Nearly 2 million Americans could be hospitalized during this winter's novel H1N1 influenza pandemic, with as many as 300,000 clogging intensive care units in heavily affected regions, according to a report released August 24th by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
EPA has ordered the village of Port Chester, N.Y. to improve the way it handles run-off from rainwater and correct violations of the federal Clean Water Act after EPA sampling revealed high levels of two types of bacteria in village stormwater. Stormwater, which is from rainfall or melting snow, can pick up debris, chemicals, dirt and other pollutants from surfaces before it flows into a waterbody. Port Chester discharges stormwater into the Byram River, which empties into Long Island Sound.
The Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is continuing to investigate the serious explosion that occurred one year ago at the Bayer CropScience (Bayer) pesticide manufacturing site in Institute, West Virginia. The board has completed the collection of most of the evidence on the causes of the explosion itself. Consistent with a May 2009 request from Congress, the investigation is currently examining options for Bayer to reduce or eliminate the use and storage of highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) at the Institute site.
NIOSH research has shown that some nanoparticles, including certain types of carbon nanotubes and metal oxides, can be toxic to the heart and lung in mice and rats in laboratory experiments, according to a recent post on NIOSH’s Science blog.
In a move that will ensure the proper handling of many thousands of bulbs that contain toxic mercury and computer monitors that contain lead in New York City, EPA has reached an agreement with the city requiring it to pay $50,000 in penalties and launch a comprehensive program to properly manage such wastes, according to an EPA press release.
Widespread machine guarding and lockout/tagout hazards at a North Haven, Conn., manufacturer of small firearms has resulted in $42,850 in proposed fines from OSHA, according to an agency press release.
Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc., the world’s largest supplier of premium beef and pork, has agreed to pay a $2,026,500 civil penalty to settle allegations that it violated terms of a 2002 consent decree and a federally-issued pollution discharge permit at its meat processing facility in Dakota City, Neb., the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced.
A federal grand jury in Houston has returned an indictment charging two crewmembers of the oil tanker Georgios M with making false statements, violating federal law designed to prevent pollution from ships and obstruction of justice, the Justice Department announced.
“In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, improve aging water and wastewater infrastructure and protect human health and the environment,” EPA has awarded $60,053,700 to the State of South Carolina, according to an EPA press release.
This new infusion of money provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will help the state and local governments finance many of the overdue improvements to water projects that are essential to protecting public health and the environment across the state.
RSS