What is the Navy saying about their ECATTS training system?

04/27/2020/in Announcements /by mbrandt

We are always happy to receive feedback on any of our compliance training, especially when it’s this positive! Thanks to our wonderful Navy clients in our ECATTS government division for these great reviews. We strive to provide the best training experience possible for all of our customers.

See what they have to say about their ECATTS environmental compliance training:

“Bravo…Superb Training”

“I love [ECATTS]. Best training ever, and the tests make it so you actually learn.”

“Very interesting training. Information will be useful in the future. Definitely benefited.”

“Keep up the great work.”

“Excellent testing format, it was easy to navigate and follow.”

“Good and very informative.”

“Excellent!”

“Very interesting information. Well presented.”

“The site was extremely easy to navigate, it made the learning experience more enjoyable.”

“Well developed and informational.”

“Thanks for being environmentally aware.”

April 22 is Earth Day!

04/21/2020/in News /by mbrandt

Tomorrow is Earth Day 2020, which marks the 50th anniversary of this world-wide event developed to bring awareness and support for the protection of our natural environment.

The theme this year is climate change, a big challenge with big opportunities. Climate change “represents the biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the life-support systems that make our world habitable.”

People all around the world can celebrate Earth Day, even from the safety of their own homes, because earthday.org is going digital. There, you can learn about virtual Earth Day activities and watch LIVE online for special messages and performances.

Visit earthday.org Live

Whether you’re one person, or leading a larger organization, there are ways to make a difference. Happy Earth Day!

NEW: UST Class C certification training for Illinois now available

04/17/2020/in Announcements /by mbrandt

Great news for our UST training catalog!

We have recently added the state of Illinois to our UST Class C training curriculum. This brand new UST Class C operator training has been reviewed and approved by the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshall.

Successfully completing this training will award a certificate which grants UST Class C operator certification in the state of Illinois.

Completing this training will also provide certification in Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, and Mississippi. For all other states, this course should only be used as a reference (and will not award certification). In many states (PA, TX, VA, etc.) the only way to become Class C certified is to be trained by a certified Class A/B operator.

UST Class C Operator Training Program

(5 modules)

In this training program, you’ll learn important topics for UST operators such as:

Introduction to Class C Operators:

Class C operator responsibilities & certification
Operator requirements and training records
and more

UST System Components:

What is an underground storage tank
The primary parts of a pump dispenser
Spill prevention equipment
Safeguard and emergency shut off devices
and more

Spill and Overfill Prevention:

Main sources of UST releases
How to be prepared for an emergency
Correct filling practices
and more

Emergency Response:

Release monitoring
Common causes of spills and releases
What to do in case of an emergency
and more

Cleanup:

Spill containment materials
Basic steps to follow when responding to a petroleum spill
Washing down spills
and more

View Training Details Now!

View Class C Training

And make sure to check out all of our other UST Class A/B operator certification and preparatory training programs too!

View All UST Training

Are you reducing your risk for spills?

04/15/2020/in News /by mbrandt

EPA order enforces spill prevention safeguards at Tangier, Va. Fuel Storage Facility

PHILADELPHIA (April 15, 2020) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that Tangier Oil Company, Inc. has agreed to take actions to reduce the risks of spills of fuel oils into the Chesapeake Bay. These actions will address the company’s alleged environmental violations at a fuel storage distribution facility that the company operates in the Tangier Harbor in Virginia.

The Tangier Oil facility, which transfers oil to and from docked vessels, has an aboveground oil storage capacity of 150,360 gallons — including six 20,000-gallon and three 10,000-gallon storage tanks for diesel fuel, gasoline, and kerosene.

EPA’s Administrative Order on Consent with the company addresses violations of the Clean Water Act’s Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) and the Facility Response Plan (FRP) requirements. The alleged violations included:

Failure to have secondary containment around bulk storage tanks that is adequate to contain oil leaks;

Failure to comply with inspection requirements;

Failure to develop and implement oil spill preparedness and response training; and,

Failure to develop and fully implement a program of facility response drills and exercises.

In entering into this consent order, the Tangier Oil Company neither admitted or denied these violations but agreed to take actions on a specified timetable including: submitting a revised SPCC plan and FRP; remedying deficiencies in the facility’s secondary containment; hiring an independent consultant to evaluate and remedy any deficiencies associated with the integrity of oil storage tanks/equipment; and implementing mandatory employee training, drills and exercises.

What precautions are you taking to reduce your risk of spills? Environmental violations can lead to costly fines as well as bad press for your company.

Be prepared. Get the training you need before violations occur. Check out our spill prevention training courses now and keep yourself and your company safe.

Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC)

This training course covers:

What a Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) plan is
SPCC training requirements and goals
What types of oils are covered by the SPCC program
Spill prevention and planning requirements
Ways to prevent or minimize the potential for spills
What are secondary containment and diversionary structures
Operations, equipment, and processes which have a potential to cause a spill
Basic spill response expectations
How to respond to an emergency involving serious injury
How to response to a non-emergency spill
Reporting incidental shop spills
Reporting requirements
Accidental sewage discharges
What to do if you discover an underground storage tank (UST) leak
Secondary containment system drainage procedures
Fuel delivery and grease trap pumping best management practices (BMPs)
Other oil-filled process equipment

SHOP NOW

Spill Response

Badge icon "Water (1587)" provided by The Noun Project under Creative Commons CC0 - No Rights Reserved

This training course includes:

How to minimize the potential for spills
Operations, equipment, and processes likely to encounter a spill
How secondary containment is used to protect the environment
Proper fuel delivery procedures
What to do if a spill occurs at your jobsite
What to do if a spill has caused an emergency situation
Reporting incidental shop spills
The appropriate action to take following an accidental sewage discharge
What to do if you discover a storage tank leak

SHOP NOW

“Switch Off” for Earth Hour this Saturday, 3/28

03/26/2020/in News /by mbrandt

With all the uncertainty going on in the world right now, this year’s Earth Hour gives us a good opportunity for a global, collective pause. A pause to reflect on the impacts our lives make on our planet, such as the increasing demands for food, water and energy. These all have a direct affect on our wildlife and our environment.

This year, Earth Hour encourages a time to “switch off.” Turning off your lights for 1 hour shows a commitment to the conservation and protection of our earth. Although very much apart right now, this worldwide event can bring us together in spirit to show our support in saving our planet.

March 28, 2020

8:30 pm (your local time)

Learn more about this event from WWF and get some good tips of how to participate… in the dark!

Given the unprecedented circumstances, WWF advises participants to join Earth Hour at home or online following CDC guidelines. People can participate in Earth Hour this March 28th at 8:30 pm local time by turning off their lights for one hour to show solidarity and support for protecting our natural environments. In the past, millions of people and places have participated. During these challenging times, it’s more important than ever that we take a collective pause and use this time to reflect, evolve and strengthen our relationship with ourselves, with each other and with nature.

Here are some ideas you might enjoy while reflecting on your personal commitments to fighting climate change and protecting our forests, rivers, oceans, and wildlife. WWF designed these with current social distancing policies in mind.

Things to do in the dark

© Day’s Edge Productions

Go ‘green’ in your living space with some indoor gardening projects.
Exercise your green thumb by making a terrarium, or create some Macrame Plant Hangers for herbs and succulents. If you’re feeling adventurous, try branching out and creating a living plant wall (materials can be ordered online). Set yourself up for action beyond Earth Hour, and create a compost bin for your kitchen to reduce food waste at home.

Host a virtual in-the-dark dinner party for you and your friends.
Invite your friends to dinner via video chat to share 2020 environmental goals. Consider challenging each other to get creative with locally sourced ingredients where possible. Eating by candlelight adds to the ambiance!

Play some games.
Take a stab at one of WWF’s Wild Classroom quizzes. You can also download WWF’s free-flowing river app to learn the impacts of infrastructure on our world’s rivers.

Work up a sweat. Exercise the body and mind by candlelight.
Gather your friends for a virtual candlelight workout. Try anything from an intense HIIT circuit to restorative yoga. In your cool downtime, reflect on ways you can bring your commitment to biodiversity and nature beyond Earth Hour.

Pamper yourself. Self-care is key.
Anxiety can be overwhelming sometimes, especially recently. It’s important to prioritize self-care so that you stay relaxed, motivated, and energized to do the most you can for the planet and for society. Take a candlelit bath infused with essential oils and Epsom salts—making a conscious decision to relax will rejuvenate you.

Take a collective pause and reflect.
Earth Hour is a perfect time to think about everything you’ve already done to help the planet and brainstorm ways in which you can do even more. Create a vision board with your environmental goals, and think about practical ways to fulfill them.

To view the full article from WWF, visit https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/earth-hour-in-an-uncertain-time?utm_campaign=earth-hour&utm_medium=social&utm_content=photo&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3x17Lr3W4qWmldro_65XwGaLRqssUby_68wCaGDf6h849N6m6WKvrht6Q

Save 10% On All Training Now-3/27

03/16/2020/in Announcements /by mbrandt

Get 10% OFF now – 3/27 on all your environmental and safety training.

During this time of uncertainty, ‘social distancing’ has become the norm for many businesses with a push to stay and even work from home. With this comes a good opportunity to get the compliance training you need with our easily accessible, online courses available anytime, anyplace. Even from the comfort of your own home.

Keep yourself and your business safe, and free from violations and fines. We’ll make it even easier by giving you an extra 10% off all your training.

Use code 10%4U to receive 10% off your purchase NOW-March 27, 2020.

Shop All Training Now

EPA Releases List of Disinfectants To Use Against Coronavirus

03/10/2020/in News /by mbrandt

The coronavirus is a hot topic of conversation these days. As it continues to grow and span countries, people are becoming more mindful of things they can do to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. The good news is that coronaviruses are ‘enveloped viruses,’ which means they are one of the easiest types of viruses to kill when using the correct disinfectant products like the commonly known Lysol, Purell, and Clorox to name a few. The EPA has also just released a full list of disinfectants to protect against the spread of these germs. In addition to hand washing, using these listed disinfectants correctly can reduce or prevent the spread of illness, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “disinfection, diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, and most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective.”

While there is still much to learn, we can take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread and keep ourselves safe. Read more from the EPA and check out the full list of disinfectants through their link below:

“Products appearing on EPA’s list registered disinfectant products have qualified for use against COVID-19 through the agency’s Emerging Viral Pathogen program. This program allows product manufacturers to provide EPA with data, even in advance of an outbreak, that shows their products are effective against harder-to-kill viruses than SARS-CoV-2. It also allows additional communications intended to inform the public about the utility of these products against the emerging pathogen in the most expeditious manner.

Coronaviruses are enveloped viruses, meaning they are one of the easiest types of viruses to kill with the appropriate disinfectant product. Consumers using these disinfectants on an enveloped emerging virus should follow the directions for use on the product’s master label, paying close attention to the contact time for the product on the treated surface (i.e., how long the disinfectant should remain on the surface).”

Click here to search for disinfectants that kill COVID-19

Click here to visit EPA’s site directly and read more

Even more UST Class C certification training added!

02/19/2020/in Announcements /by mbrandt

Available now! We’ve just added New UST Class C operator training for the state of Maryland. This program has been reviewed and approved by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and has been tailored to include state-specific training material for Class C operators.

Successfully completing this training will award a certificate which grants UST Class C operator certification in Maryland.

UST Class C Operator Training Program