June 29, 2006 - OSHA has issued a final rule announcing that state plan states will provide OSH coverage for DOE sites. The states are Arizona, California, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.
ASSE again wants to encourage its members to volunteer for NIOSH’s research councils. We’ve had a few members volunteer, and their names have been sent on to NIOSH. But this is a key way that safety and health professionals can help ensure that the age-old concern that NIOSH research does not adequately reflect safety gets changed. Below are individuals in each sector that you should contact if you are interested. Or you can let Dave Heidorn know at dheidorn@asse.org and your name can be sent on by ASSE.
The following is from NIOSH –
Volunteers needed for the NORA Sector Research Councils.Now is the time to volunteer to participate on a National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Sector Research Council. Eight councils are being formed to create and maintain a sector-specific research strategy for the nation -- and to maximize the impact of this agenda through partnerships. Each council will be led by a Manager, who is typically a NIOSH Division or Laboratory Director, and by a Coordinator, who provides day-to-day Program leadership. If you are interested in contributing to a Sector Research Council, you may contact either the Coordinator of any sector that interests you or Sid Soderholm, NORA Coordinator, at NORACoordinator@cdc.gov. After nomination by the NORA Sector Program leaders, NORA Research Council members will be asked to serve by the NIOSH Director. Each NORA Sector Research Council is expected to meet before the end of the summer. Please consider participating! NORA Sector Program Leaders in NIOSH
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A June 29 notice alerts users that a respirator represented by the manufacturer as NIOSH-approved has not in fact been approved by NIOSH. A June 30 notice alerts users that NIOSH has voided approvals for two other devices. View additional information here.
OSHA seeks comment on its request for an extension of the information collection requirements (paperwork) specified in its standards on PPE for General Industry. Comments are due September 25, 2006.
Press release from the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.
Press release from EPA -- (Washington, D.C. - July 19, 2006) EPA is streamlining the federal hazardous waste management requirements for cathode ray tubes and CRT glass destined for recycling. These safe, yet simplified standards aim to increase the collection and recycling of CRTs. Safely recycling CRTs saves energy and conserves resources, allows the recovered lead to be reused in other ways, and reduces the amount of lead in landfills.
"A discarded CRT represents an opportunity lost," said EPA Assistant Administrator Susan Bodine. "This rule will help encourage the reuse and recycling of CRTs, which puts these resources back to productive use, rather than into the Nation's landfills."
Under these new regulations, used, unbroken CRTs are not regulated as hazardous waste unless they are stored for more than a year. EPA is setting simpler, more manageable standards for unbroken CRTs because the risk of lead releases from them is very low. Limited storage requirements apply only to CRT recyclers and collectors.
CRTs are the video display components of televisions and computer monitors. The glass in CRTs typically contains enough lead to require managing it as hazardous waste under certain circumstances. Under the previous regulations, businesses and other organizations that recycle or dispose of CRTs were sometimes unclear about the proper way to recycle or dispose of this equipment. That uncertainty sometimes prevented CRTs from being recycled and reused. EPA is changing CRT waste management requirements to eliminate this confusion so that more CRTs will be reused and recycled. About 57 million computers and televisions are sold in the United States annually, although many new models may not contain CRTs.
Used, broken CRTs are not regulated as hazardous waste as long as certain good-housekeeping practices are followed. To remain unregulated, CRTs undergoing glass processing must follow the same simplified requirements, except that they must be processed so that lead from the glass is not volatilized. CRT glass that has been processed and sent to a CRT glass manufacturer or a lead smelter also is unregulated, as long as it is kept in storage less than a year.
Exporters shipping broken or unbroken CRTs to another country for recycling must notify EPA and receive written consent from the receiving country through EPA before shipments can be made. This requirement is similar to those applicable to exporters of hazardous waste, which are found at 40 CFR Part 262. In addition, exporters shipping used, unbroken CRTs for reuse as computers to another country must submit a one-time notification to EPA.
July 18, 2006 - EPA has proposed seven regulatory changes to the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR) for lead and copper. EPA states that it is strengthening the implementation of the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) in monitoring, treatment processes, customer awareness, and lead service line replacement and that the changes do not affect the basic requirements of the LCR, the lead or copper maximum contaminant level goals, or the lead and copper action levels. Comments are due September 18, 2006.
For more information about the ASSE Northwest Chapter, please contact:
Chapter President
William R. "Bill" Stuart
Phone: 612-671-8431
Website Editor
Richard "Rick" Johnson
Phone: 763-551-1022