energy Department offers $2B loan to Lake Charles Methanol
WASHINGTON — The US Department of Energy offered a conditional commitment to guarantee loans of up to $2 billion to Lake Charles Methanol, LLC to construct the world’s first methanol production facility to employ carbon capture technology in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Sinclair Casper Refining pays $655K in cleanup costs to EPA
DENVER -- Sinclair Casper Refining Company has paid $655,000 to reimburse the US Environmental Protection Agency for response costs incurred at the Empire State Oil Company Refinery Site in Thermopolis, Wyoming. The company entered into a settlement agreement with EPA for the recovery of past costs associated with the cleanup of the site, including the removal of asbestos, in September. EPA received payment last week.
Canada set to agree on carbon price, marking climate split with Trump
OTTAWA (Reuters) -- Canada's government and 10 provinces are set to agree a national carbon price on Friday, doubling down on a bid to cut greenhouse gas emissions just weeks before avowed climate change skeptic Donald Trump becomes US President.
Trump to nominate Pruitt to lead US environmental agency
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- US President-elect Donald Trump will nominate Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, a critic of federal environmental regulation, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, his transition team said on Thursday.
ACC launches center to support companies, new chemical safety act
WASHINGTON – The American Chemistry Council (ACC) announced the creation of the Center for Chemical Safety Act Implementation, a scientific, technical and advocacy hub that will assist companies with the implementation of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (LCSA), bipartisan legislation enacted to modernize the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
US EPA, Canyon Plastics come to agreement about Clean Water Act violations
LOS ANGELES — The US Environmental Protection Agency has reached an agreement with Canyon Plastics, Inc. to resolve federal Clean Water Act violations. The company has corrected the deficiencies found at its facility in Valencia, Calif., and obtained a stormwater permit. In addition to paying a $19,000 penalty, Canyon Plastics has committed to install new recycling equipment at a cost of $292,000.
Effectively execute legacy safety systems migration—Part 2
In this two-part article, the challenges of migrating legacy safety systems are reviewed, along with the means of repeatedly and effectively executing compliant migrations. Part 2 reviews the tools-assisted process and further explores how to achieve the required compliance, quality, efficiency and rigor.
Optimize steam usage in refinery flares
In this study, methods to optimize the consumption of dispersion steam in flares were examined at a large refinery that burns a considerable quantity of gas. The desired optimization was achieved by monitoring hydrocarbon emissions using an infrared camera (thermography).

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