Former EPA Leader Offers Nanotechnology Oversight Roadmap

Nanotechnology will significantly change virtually every facet of the American lifestyle. The next president has the opportunity to shape these changes and to ensure that nanotechnology's benefits will be maximized and its risks identified and controlled.

A new report by former EPA official J. Clarence (Terry) Davies lays out a clear roadmap for the next presidential administration and describes the immediate and longer term steps necessary to deal with the current shortcomings of nanotechnology oversight. (Read more... )

U.S. Rushes to Change Workplace Toxin Rules

By Carol D. Leonnig
Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday,
July 23, 2008; Page A01

Political appointees at the Department of Labor are moving with unusual speed to push through in the final months of the Bush administration a rule making it tougher to regulate workers' on-the-job exposure to chemicals and toxins (Read more...)

OSHA ruling kills UNR effort to recycle water

OSHA ruling kills UNR effort to recycle water
By Lenita Powers • lpowers@rgj.com • July 21, 2008

The University of Nevada, Reno's attempt to go green and save money by recycling more than a half-million gallons of water annually has been shot down by a disagreement with a state agency over a tiny pump. (Read more...)

Recall: propane storage tank

Name of Product: Conversion Underground Propane Storage Tanks

Units: About 11,000

Manufacturer: American Welding & Tank LLC, of Jesup, Ga.

Hazard: An odorant is added to propane to help alert customers to propane leaks, but rust inside a propane tank can cause the odor to fade. Some converted above-ground to underground converted tanks can have an increased susceptibility to odor fade, causing consumers to be unable to detect the odor of propane in the event of a gas leak. This can pose a fire and burn hazard to consumers if there is a leak in the propane gas system.

Check the US Consumer Product Commission's full notice of this recall.

Recall: log splitters

Log Splitter Engines Recalled By American Honda Motor Co. Due to Fire Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Engines used in SpeeCo and Huskee Brand Log Splitters

Units: About 5,600

Manufacturer: American Honda Motor Corp., of Torrance, Calif.

Hazard: The engine’s fuel tank can crack and leak, posing a risk of fire or explosion.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The recall involves Honda engines (model type GCV160LA N1A) used in Split Master by SpeeCo and Huskee brand log splitters. Only engine serial numbers between 5547012 and 6880908 are included in the recall. The serial number is located below the upper shroud near the oil dip-stick. The following models of log splitters are affected by the recall and are either silver/black or red/black colored.

Huskee Log Splitter	SpeeCo Split Masters
LS401227TS (22 Ton) LS401228NO (27 Ton)	LS401228SP (22 Ton) LS401227NO (22 Ton) LS401225NO (25 Ton)

Sold at: The log splitters with the recalled engines were sold at outdoor power equipment dealers and Tractor Supply stores nationwide from January 2007 through June 2008 for between $1,150 and $1,500.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the affected log splitters and contact any Honda Lawn and Garden dealer or Honda Engine dealer for a free repair. Registered owners of the recalled log splitters will be mailed a notice.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Honda at (800) 426-7701 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.hondapowerequipment.com

Check the US Consumer Product Commission's full notice of this recall.

Laser Causes Partial Blindness in Ravers

Party laser 'blinds' Russian ravers
15:03 14 July 2008
NewScientist.com news service
Reuters and New Scientist staff

Dozens of partygoers at an outdoor rave near Moscow have been partially blinded after a laser light show burned their retinas, say Russian health officials. Moscow city health department officials say that 12 cases of laser blindness were recorded at the Central Ophthalmological Clinic in the city. The daily newspaper Kommersant reports that another 17 victims have registered at another hospital in the centre of the capital.

Ravers at the Aquamarine Open Air Festival in Kirzhach, 80 kilometres northeast of Moscow, began seeking medical help days after the show, complaining of eye and vision problems.
"They all have retinal burns, scarring is visible on them. Loss of vision in individual cases is as high as 80%, and regaining it is already impossible," Kommersant quoted a treating ophthalmologist as saying.

Forced indoors
Partygoers say heavy rains forced organisers to erect massive tents for the all-night dance party. The damage seems to have been caused when laser beams that were intended for outdoor use to illuminate the sky, were somehow turned or reflected onto the crowd.

"I immediately had a spot like when you stare into the sun," attendee Dmitry told Kommersant.
"After three days I decided to go to the hospital. They examined me, asked if I had been at Open Air, and then put me straight in the hospital. I didn't even get to go home and get my stuff," he said. Cosmic Connection, promoters of the Aquamarine rave, were unreachable for comment and did not list contact numbers on their website.

'Illiterate technicians'
Powerful lasers can cause eye damage instantly by burning the delicate light sensitive cells in the retina or by heating the fluid in the eye, causing a small steam explosion. Laser weapons that are intended to blind their victims were banned in 1998 by the United Nations but weapons that dazzle have so far escaped censure. The owner of a Moscow laser rental company, Valentin Vasiliev, says the accidental blindings were due to "illiteracy on the part of technicians".
"It was partly the rain, but also partly the size of the laser. Somebody set up an extremely powerful laser for such a small space," he says, adding that his company did not provide the lasers at the Aquamarine event.

Safety workshop, Janesville

There will be a safety workshop in Janesville, WI on September 17. Organizations involved in the planning that we work with include OSHA, Lab Safety Supply, and the Heartland Safety and Health Education Center at UW-Whitewater (go Warhawks!).

Topics scheduled to be covered include:

Electrical Safe Work Practices

Ergonomic Design Guidelines

Substance Abuse Testing

Liability in the health & safety arena

Contractor Safety

Job Safety Analysis (JSA)

Confined Space Entry

Early Return to Work

PPE policy

For more information, check out the brochure.

Bucket, Ladder, Nail

Three Canadian maritime provinces* got together with The Extreme Group to produce three memorable thirty second safety commercials. The commercial "Nail" won a Bronze Lion in the Product and Service, public health and safety category at the 2008 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. The commercials complement the Workers' Compensation Board of Nova Scotia Work Safe For Life web site.

*Workers' Compensation Board of Nova Scotia , Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Worker's Compensation Board of Prince Edward Island.

Practical Steps to Zero Waste

Here is a notice about a webinar on Tuesday, July 15.

"Practical Steps to Zero Waste"

Tuesday - July 15, 2008
12:00 pm Eastern/9:00 am Pacific
Approximate duration: 90 minutes

A Presentation of the CURC Webinar Series

While many colleges and universities across the nation work to build and expand recycling programs, a growing number of schools are looking to the next level at ways to reduce and perhaps one day eliminate all their trash. Zero waste has become a common buzz word in recycling circles, but what does it mean? More importantly, how does it translate to the realities of a large institution managing its waste stream in the real world. This webinar from the College and University Recycling Council (CURC) will answer some of these basic questions about the zero waste concept as well as provide examples of schools that are working to implement policies and practices that move them closer to that ultimate goal.

For more information and to register, visit: http://nrc-recycle.org/zerowaste.aspx

How much will it cost you? It depends... A note from Eileen Norby

This webinar is free for AROW/NRC members. Current UW campus members are UW-Madison, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Extension and UW System Administration. The cost of the webinar to non-members is $35. For information about joining the Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin (AROW), which includes membership in the National Recycling Coalition, please go see the attached brochure, or visit AROW's website at:
http://www.arow-online.org/index.html

The cost for an AROW government membership is $95. If you have any questions about AROW or NRC, feel free to give me a call.
-Eileen Norby, 608-262-8252

Broken CFL's and use of nanomaterial sorbents

Wondering how to effectively capture mercury vapor for broken compact fluorescent lamps (CFL's)? If you said yes, you are in the same group as Natalie Johnson at the Superfund Basic Research Program (SBRP) laboratory of Robert Hurt, Ph.D. (director of the Institute for Molecular and Nanoscale Innovation at Brown University). Natalie is the lead author on a new study reporting the lab’s latest findings, titled “Mercury Vapor Release from Broken Compact Fluorescent Lamps and In Situ Capture by New Nanomaterial Sorbents” (in press, Environmental Science and Technology).

You can read a write-up of their study in the July 2008 edition of the NIEHS Environmental Factor. Among their findings: a few of the common sorbents, such as powdered sulfur or zinc, require greater than 10 kilograms to treat vapor release for a single CFL, while small quantities of other sorbents (for instance, nano-silver and sulfur-impregnated activated carbon forms) require less than 1 gram of sorbent to capture the vapor.

Tips for Safer, Cleaner Fluid Transfer Areas

By Karen Hamel · Occupational Health & Safety E-News July 2008

Small leaks are a problem, too. Being prepared will keep spills to a minumum.
Fluids are essential to most manufacturing processes. They arrive in containers, drums, totes, bulk shipments, and pipelines. When all is going well, they seem to be the lifeblood of the facility. When they leak or spill, however, the mess they create can range anywhere from being a nuisance to being a health and environmental liability. (More...)

EPA Provides Information for Importing/Exporting

Importing or Exporting? New EPA Web Portal Provides Environmental Requirements

Contact (news media only): Dale Kemery, (202) 564-4355 / kemery.dale@epa.gov

EPA has developed a one-stop Web portal to help importers and exporters of goods meet requirements to protect human health and the environment. The portal provides information about:

· vehicles and engines
· fuel and fuel additives
· ozone depleting substances
· chemical substances regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act
· pesticides, including pesticide residues on foods
· hazardous wastes
· plumbing products
· scrap metal.

The portal is being released in conjunction with the federal government’s update to the November 2007 Action Plan for Import Safety. The update summarizes achievements in import safety over the past several months and key steps planned to enhance the safety of imported goods.

EPA’s new Web portal is available at: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/international/importexport.html

Environmental Benefits of 2007 EPEAT Purchasing

The EPEAT System

The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) program was launched in 2006 to help purchasers identify environmentally preferable electronic products – starting with a product standard and registry addressing personal computers and monitors.

The EPEAT environmental performance criteria and registry system were developed through a multi-year, multi-stakeholder process supported by US EPA that included participants from the public and private purchasing sectors, manufacturers, environmental advocates, recyclers, technology researchers and other interested parties. (More...)

Tree trimming and tree felling

OSHA recently published a directive that provides guidance for tree removal operations, clarifying which standards cover operations that have characteristics of tree trimming, or traditional tree felling operations, or both.

The directive also clarifies that tree trimming, as they define it, does not come within the scope of the Logging operations standard because such operations do not involve cutting down trees. Employers engaged solely in tree trimming operations at a worksite need only comply with other applicable General Industry standards and Section 5(a)(1).

The full text of directive CPL 02-01-044 is available at:
http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/Directive_pdf/CPL_02-01-044.pdf

Recall: fax machine

Hewlett-Packard Co. Recalls Fax Machines Due to Fire Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: HP Fax 1010 and 1010xi Machines

Units: About 367,000 units (an additional 84,000 units sold outside of the U.S.)

Importer: Hewlett-Packard Co., of Palo Alto, Calif.

Hazard: An internal electrical component failure can cause overheating of the product posing a risk of burn or fire.

Incidents/Injuries: Hewlett-Packard has received three reports of overheating including two in the U.S. resulting in minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves the HP Fax 1010 and HP Fax 1010xi models manufactured from November 2002 through September 2004. The HP logo and the model name and number are printed on the front of the fax machine.

Sold at: Electronic, computer and camera stores nationwide, as well as Web retailers from November 2002 through December 2004 for between $130 and $150.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately disconnect the recalled fax machine from the electrical power source and contact HP to receive a rebate.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact HP toll-free at (888) 654-9296 between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. MT Monday through Friday, or visit HP’s Web site at www.hp.com/go/fax1010recall

Full CPSC bulletin available at: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08313.html