As far back as 1948 when the United States Government passed the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the country has been sensitive to our stewardship of this land’s vast natural resources. Over time, as U.S. industrial production increased and consumers concurrently became more aware of health issues related to the environment, Federal and State laws have also increased in scope and complexity.
In 1972, the earlier Act was substantially re-organized and is now commonly known as the “Clean Water Act” [CWA]. Among other goals of the CWA, the new regulations set wastewater standards for industry that includes a permitting system. As part of CWA, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System [NPDES] program has specific power to regulate sources of pollution that feed into United States’ waters. Reporting, monitoring, inspection, and auditing are all carried out to ensure businesses and municipalities are in compliance with Federal law. Massachusetts is one of four states for which the US Environmental Protection Agency directly manages the NPDES program.
While stormwater may not have the same connotation as a chemical plant dumping waste directly into a river or a stream, pollution such as debris, sediment and chemicals can be transported in the stormwater and washed into storm drains. The CWA regulations require that certain industrial and commercial sites obtain permits and even have a comprehensive plan to deal with stormwater pollution in place. The EPA also inspects and audits facilities, resulting in potentially costly compliance modifications or even penalties.
The EPA website lists assistance and support in learning about and implementing compliance for your company, but as with any government agency the length and complexity of the documents can be an alphabet soup of report names wasting your valuable time in learning about the system. In addition, there is also interpretation of a law and legal precedent that is impossible to know from the documents alone.
When dealing with environmental regulations at the Federal or State level, a company cannot become fully versed in the nuance of the law without the expertise of an industry professional. VacTone Environmental can provide just that level of experience you need to ensure you are in full compliance with all laws in a safe, economical method. Our own work meets industry code. Collected material is always transported by our fully insured, fully authorized company, under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations. All of our disposal facilities are additionally carefully chosen and periodically inspected to keep you in total compliance of all state, federal, and D.E.P regulations. You can also avoid surprises in an inspection or audit by letting us set up a preventive maintenance schedule specially designed for your needs.
Contact VacTone today to get your program underway, and gain peace of mind with compliance with all environmental laws!