Obama Makes Key Health, Energy Cabinet Appointments
President-elect Barack Obama recently selected former Sen. Tom Daschle to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and Nobel Prize winner Dr. Steven Chu as energy secretary....
Practical Tips for Going Green This Holiday Season
Add more “green” to the season by taking some simple steps to prevent waste, reuse materials and save energy while preparing, celebrating and recovering from the holidays....
NRC Report Suggests Improvement for EPA Risk Assessment Process
A new report from the National Research Council (NRC) identifies improvements EPA could make to enhance its risk assessment process, which the committee said is bogged down by unprecedented challenges and should be streamlined to ensure the appropriate use of available science and technical accuracy....
Real or Fake: Which Christmas Tree is More Eco-Friendly?
Christmas trees come in many shapes and sizes, offering consumers an array of choices to make the season bright. But one expert cautions that when it comes to environmental impact, not every holiday tree is created equal. ...
PVC Manufacturers Agree to Reduce Air Pollutants, Strengthen Control of Hazardous Wastes
The Justice Department and EPA announced that Shintech Inc. and its subsidiary, K-Bin Inc., agreed in a settlement to spend $4.8 million to comply with the Clean Air Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) at their manufacturing facilities in Freeport, Texas. These actions will reduce harmful chlorofluorocarbon emissions and improve hazardous waste management at these facilities beyond the requirements imposed by environmental laws....
Nurses Unveil Web Site Highlighting Bush Administration’s Last-Minute Regulatory Changes
The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CNA/NNOC) launched a new Web site, http://www.SendBushPacking.com, to call attention to some of the Bush administration’s last-minute regulatory changes that could impact healthcare services and workplace safety....
National Demolition Association Hosting Landmark Construction and Demolition Recycling Symposium in 2009
The National Demolition Association, the trade organization for the global demolition industry, is planning for an inaugural International Symposium on the State of C&D (Construction & Demolition) Recycling, to be held in Chicago in the fall of 2009....
Quick Action by EPA and Partners Removes Hazardous Waste Threat
EPA, in partnership with the city of Syracuse, N.Y., removed flammable, corrosive, toxic and shock sensitive materials abandoned at the former Otisca Fuels building site, located on the corner of McBride and Butternut streets....
NRDC:New EPA Rule Leaves U.S. Waterways at Risk
Proposed pollution control standards from the Bush administration fall short for construction and building sites, claims the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). ...
EIP: Mercury Pollution Up at Most of the 50 Worst U.S. Coal-Fired Power Plants
In the wake of a February 2008 appeals court decision striking down weak regulations proposed by EPA, a new report from the nonprofit Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) finds that the top 50 most-polluting power plants in the United States emitted 20 tons of the dangerous neurotoxin mercury into the nation's air in 2007...
Survey: Workers Risk Injury By Not Wearing PPE
U.S. workers are risking workplace injuries by not complying with important safety procedures, according to a new survey released by Kimberly-Clark Professional....
Can Lean Manufacturing Encourage Revenue Growth?
According to management consulting firm R. Michael Donovan & Co. Inc., lean manufacturing is much more than cost reduction – it can help companies achieve revenue growth and market share objectives....
Report: Congressional Seats Won on “Bold, Progressive” Agenda
Twenty-six of the 29 Democratic candidates who won seats previously held by Republicans in the House and Senate championed bold, progressive economic positions, according to a report released by the Campaign for America’s Future (CAF). The report shows that these progressive candidates’ victories represent a swing to the left of 34 votes in the House and 10 in the Senate, reflecting a clear mandate for progressive change....
New Guidelines Encourage Responsible Recycling of Electronics
EPA, as part of a group of recycling stakeholders, developed the new guide “Responsible Recycling (R2) Practices for Use in Accredited Certification Programs for Electronics Recyclers” to promote better environmental, worker safety and public health practices for electronics recyclers....
“Clean” Nanoscale Production Not Always a Reality
New research published in a special issue of the Journal of Industrial Ecology shows that environmental gains derived from the use of nanomaterials may be offset in part by the processes used to manufacture them. The studies highlight the need for improved efficiency in nanoscale material manufacturing to reduce energy use, emissions, solid waste and the use of toxic input materials....
EPA, DOJ and State of Illinois Reach Agreement with Crane Composites on Clean Air Act Violations
The Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Justice and the state of Illinois have reached an agreement with Crane Composites, a fiberglass panel manufacturer formerly known as Kemlite Inc., on alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at the company's plastics manufacturing plant in Channahon, Ill....
EPA: Industry Makes Green While Going Green
A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reveals that major manufacturing and business sectors are improving environmental performance to cut waste, improve economic competitiveness and gain other important benefits. ...
EIP: Carcinogenic Pollution from U.S. Refineries Increased from 2004 to 2006
In a disturbing reversal of a positive trend in earlier years, emissions of carcinogens from U.S. refineries increased more than 2 percent between 2004 and 2006, according to a new study by the nonprofit and nonpartisan Environmental Integrity Project (EIP). ...
Former CSB Chairman Dies
Carolyn Merritt, who served as chairman of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) from August 2002 through August 2007, died in St. Louis Aug. 29 after a long battle with metastatic breast cancer. She was 61. ...
Court Throws Out 2006 EPA Monitoring Requirements Rule
Earthjustice challenged the 2006 EPA rule on behalf of the Environmental Integrity Project, Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council...
ASSE Comments on Proposed Combustible Dust Legislation
ASSE recognized that legislation may be necessary to help combat combustible dust hazards, especially in light of recent incidents, such as the fatal...
EPA Funds Greener Brownfields Projects
Brownfields redevelopment and sustainable reuse can go hand in hand, said Susan Bodine, assistant administrator for EPAs Office of Solid Waste and Emergency...
New Owners Can Make a Clean Start with EPA
This is an opportunity for new owners to make a clean start by correcting environmental problems that began under the previous owners watch, said Granta...
MSDS Gone Wild!
This scenario, while fictitious, is played out a thousand times every year in facilities all across our nation. We all have learned the OSHA rules of hazard communication, 29CFR1910.1200. The purpose and design of the program is excellent: that any chemicals produced or imported are evaluated for hazards and those hazards are then communicated to the employees and employers who might come in contact with them. ...
Pfizer Agrees to $975,000 Penalty for Clean Air Act Violations
During its production of pharmaceutical-grade chemicals, Pfizer used substances such as methanol, hydrogen chloride, methylene chloride, MTBE, hexane,...
