Regulatory Compliance ||
By: Isreal Hodges, Jr.
August 11, 2017
As environmental professionals work to keep their facilities in compliance with the current regulations, these statutes are being amended, cancelled, revised, or even challenged in courtrooms within federal, state and local jurisdictions. It can feel as if a herd of bulls are chasing you as you have just corralled your current cattle. How can one keep up with all of these changes, even those that may only be at the proposal stages? Below are some ways you can keep up with the ever-changing regulatory world:
1) Electronic Updates from the Federal Register
What better place to go for updates on federal rules and regulations other than the Federal Register? The Federal Register, abbreviated FR or sometimes Fed. Reg., is the official journal of the federal government of the United States that contains government agency rules, proposed rules, and public notices. It is published daily (except on federal holidays), and the final rules promulgated by a federal agency and published in the Federal Register are ultimately reorganized by topic or subject matter and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), which is updated annually. To subscribe to the Federal Register Table of Contents electronic mailing list, go here, enter your e-mail address, and then follow the instructions to join, leave, or manage your subscription.
2) Industry Networks
This can become its own article, but I suggest those within industry to partner with like-minded professionals in your state, city, or even on your street to gather periodically to discuss regulatory updates that may affect your group. Something as simple as quarterly meetings at group members’ facilities can start a dialogue that can assist you in creating solutions to problems regulatory changes may bring upon your facility. At a minimum, it’s a great way to network with other professionals to discuss the joy and struggles of being in the environmental realm.
3) Updates From Environmental Consultants
If you are reading this now, you are effectively using this tip. I simply gather my topics of the day/week from my clients’ needs, so feel free to request from your consultant information and trusted expertise regarding potential changes to regulations, and how those will affect your operations. If your consultant cannot or will not do this, it may be in your company’s best interests environmentally to see how SIGMA Environmental, LLC can provide value to you and your operations.
4) Environmental Publications
There are several publications that provide updates on the changes in environmental statutes and elaborate upon how certain industries may be affected. For a subscription fee, you and your company can have this information delivered to your facility periodically. I recommend that you do your research regarding the various ones to find the best fit for your needs.
5) Trade Conferences
Again, it’s always great to network with other environmental professionals regarding changes across the regulatory spectrum. The best conferences will have a mix of presentations and updates from the federal and state regulatory agencies, industry representatives and consultants, and even some law professionals that explain how certain laws can set precedent for other proposals down the road. The conferences can get expensive, but it may be worth its weight in gold if you can get some "nuggets" of information that can save your company money and time, in addition to decreasing your environmental liability.
Depending on your individual circumstances, some of these options may be more effective for your company than others. However, this shows that there are several different paths one may take to becoming educated on changes that can affect you and your operations. Ultimately, being prepared allows environmental professionals and their companies to grab their operations “by the horns” to create an atmosphere where environmental compliance is proactive, expected and sustainable.