EPA scientists will celebrate Sustainability Month, part of the Year of Science 2009, by connecting with the public through blogs, podcasts and demonstrations of the importance of sustainability in our communities. The Year of Science 2009 was created by the Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS) to engage the public in science by showing why science matters in their communities and everyday lives, according to an agency press release.
Citing the fact that more than 90 percent of fireground firefighter deaths occur in one- and two-family homes, leading fire service organizations warned against state-by-state legislative efforts, orchestrated by homebuilders, which are designed to prohibit communities from requiring residential fire sprinklers in new home construction. Fire service groups are reiterating their strong support for sprinklers in the wake of several legislative attempts across the country, according to a recent National Fire Protection Association.
OSHA has cited Metalor Technologies for ten alleged serious violations of safety standards, with $46,500 in fines, following an inspection prompted by a Nov. 7, 2008, chlorine gas leak at the company's North Attleboro, Mass., metals refining plant, according to an agency press release.
In an April 28, 2009 letter to Jordan Barab, acting assistant secretary of labor for OSHA, American Industrial Hygiene Association President Lindsay E. Booher, CIH, CSP, pressed OSHA to take immediate action to lower the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for occupational noise exposure to 85 dBA (as an 8-hour time-weighted average) and to adopt the 3 dB exchange rate.
EPA is announcing next steps on two hazardous waste rules to respond to concerns raised by stakeholders: the Definition of Solid Waste rule and the Emission Comparable Fuels rule, according to an agency press release.
EPA is proposing its strategy for increasing the supply of renewable fuels, poised to reach 36 billion gallons by 2022, as mandated by the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, according to an EPA press release.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has issued a closure order under Section 104(b) of the Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act) to Snapco Inc. of Buchanan County, Va., after the mine operator failed to pay $396,576.84 in delinquent penalties and then ignored a demand to correct the failure, according to an MSHA press release. The order closes production at the company’s Mine Number 2; the penalties stem from at least 360 violations cited at that operation.
President Obama announced today his intent to nominate Inez Moore Tenenbaum as Chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Robert S. Adler as a new Commissioner of the CPSC. Furthermore, in the President’s budget, the CPSC receives $107 million, a 71 percent increase in resources since FY 2007. This is almost three quarters of the way to meeting the President’s goal of doubling CPSC’s funding.
Hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, is a legitimate medical problem. Fortunately, it responds well to treatment, reports the May 2009 issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch.
Each year, during the first week of May, organizations involved in treating and supplying our nation’s drinking water celebrate Drinking Water Week. This year’s celebration runs from May 3rd through May 9th. NSF International, a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Water and Food Safety and Indoor Environment, is offering free educational information to help consumers understand their role in protecting the nation’s water supply, according to a recent press release.