Compliance

In our world of regulatory fluctuation, it is difficult to maintain environmental compliance. Sierra Piedmont understands that corporate safety and environmental managers wear many hats. We also understand it is harder than ever to stay on top of compliance-related concerns. This understanding enables Sierra to build partnerships with our clients and allows us to shoulder much of the environmental burden. Through our engagements, we empower our clients with best management practices moving forward.
 
Environmental compliance is maintained through many avenues but primarily: facility permits, plans, and audits. Sierra Piedmont is your compliance partner; starting with awareness; taking you through training and implementation; resulting in full compliance with all regulations. Sierra resolves to keep you updated on new and updated regulations, which we do through a Quarterly Compliance Update that outlines regulations specific to your site. After all, we want to turn you into the environmental superhero at your company!

Audits

Environmental compliance audits are a great way to determine where you stand. Evaluation of your facility’s current compliance status in high-risk areas is imperative.
 
In addition to the facility’s current environmental compliance status, the facility’s internal systems/processes must support a long-term effort ensuring compliance. Key aspects of a successful environmental management system include:
  • Periodic internal environmental auditing
  • Corrective action tracking and implementation
  • Training
Sierra Piedmont works with your facility to conduct research and a pre-visit questionnaire. Then, we schedule a site visit for a convenient time, reducing disruption to your day-to-day activities.
 
At the conclusion of the project, you will receive environmental compliance status. This, our findings and observations, assessment of existing systems and processes, and a detailed summary, will be provided in a report. Sierra then takes immediate action toward determining the best, most cost-effective way to maintain your newfound compliance status.

Plans & Permits

Sierra Piedmont provides several types of plans, including:

Spill Prevention Plan

Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure Plans (SPCCs) proactively prepare you for an improper release or discharge of oil. An SPCC gives you crucial knowledge of what to do in the even of a release. Sierra Piedmont has completed hundreds of SPCC plans across a variety of industries. If you own or operate a trucking maintenance garage, distribution center, bulk fuel terminal or manufacturing facility, it is possible you fall under SPCC requirements.

Facility Response Plan

Facilities that could reasonably be expected to cause “substantial harm” to the environment by discharging oil into or on navigable waters are required to prepare and submit Facility Response Plans (FRPs). The Oil Pollution Prevention regulation includes two methods by which a facility may be identified as posing substantial harm:

  • Through a self-selection process
  • By a determination of the EPA Regional Administrator

Oil Spill Contingency Plan

An Oil Spill Contingency Plan (OSCP) is used in place of sized secondary containment to meet the requirements of the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) rule. The OSCP sets forth the steps that an SPCC-regulated facility will take to monitor and respond to releases of oil. As with secondary containment, the purpose of an OSCP is to help the regulated facility prevent oil from entering navigable waters through storm sewers, paved surfaces and even sanitary sewers.

Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan

Primarily related to industrial and construction activity, a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) may be required to control the mobilization of industrial pollutants by stormwater runoff or construction activities that result in disturbance of one or more acres of land. The EPA developed the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program under the Clean Water Act to regulate stormwater discharge sources.

Training

We offer training on all stormwater and spill prevention topics onsite and can provide you with training handouts.

Permitting

Sierra Piedmont provides all types of environmental permitting assistance and will be happy to discuss your unique situation in detail.

Project Example

Waste Minimization Vehicle Maintenance Shops

The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) addresses hazardous waste management through the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), first introduced in 1976. RCRA regulates hazardous waste generation, storage, treatment, and disposal. For a waste to be considered hazardous, the material must first be a solid waste and then must meet criteria as a “characteristic” waste or as a “listed” waste. Vehicle maintenance activities may generate hazardous waste that would be subject to the RCRA requirements.
View Project

Project Example

Oil Spill Response for Retail Fuel Facilities

Many environmental health and safety managers may ask themselves: “How does oil spill response affect my organization and me?” If you store oil at your facility, you are likely subject to city, county or state laws that require you be prepared to respond to an oil spill. This paper addresses the requirements for an oil spill response effort and sets forth ideas that health and safety managers can use when developing their own oil spill response strategies.
View Project