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Dirty Industries: Controlling Environmental Problems at Industrial Properties

Industrial properties are uniquely susceptible to environmental problems. How do you identify and deal with hazardous materials commonly used at industrial sites? Partner Engineering and Science's Ira Grossman offers insight into sound hazardous materials management strategies.

By S. Ira Grossman | Updated on February 14, 2014

Industrial properties have the highest level of environmental risk in commercial real estate, except for maybe pharmaceutical facilities.  However these labs are typically staffed with highly trained personnel and have a high level of regulatory scrutiny. 

Industrial properties that store, use and discard hazardous materials are governed by several federal laws.  The basic one is the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which is the principal federal law in the United States regulating the disposal of solid and hazardous waste.  In addition, Title III of the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act (SARA) requires operations that have hazardous materials on site to share information with state and local emergency planning authorities.  It sets regulations for the right of the public to access information on chemical hazards in their community, and the reporting responsibilities for facilities that use, store, and/or release hazardous chemicals and keep Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) (see this sample MSDS) of the materials on site for employees’ response. 

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