July 9th, 2017

Zebra Mussels have been positively identified for the first time at Lake Travis in Central Texas.  Zebra Mussels are an invasive species originating from eastern Europe and western Russia. A single adult female zebra mussel can produce up to one million larvae each year that cannot be seen by the naked eye, causing infestation to occur before a sighting. Zebra mussels attach to any hard surface in the water including submerged infrastructure, piping, watercraft, and even native mussels. Currently, there is no known way to eliminate zebra mussels from entire lakes without harming native species and colonies, and are expensive Read More »

July 3rd, 2017

SSCI began work on the State Highway (SH) 288 Toll Lanes Expansion Project in Harris County providing hazardous materials management and emergency response in July 2016. Since that time, SSCI has assisted in construction activities, hazardous material handling and disposal, and in managing environmental hazards associated with the project. Construction activities have taken place in the early morning hours before rush hour traffic and in the middle of the night.  We’ve been there to see it all. The project consists of expanding three major interchanges within a 10.3-mile stretch from US Interstate 59 (US 59) to the Harris County line Read More »

July 3rd, 2017

SSCI is wishing everyone a happy and safe 4th of July.  For Safety Tip on using fireworks, visit the National Council on Fireworks Safety. SSCI’s office will be closed on July 4, 2017.  Our staff can be reach 24-7 at 1-800.324.7724.

June 19th, 2017

The usage of drones by civilians has increased significantly over the past few years.  An estimated 600,000 drones will be in use by commercial enterprises by 2018. The top industry using drones in the United States is photography with the second largest being real estate ( DMR, www.expandedramblings.com).  Drones have been used in military applications for years but as the drones move to the commercial industry and to hobbyists, concerns have been raised regarding safety and enforcement of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.  The FAA refers to drones as an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and regulations apply for personal and Read More »

April 8th, 2017

Oil spills consisting of crude oil or drilling “mud” are often found at oil and gas drilling sites.  Drilling fluids are captured during drilling in pits and held for later disposal. The frequency of spills and improper maintenance and disposal of drilling mud results in soil, surface water, and groundwater impacts.  Once the drilling field has been exhausted or abandoned due to economic reasons, the wells, drilling equipment, tanks, pits, gathering lines, and other equipment (as seen in the pictures above) are left behind for property owners to cleanup. Because there are no requirements in most states for property owners Read More »

July 19th, 2016

Mercury is dangerous to us and animals.  This naturally occurring element can affect the nervous system of any animal with too much exposure.  Exposure to mercury during digestion is less hazardous to our bodies than inhalation of mercury gas.  People who inhale large amounts of mercury are susceptible to harm because the mercury absorbs in our lungs and begins attacking our nervous system.  Different animals can be extremely sensitive to ingestion of mercury. As a child of the 1970s, I remember the scramble of a classroom when a mercury thermometer broke in a classroom.  I remember the hype associate with Read More »

May 11th, 2015

The federal government requires all companies that have hazards in the workplace – and who doesn’t? – have a proper Health & Safety Plan (HASP). Every company that has more than 10 employees is required to have at minimum a written Emergency Action Plan and Fire Prevention Plan. For more hazardous activities, OSHA requires companies to have their own individual hazard plan. For example, if employees are working more than six feet above the ground for any reason or any duration, your company must have Fall Protection. HASPs set a standard for employees to follow and work by and allow Read More »