One of the biggest misconceptions about environmental reporting and air emissions management is only large scale businesses need to pay any attention to it. If you listened to some people, you'd swear air emission standards only apply to huge power plants, and the EPA only ever audits the most largest & most complex facilities. But is this really the truth?
The reality is that small facilities are held to the exact same EPA standards as any other site. And depending on what industry you work in, your business could also need to comply with the same work practice standards applied to the U.S.’s largest facilities.
That’s because it’s not about how big you are, but what you do and what sort of air emissions you generate.
The EPA regulates processes and emissions, not size.
One of the best examples of this is the woodworking and cabinetry industry. A huge number of cabinet manufacturers fall into the small business category, typically having just one site where they cut wood, build cabinets, and then paint them. Compared to other industries, this industry doesn’t generate as many types of air emissions, but they are still required to follow EPA regulations.
A small, single-site wood furniture manufacturer is required to comply with several different environmental standards, including:
- Using compliant finishing materials for stains, topcoats, and basecoats.
- Obeying emission limits for gluing and cleaning operations.
- Meeting emission limits for particulate matter (PM).
- Reducing worker exposure to solvents and emissions.
- Following work practice standards regarding cleaning and training.
Of course, for each of these regulations the facility has to keep meticulous records and submit reports to regulatory agencies to demonstrate its compliance.
And the exact same compliance activities will be taking place in all other wood working facilities across the country, regardless of size.
So if you operate a small manufacturing business, it just might be time to start looking at how big business approaches air emissions management. What sort of air emission software tools they use, how they manage many facilities at once, and how they handle environmental data management.
After all, there’s nothing your small bu siness can’t do as well or better than those other guys.
If you'd like to understand how you can manage your air emissions from a single location, get a live demo today and see how we can help you.
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