Safety & Risk Management Committee Corner

Our March 18th Safety & Risk Management Committee meeting focused on environmental risk management and compliance. Chair Leroy Taggert welcomed the group to this meeting, which included many first-timers! He celebrated the 16 companies who achieved the Best Practices in Safety Award in 2025 (a record).

Director of Operations Andrea Johnson mentioned that the CDRA is preparing a safety award-related workbook to provide member companies with a year-round checklist for building and maintaining their internal safety culture. More information about this workbook will be shared soon. And Leroy entertained suggestions for a Vice Chair. Those interested in serving in this role should reach out to Executive Director Terri Ward.

Next, guest speaker Lydia Zaharia discussed the politically driven changes in environmental regulations and how companies can protect themselves in this changing environment. The fact is that regulations are either added or rolled back depending on which party is in office. She highlighted the importance of staying up to date on the changing regulatory landscape (to include both federal and state rules) and conceded that maintaining compliance is challenging. She also discussed the environmental ratings of states and their impact on compliance.

Lydia offered some tools to help companies track regulatory actions and encouraged them to take proactive risk management steps, such as taking an internal risk assessment, maintaining proper documentation and safe handling procedures, conducting a supply chain and materials analysis, and reviewing existing contracts to identify areas of liability. This meeting also explored the availability of environmental liability insurance, noting that insurance should be easier to obtain in 2025, with more carriers entering the market. The impact of recently enacted PFAS regulations was discussed, the very real need to limit exposure, and the need for expert representation. 

Finally, participants contributed to a poll to gauge interest in future meeting topics, with "True Cost of a Claim" emerging as a popular choice. We hope you will make plans to join us on June 24th for our next meeting!