Monday, April 18, 2011

FDA Denies Hearing on Egg Irradiation Rule

The agency rejected all 26 opposing comments it received, including a letter from Public Citizen that FDA addressed point by point. Apr 14, 2011 The Food and Drug Administration has rejected a request to hold a public hearing on its final rule allowing for irradiation of fresh shell eggs to reduce Salmonella pathogens. The denial was announced in the April 13 Federal Register, but it comes more than a decade after FDA issued the rule itself on July 21, 2000. The rule permits irradiation at doses not to exceed 3.0 kiloGray (kGy). Public Citizen raised several points in its letter opposing the rule. FDA received 25 other opposing submissions, some of which asked for a hearing, but said these voiced general opposition and offered no evidence that could be weighed at a hearing. (More....)

Government Files Antitrust Suit against Stericycle

The merging of Stericycle and Healthcare Waste Solutions would reduce competition and increase customer cost, according to the New York attorney general. Apr 11, 2011 New York joined the U.S. Justice Department in filing an antitrust lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the planned acquisition by Stericycle, a medical waste services company of Healthcare Waste Solutions Inc. (HSW), according to a press release from the office of Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman. “Restoring New Yorkers’ faith in the private sector requires real competition and fair prices,” said Schneiderman. “The New York City metropolitan area is the largest market in the nation for medical waste services, making it all the more critical that there is genuine competition and that one company is unable to set arbitrary prices.” (More....)

Friday, April 1, 2011

Woodstoves and outdoor wood boilers cause wildfires—and, you get the bill!

March 29, 2011 , WIDNR MADISON – Wisconsin’s peak wildfire season typically occurs just after the snow melts in conjunction with cool, dry and windy weather conditions, and state forestry officials caution that woodstoves, wood-fired outdoor boilers and debris fires cause numerous, and costly, wildfires every year about this time.

“When cleaning out a woodstove or fireplace, it’s important to empty ashes in a metal container with a tight fitting lid,” says Catherine Koele, wildfire prevention specialist with the Department of Natural Resources. “Let the embers cool by drowning and stirring the ashes with plenty of water and a shovel. Since embers can remain hot for days, avoid disposing ashes in the outdoors unless the ground is completely snow-covered or on bare ground such as a plowed field or tilled garden. Be sure to check for hot glowing embers as you dispose of them.” (more)

JOINT EPA/FDA STATEMENT: Update on Ongoing Monitoring


WASHINGTON – In response to the ongoing situation in Japan, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken steps to increase the level of nationwide monitoring of milk, precipitation, drinking water, and other potential exposure routes. EPA conducts radiological monitoring of milk under its RADNET program, while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has jurisdiction over the safety, labeling and identity of milk and milk products in interstate commerce. States have jurisdiction over those facilities located within their territory.


Results from a screening sample taken March 25 from Spokane, Wash. detected 0.8 pCi/L of iodine-131, which is more than 5,000 times lower than the Derived Intervention Level set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These types of findings are to be expected in the coming days and are far below levels of public health concern, including for infants and children. Iodine-131 has a very short half-life of approximately eight days, and the level detected in milk and milk products is therefore expected to drop relatively quickly.


“Radiation is all around us in our daily lives, and these findings are a minuscule amount compared to what people experience every day. For example, a person would be exposed to low levels of radiation on a round trip cross country flight, watching television, and even from construction materials,” said Patricia Hansen, an FDA senior scientist.


EPA’s recommendation to state and local governments is to continue to coordinate closely with EPA, FDA and CDC. EPA will continue to communicate our nationwide sampling results as they come in.





Note: If a link above doesn't work, please copy and paste the URL into a browser.

Contact information


Office of Safety and Loss Prevention
University of Wisconsin System Administration
(608) 262-4792
 
Clicky Web Analytics