Regulatory Episodes

The U.S. drinking water MCLs for PFAS remain in effect, but court challenges, proposed deadline extensions, and regulatory uncertainty have left public water systems in a difficult position. Taryn McKnight, VP and PFAS Practice Leader for Eurofins Environment Testing, breaks down the current state of PFAS regulation in the United States, including the legal battles over EPA's drinking water standards, the CERCLA hazardous substance designation, and why the proposed rollback of certain PFAS compo...

Battelle's Chlorinated Conference draws 1,500 environmental professionals from 23 countries, and its division manager explains why PFAS treatment is pushing the industry to its limits. Joe Tarsavage, Division Manager of Environmental Solutions at Battelle, discusses the 30-year history of the Chlorinated Conference, how PFAS contamination has reset treatment standards from two nines to five or six nines of removal, and why that gap is driving rapid innovation across the remediation sector. He al...

Microplastics appear on a federal contaminant watchlist for the first time, and the regulatory path forward remains far from certain. Megan Quinn, senior reporter at Waste Dive, breaks down what the EPA's proposed new Contaminant Candidate List 6 actually means for water utilities, landfill operators, and chemical manufacturers, and why the lack of standardized test methods could slow any future regulation significantly. Quinn explains how the CCL process works, who sits on the newly reshu...

Host Sean Grady talks with Kevin Lavezzo of CHEMTREC about the side of the chemical world most people never see, but responders rely on when accurate information matters. They unpack what CHEMTREC actually does, including how its Emergency Operations Center triages calls, uses tools like the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG), and connects callers with product experts. Lavezzo explains a common misconception: first responders can call CHEMTREC for help without paying a fee, and the team will sti...

On this episode of the Environmental Transformation Podcast, host Sean Grady speaks with Enviro Apps co founder Amit Bhargava live at the EHS Hazmat Summit. Bhargava explains how his platform streamlines digital hazardous waste and dangerous goods documentation, improves emergency response times, reduces administrative burden, and helps shippers and carriers save money. He also discusses regulatory hurdles, SAP integrations, sustainability features, and real time data access for emergency respon...

Host Sean Grady welcomes Scott Parker, Executive Director of Enfinite—the Industrial Liquid Recycling Association—to discuss the organization’s rebrand from NORA and its mission to connect, educate, and protect the industrial liquid recycling industry. Parker shares Enfinite’s history, key regulatory advocacy work, challenges like PFAS management and driver shortages, and how members are embracing technology and sustainability. Get more episodes of The Environmental Transformation Podcast for i...

In this episode of the Environmental Transformation Podcast, host Sean Grady talks with Meaghan Colligan Hembree, Environmental, Compliance & Disputes Partner at Holland & Knight in Washington, D.C. She counsels Fortune 500 companies and global brands on chemical risk, environmental compliance, and high-stakes disputes.Hembree explains extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws, how they affect packaging, plastics, recycling, and supply chains, and what companies must do to prepare for complian...

In this episode of the Environmental Transformation Podcast, host Sean Grady talks with Alan Roberson, Executive Director of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA). Roberson shares insights from over 34 years in water policy, including how ASDWA supports state drinking water agencies, challenges of PFAS regulation, and the impact of federal funding shortfalls on public health protection. The discussion covers drinking water regulations, the role of state labs, infrastruct...

Veteran environmental attorney Phil Comella joins host Sean Grady on the Environmental Transformation Podcast to break down the EPA’s proposed rollback of PFAS drinking water regulations. With over 40 years of experience, Comella offers expert legal insight on how the delayed compliance deadlines, potential MCL reductions, and CERCLA implications could affect municipalities, water utilities, waste management companies, and communities already exposed to PFAS. The conversation covers legal risks,...

Welcome to the Environmental Transformation Podcast with your host, Sean Grady . In this high-impact episode, we’re joined by Sam Goodman , also known as The HOP Nerd —a leading voice in Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) , safety culture innovation, and host of The HOP Nerd Podcast . 🎙️ In This Episode: Sam breaks down what HOP (Human and Organizational Performance) really means, why traditional safety programs often fall short, and how organizations can shift from blame-based models...

Sean Grady sits down with Wendy Buckley, President and CEO of STARS HazMat Consulting, to discuss the vital topic of lithium-ion battery safety. With over 27 years of experience in hazmat transportation and regulatory compliance, Wendy shares her expertise on the hazards, regulations, and industry best practices for handling these powerful yet potentially dangerous batteries. The conversation covers everything from the everyday devices powered by lithium-ion batteries — like smartphones, e...

In this monumental 100th episode of the Environmental Transformation Podcast, host Sean Grady dives into the critical issue of combustible dust with two leading experts: Dr. Kevin Aikman, a plant biologist and certified industrial hygienist with over 30 years of consulting experience, and Dr. Ashok Dastidar, Vice President at Fauske & Associates, specializing in chemical process hazard analysis. The episode covers the science behind combustible dust, its potential risks, the role of industrial h...

Sean Grady interviews Sean Easton, co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Wastelinq, a cutting-edge waste-tracking software platform. Easton discusses his journey in the waste industry, from his career beginnings to co-founding Wastelinq, which has innovative features such as AI-assisted waste profiling, dynamic routing for treatment methods, and inventory management. Additionally, they touch on sustainability goals, compliance, and the importance of data privacy. Easton shares insights on the ...

Sean Grady interviews Robert Wilkinson, an expert with over 25 years of experience in environmental investigation, assessment, and management. Robert, who is the CCR Technical Manager at TDEC's Bureau of Environment, discusses his extensive background and how he became involved in managing issues related to coal combustion residuals (CCR) at TVA coal-fired power plants in Tennessee. The conversation dives into the history and regulatory framework of CCR, the environmental and health impacts, the...

Join host Sean Grady as he interviews JP Verheul, Senior Chemist, and Mike Allen, VP of Trace Lab Services, from Enthalpy Analytical. Discover the critical work Enthalpy Analytical is doing in analyzing environmental samples for PFAS and other contaminants. Learn about the challenges and complexities in the testing and regulatory landscape, especially concerning drinking water, wastewater treatment, and industrial impacts. The episode also features detailed discussions on analytical methods, sta...

From CHMMs to ESG: learn about the AHMP's journey through Diverse Environmental Disciplines. In this episode we talk with Kelsey Forde, the AHMP Chair, and Amanda Wuoti, a Board Member, about the benefits of being a member of the AHMP. We talk about how they are serving their members, and what to expect at this year's Annual AHMP Conference being held in Omaha, Nebraska. Learn how you can earn education maintenance points for attending the conference and all about the technical sessions and acti...

A discussion with the U.S. EPA’s Office of Water Deputy Assistant Administrator Bruno Pigott. So much is happening in the water space at the EPA these days, from lead and copper water supply pipe replacement programs to newly proposed PFAS Drinking Water regulations, the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR), and much more. I had the opportunity to catch up with Bruno to discuss these topics and how the agency is responding to threats on human health and the environment in this episode....

PFAS Contamination Update with Clean Cape Fear Co-Founder Emily Donavan. Learn about the recent TSCA court ruling where four community groups petitioned the US EPA to require Chemours to conduct epidemiology studies that included 54 PFAS chemicals for thousands of North Carolina residents. Her reaction to the EPA's Proposed PFAS Drinking Rule for 6 PFAS chemicals and if the EPA should establish a Class of PFAS Chemicals to account for Short Chain and Long Chain chemical variants. We also talk ab...

ESG Software for Every Business with Sustain.Life CSO Alyssa Rade. Learn where we are in the Evolution of the Decarbonization Journey. How Climate conversations and ESG Reporting expectations are changing the dynamics of Business from the Board Room to the everyday worker. See how Digital Transformation is changing the way companies think about tracking Scope 1, 2, and 3 Emissions and Reporting Sustainability metrics. Hear what its like working for an ESG Start Up software company and much more ...

Greenwashing; What is it and how to spot it, with Nikos Avlonas, CEO of the Center of Sustainability and Excellence (CSE). In this episode we discuss what are the affects of Greenwashing in the Industry, who is responsible for properly reporting on a company's ESG progress, what type of Reputational Risk is there for companies caught up in Greenwashing and much more. Thanks to our Sponsors: CSE, Cascade Environmental, and Pace Analytical. #sustainability #esg #climatechange #supplychain #g...

Introducing PFAS Exposure™, the First Self-Collection Blood Sampling Kits with Taryn McKnight of Eurofins. Learn how you can accurately obtain PFAS blood sampling results from the comfort of your home or place of work using their new sampling kit called PFAS Exposure™. Eurofins Environment Testing has devised a way to self-collect a sample of PFAS in blood, traditionally requiring a blood draw. This departure represents a leap forward in Biomonitoring for Exposure to PFAS in blood. Their kit is ...

Learn how Pace Labs is an industry leader in PFAS analytical testing with Emerging Contaminants Program Manager Paul Jackson. We also discuss updates to the EPA’s recent Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) program and how public drinking water utilities will now have to test for 29 PFAS chemicals over the next three years, and what will be done with the data. Also, learn how many test methods are out there for analyzing various media, and much more. #...

Clean Cape Fear Co-Founder Emily Donovan talks about their efforts to address PFAS contamination in their community. We touch on recent efforts to get the US EPA to require epidemiology sampling of impacted residents and what they are doing to mitigate the exposure of over 300,000 North Carolina residents affected by PFAS contamination in municipal drinking water from the Chemours Fayetteville manufacturing facility. Learn how her work has helped elevate NC's PFAS contamination crisis to the nat...

Breaking down the SDS with Atanu Das, CEO and President of MSDS Writer. Learn why SDSs are so important and how they support hazardous communication, worker safety, compliance reporting, and chemical management requirements. We breakdown each section and dive into the details to bring you a better understanding of the information provided and potential hazards associated with an SDS. Thanks to our Sponsors: Pace, Regenesis, IHMM, and E-Tank