The Most Important Compliance Best Practices You Need to Know

OSHA’s (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) New National Emphasis Program (NEP) empowers OSHA inspectors to cover chemical facilities around the country. It ensures that all the necessary steps are taken to protect workers. It replaces OSHA's 2009 pilot Chemical Facility National Emphasis Program which covered several OSHA regions around the country.

This article details the best practices chemical facilities can follow in order to comply with the requirements of NEP.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 was promulgated in August 2005 in the U.S. The act attempts to combat growing energy problems and seeks to provide tax incentives and loan guarantees for energy production of various types. The major sections which address various energy related issues covered under the act are:

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) declared it to be U.S. policy to establish a reserve of up to 1 billion barrels of petroleum. It was enacted with the purpose of serving the nation’s energy demands and promoting conservation methods when feasibly obtainable.

The Alternate Fuels Act of 1988 amends a portion of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to pursue the use of alternative fuels. It encourages the development, production, and demonstration of alternative motor fuels and alternative-fuel vehicles.

The Secretary of Energy is directed to ensure an economically practical number of federal fleet to be: (1) alcohol-powered vehicles; (2) dual energy vehicles; (3) natural gas-powered vehicles; 4) natural gas dual-energy vehicles.
 
Federal policies and programs designed to cut energy demand:

• Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA)
• Energy Conservation and Production Act of 1976
  • encourages and facilitates the application of energy conservation and renewable energy measures in new and existing buildings.
• National Energy Conservation Policy Act of 1978 (NECPA)
  • requires utilities to provide residential consumers with energy conservation audits and other services to encourage slower growth of electricity demand.

EPCA Interagency Team (Steering Committee)

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (P.L. 94-163, EPCA) authorizes drawdown of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve upon a finding by the President that there is a “severe energy supply interruption,” or in the event of a circumstance that “constitutes, or is likely to become, a domestic or international energy supply shortage of significant scope or duration” and where “action taken ... would assist directly and significantly in preventing or reducing the adverse impact of such shortage.”

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (P.L. 94-163) established new car corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards, beginning with model year 1978.

Legislations Relating to Federal Standard Setting for Energy Efficiency

Noncompliance

• Legal action
• Civil penalties
• Fines
• Suspension, termination of, or refusal to grant or to continue Federal financial assistance

Source:

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Energy_Policy_and_Conservation_Act_of_1975,_United_States
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy10osti/46532.pdf
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL31720.pdf
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/regulations/epact2005.html