Articles Tagged with ''toxic substances''

A combined population of 30,000 firefighters from three large cities had higher rates of several types of cancers, and of all cancers combined, than the U.S. population as a whole, researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and colleagues found in a new study.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration division (OSHA) within the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services (DWS) has cited the Sinclair Wyoming Refining Company with $707,000 in fines for 22 violations found at the company’s Sinclair, Wyoming refinery operation.

The EPA is finalizing a rule that will allow the agency to restrict imports of potentially harmful perfluorinated chemicals that could be used in carpets. The regulation will require companies to report to EPA all new uses, including in domestic and imported products, of these chemicals once used  for soil and stain resistance in carpets.

While efforts to reform the federal Toxic Chemicals Safety Act continue to inch slowly forward, the state of California has taken a bold regulatory leap into controlling toxic chemicals – at least those found in consumer products.

Driven by increasing environmental and regulatory pressures, and concerns over toxicity to humans, the global solvents market continues to undergo significant changes as demand for “greener” solvents has increased in developed countries during the last 15 years, while demand for traditional solvents (outside of China) continues to decline, according to a new IHS Chemical (NYSE: IHS) global market research report.

The EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice have announced a settlement with Tyson Foods, Inc. and several of its affiliate corporations over incidents in which anhydrous ammonia was released at facilities in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska, resulting in multiple injuries, property damage, and one fatality.

The EPA says it will begin assessing 23 chemicals – 20 of which are commonly used as flame retardants (FR) -- for potential risks to human health and the environment. This effort is part of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Work Plan which identifies commonly used chemicals for risk assessment.

RAE Systems, a leading global provider of rapidly deployable, multi-sensor chemical and radiation detection networks for national security and industrial applications, today announced that its MultiRAE Pro portable multi-threat monitors have been adopted by both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Emergency Response Team and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue Task Force.

Safety managers and incident commanders face the need to identify and quantify toxic or combustible chemicals on the spot, to make urgent decisions. These professionals need to rely on gas detection monitors to help them decide quickly – to prevent an accident from becoming an incident -- on the use of personal protective equipment, evacuation and cleanup.

In the wake of a recent train derailment in NJ released toxins and forced widespread evacuations, environmental groups are urging the Obama administration to use its power under the Clean Air Act to reduce chemical disaster risks.