New OSHA videos on respirators

OSHA has produced two new videos that feature training and guidance on respirator safety. The "Respirator Safety" video shows healthcare workers how to correctly put on and take off respirators, such as N95s. See it here:
http://www.youtube.com/usdepartmentoflabor#p/u/4/Tzpz5fko-fg

The "Difference between Respirators and Surgical Masks" video explains the particular uses for each one and how they prevent worker exposure to infectious diseases. See it here:
http://www.youtube.com/usdepartmentoflabor#p/u/5/ovSLAuY8ib8

Viewers can watch both English and Spanish versions by visiting the Department of Labor's YouTubehttp://www.youtube.com/usdepartmentoflabor> site.

These videos are available in both English and Spanish and are available for download athttp://www.osha.gov/SLTC/respiratoryprotection/index.html.

AED recall

February 3, 2010 - Bothell, WA – Cardiac Science Corporation [NASDAQ: CSCX] is initiating a worldwide voluntary recall after determining that approximately 12,200 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) may not be able to deliver therapy during a resuscitation attempt, which may lead to serious adverse events or death. These AEDs were manufactured in a way that makes them potentially susceptible to failure under certain conditions. The FDA has been informed of this situation.

Cardiac Science detected this issue through its internal quality systems and has received no complaints or reports of this problem in the field. The affected AEDs were manufactured or serviced between October 19, 2009 and January 15, 2010 and include the following models:

• • Powerheart 9300A, 9300E, 9300P, 9390A, 9390E
  • CardioVive 92532
  • CardioLife 9200G and 9231

For more information, go to http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/UCM200123

EPA Announces Agreement With the City of New York on PCBs in School Caulk—01/19/2010

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced an agreement with the City of New York to address the risks posed by PCBs in caulk found in some city schools. The agreement is intended to result in a city-wide approach to assessing and reducing potential exposures to PCBs in caulk in schools.

“The work that the City of New York has agreed to do will go a long way toward helping us better understand the potential risks posed by PCBs in caulk, and our work to reduce the exposure of school children, teachers and others who work in New York City public schools,” said Judith Enck, EPA Regional Administrator. “New York City’s 1,600 public schools make it the largest school system in the nation, and we believe that the program outlined in this agreement, along with general EPA guidance on managing the issue, will serve as a model for school systems across the country.”

The agreement announced today requires the city to conduct a study in five schools to determine the most effective strategies for assessing and reducing potential exposures to PCBs in caulk. The city will then produce a proposed plan for any cleanups needed in the five schools and use this information to develop a recommended city-wide approach. EPA is also requiring the city to develop and submit for approval best management practices for reducing exposure to PCBs in caulk in school buildings. These may include cleaning the schools, improving ventilation, and addressing deteriorating caulk.

Although Congress banned the manufacture and most uses of PCBs in 1976 and they were phased out in 1978, there is evidence that many buildings across the country constructed or renovated from 1950 to 1978 may have PCBs at high levels in the caulk around windows and door frames, between masonry columns and in other masonry building materials. Exposure to these PCBs may occur as a result of their release from the caulk into the air, dust, surrounding surfaces and soil, and through direct contact. In September 2009, EPA provided new guidance to communities and announced additional research to address PCBs that may be found in the caulk in many older buildings, including schools. Today’s agreement complements EPA’s national efforts by helping building owners and managers facing serious PCB problems develop practical approaches to reduce exposures and prioritize the removal of PCB caulk.

The legally binding agreement announced today settles potential violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act by the city for having caulk that contains PCBs above allowable levels in some schools. As part of the study of the five yet to be determined schools, the city will sample extensively in them, and will ensure that any PCB waste is properly removed. Once the study is concluded the city will work with EPA to develop and implement a plan to identify, prioritize, and address the presence of PCBs within the New York City school system. In addition, the agreement calls for the development of a citizens’ participation plan to ensure that school administrators, parents, teachers, students, and members of the public are kept fully informed throughout the process.

PCBs are man-made chemicals that persist in the environment and were widely used in construction materials and electrical products prior to 1978. PCBs can affect the immune, reproductive, nervous and endocrine systems and are potentially cancer-causing if they build up in the body over long periods of time. The greatest risks from PCBs involve sustained long-term exposure to high levels of PCBs.

EPA is currently conducting research to better understand the relationship between PCBs in caulk and PCB concentrations in caulk, air and dust. The Agency is doing research to determine the sources and levels of PCBs in buildings in the U.S. and to evaluate different strategies to reduce exposures.

The agreement and more information can be found at http://www.epa.gov/region2. To learn more about PCBs in caulk go to http://www.epa.gov/pcbsincaulk.
Anyone seeking technical guidance should contact the EPA at: 1-888-835-5372.

Source: Environmental Protection Agency. "EPA Announces Agreement with the City of New York On PCBs in School Caulk." [http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d10ed0d99d826b068525735900400c2a/ac512237be18e863852576b00060bec0!OpenDocument] 01/19/2010

NCPA Report: Nuclear Power Is Safe, Could Answer Energy Mandates

Jan 04, 2010
Since many state governments now require a percentage of their electrical power to come from approved “renewable” energy sources, now is a good time for policymakers to allow the United States to expand the use of nuclear power as a reliable form of energy, according to a new report by the National Center for Policy Analysis.
“The demand for electricity is projected to increase 26 percent from 2007 to 2030,” said H. Sterling Burnett,” NCPA senior fellow and co-author of the report. “Nuclear power is one of the safest and most reliable forms of energy available and it emits no greenhouse gases.”

(More.....)

Coal-ash monitoring increased

BY JOSEPH BELK JANUARY 20, 2010 7:30 AM

UI officials expanded groundwater monitoring this week at the university’s coal-ash disposal site, ramping up efforts to determine if the byproduct from the UI Power Plant could be dangerous.
The university is working with Iowa State University, the University of Northern Iowa, and BMC Aggregates — which owns the quarry where the coal ash is stored — to extensively monitor the site, an abandoned quarry in Waterloo, where the byproduct from coal-fired power plants, or “coal ash,” is dumped, said UI environmental compliance manager Michael Valde. The UI Power Plant has two coal-powered boilers and uses approximately 100,000 tons of coal each year.

(More.... )

http://www.dailyiowan.com/2010/01/20/Metro/15070.html

EPA to Develop TSCA Chemicals of Concern List

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency intends to establish a “Chemicals of Concern” list and is beginning a process that may lead to regulations requiring significant risk reduction measures to protect human health and the environment. "

The agency’s actions represent its determination to use its authority under the existing Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to the fullest extent possible, recognizing EPA’s strong belief that the 1976 law is both outdated and in need of reform. (More..........)

U.S. EPA Releases Annual Enforcement Results and Mapping Tool

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released enforcement results for fiscal year 2009, and has developed a new Web-based tool and interactive map that allows the public to get detailed information by location about the enforcement actions taken at approximately 4,600 facilities.

In FY2009, EPA concluded enforcement actions requiring polluters to invest more than $5 billion on pollution controls, cleanup, and environmental projects. Civil and criminal defendants committed to install controls and take other measures to reduce pollution by approximately 580 million pounds annually once all required controls are fully implemented.

The new mapping tool allows the public to view the locations of facilities that were the subject of those enforcement actions on interactive maps of the U.S. and territories. The maps show facilities where civil enforcement actions were taken for environmental laws for air, water, and land pollution, and a separate map shows criminal enforcement actions.

Viewers can click on specific facilities to find historical information about specific enforcement actions, such as violations and monetary penalties. In addition, viewers can use the zoom function to find out which facilities are located near water bodies that are listed as "impaired” because they do not meet federal water quality standards. EPA mapped the locations of more than 90 percent of the facilities that were the subject of enforcement actions last year. EPA did not map the locations of drinking water treatment plants due to potential security concerns.

For the past 10 years, EPA has described annual enforcement results by focusing primarily on two measures, the estimated pounds of pollutants reduced and estimated cost of commitments made by defendants to control or reduce pollution. These measures vary significantly from year to year and are dependent upon the number of large cases that settle in a given year. While these large cases are a vital part of our work to protect public health and improve compliance, they do not reflect the totality of the annual environmental enforcement activities, and do not capture the number and variety of enforcement actions taken to help clean up local communities. The new mapping tool will help increase transparency, improve access to data, and provide the public with the bigger picture of enforcement activity occurring in communities around the country.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/reports/endofyear/eoy2009/index.html