Environmental Auditing And Management Approaches For Compliance

This article was originally published in Biodiesel magazine, February 2008.

While the biodiesel industry's focus on environmental regulatory matters understandably has been drawn toward critical path issues relating to fuel standards, it is essential that biodiesel manufacturing, terminal and transportation companies not lose sight of the complex and burdensome environmental regulatory compliance requirements that apply to their facilities, much as they do to other fuel refiners and handlers.

Federal, state and, in some circumstances, local laws and regulations provide for complex and costly permitting and controls on the emission of pollutants to the air and releases of pollutants through wastewater and stormwater discharges. They also provide for control over the generation, classification, handling and disposal of wastes. Further, they also provide management practices, planning and reporting