Future Environment Designs

16th Annual PACNY Environmental Conference Being Held March 1 & 2, 2012

2012-02-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

6th Annual PACNY Environmental Conference
Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Verona, NY

Thursday & Friday, March 1st & 2nd, 2012

This years Speakers are:

Paul Watson of ATC to speak about PCBs
Bob Krell will address indoor air quality issues
Kevin Murphy will discuss the process of accusal and/or claims avoidance
Ron Williams from OSHA will give us updates on OSHA as it relates to silica and asbestos
Dave Duford will discuss code enforcement in relation to the current code rule
Chris Alonge has been invited to speak on Friday
Annual roundtable discussion

Vendor Tradeshow Registration

Display your products and services in the Vendor Hall, adjacent to PACNY Conference Meeting Hall, to over 250 decision makers in the asbestos/environmental industry. The PACNY conference averages over 250 attendees - the majority of attendees are decision makers/buyers.

Last year's conference was very popular with all vendors. Foot traffic in the Vendor Hall was at an all time high. Registration, breakfast, and all coffee breaks will once again be held in the Vendor Hall (adjacent to Conference Meeting Hall) on both days. Also, vendor punch cards will be distributed to all attendees. Attendees that have their punch cards "punched" by all vendors will be eligible for a drawing, held on the second day, for a flat screen TV (winner must be present to claim prize).

The Thursday (March 1st) afternoon Vendor Reception is held in the Vendor Hall.

Sponsor Options

Conference and Vendor Sponsors are the hosts (with no additional responsibilities) for the Thursday afternoon Vendor Reception held in the Vendor Hall. This reception is held at 4PM immediately after the last speaker's presentation on Day 1 of the conference. Hot food, drinks, and adult beverages are provided at the reception. This is an outstanding opportunity to network and display your products/services to approximately 250 industry professionals! Last year the Vendor Reception was the highlight of the conference.

Conference Sponsor: $1,000.00

Includes vendor display table, 3 conference passes, 1 page ad in conference program, listing on sponsor board in registration area, logo display on speaker backdrop in conference area, logo on PACNY website as conference sponsor, and logo/firm name on the outside of pre-conference mailings and registration forms (mailed to over 6,000 industry professionals).

Vendor Sponsor: $500.00

Includes vendor display table, 2 conference passes, 1/2 page ad in conference program, listing on sponsor board in registration area, and logo display on speaker backdrop in conference area.

Meal Sponsor: $250.00

Includes your company name and logo on large tent cards on all lunch tables, on both days of the conference, as well as a 1/2 page ad in the conference program. Meal Sponsors will be announced to attendees prior to both days' lunches.

Business Card Sponsor: $50.00

Display your "business card" ad, 1/4 page ad, in the conference program.

To secure your sponsorship...

Please download the form here as a PDF, complete it and fax /email the form to the info on the form.

Payment is due no later than February 18th.

For additional information please call either Deb Johnson @ 716-570-6726/

email djohnson@aramsco.com or Lisa Brown @ (315) 466-3150 / email lbrown33@twcny.rr.com

Conference Attendee Registration Form

Wednesday Evening's President's Reception, February 29^th, 7 - 9PM

Registration by February 18th
$225 for one reservation, both days
$175 per person for two or more persons, both days
$120 per person for one day only

Turning Stone - Room Reservations by February 18^th
$115 per night + tax + gratuity
$79 per night + tax + gratuity with government voucher
For Room Reservations, call Turning Stone at (800) 771- 7711

Download the registration form here.

For additional conference information please call either Deb Johnson @ 716-570-6726/

email djohnson@aramsco.com or Lisa Brown @ (315) 466-3150 / email lbrown33@twcny.rr.com

PACNY, PO Box 3148, Syracuse, NY 13220, Phone (315) 466-3150, Fax (315) 437-1440, www.PACNY.org

About PACNY

PACNY addresses the needs and concerns of abatement contractors, and those in related industries.

The abatement industry faces many challenges, and this organization allows contractors to band together to face these challenges, rather than alone as individual businesses.

PACNY is a powerful, intelligent voice and force in the industry.

PACNY's new address is:
PO Box 3148

Syracuse, NY 13220

Tel: (315) 466-3150

Toxic Dusts - Demolition Implications

2012-01-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

We have posted our Winter-Spring 2012 Newsletter on our website. The main article discusses the implications of toxic dusts on demolition, disaster relief, and emergency response workers. This is an issue I feel really strongly about and if my recommendations are taken seriously, maybe their will be no need for any Zadroga Bills to deal with 9/11 type illnesses in the future.

Demolition, Emergency Response, and Disaster Relief Workers should wear respirators when they respond.

This Saturday Is The Taste of Spring Event - See You There!

2012-01-20T01:17:00.001-05:00

Even though it seems winter has only just arrived, it makes you wonder if spring will be late, too. To help you get in the mood for spring and breakaway from the winter doldrums for one night, the Board of Directors and staff of the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center are hosting their 6th annual winter cocktail party, “A Taste of Spring”, on Saturday, January 21st.

Always a Great Event with Some Great People

This event is being held once again at the Main Greenhouse at Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park and hosted by Vinnie Simeone and the Arboretum staff. Visitors will enjoy delectable hors d’oeuvres prepared by Pat Spafford of Periwinkles, while taking in the melodic sounds of tree frogs and the wonderful aromas of tropical flowers. This fun event will allow community members to mingle with fellow sanctuary supporters and get an up close view of the Sanctuary's birds of prey while having their questions answered about local wildlife and the Nature Center. Proceeds from the event will support the programs and services offered by Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center.

Time: 6:00PM on Saturday, January 21

Place: Planting Fields Arboretum, 1395 Planting Fields Road, Oyster Bay

Cost: $85 per person (reservations required)

Reservations are required and limited to the first 100 patrons. Please call Brooke Roeper

or Ted Scherff for more details and to purchase tickets. (516) 922-3200.

Study: Number of NYC Construction Industry Workers Falls in 2011 | ENR: Engineering News Record | McGraw-Hill Construction

2012-01-05T09:30:00.000-05:00

Study: Number of NYC Construction Industry Workers Falls in 2011 | ENR: Engineering News Record | McGraw-Hill Construction
Interesting study showing the number of construction industry workers fell from 2009. However, more interesting is the fact that 55% of construction workers are doing without health insurance. That is up from 53% from 2009. Another interesting statistic is that Black non-Hispanics were up 2% from 2009; and Asian workers were up 12% from 2009. Though these statistics indicate what most of us already knew, that the economy is significantly hurting the construction industry. We hope the New Year will bring new projects into construction industry.

Indoor Air Quality Television Posts Foreclosed Property Video

2012-01-04T10:14:00.000-05:00

Indoor Air Quality television (IAQTV) on you tube just posted an excellent informational video on "Foreclosed Properties & Indoor Environmental Risks". This video provides a basic informational warning on the potential indoor environmental risks in buying a foreclosed property.

Many of these dangers are well-known to those of us in the indoor environmental consulting industry. Future Environment Designs strongly recommends before the purchasing of a foreclosed property (one that has been unoccupied for a long period of time), that the buyer hire a Council-certified Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC) to perform an indoor environmental assessment to ensure these dangers are not present or can be easily eliminated. The CIEC will be able to help you determine what would be necessary to eliminate these hazards and help develop cost estimates to be used in negotiating a purchase price of the foreclosed property. If we can help give us a call.

New OSHA Website For Winter Storms

2012-01-03T09:30:00.000-05:00

Just before the holidays, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a new website regarding Winter Storms. Even though the northeast got snow on halloween, so far this year it has been tame regarding winter storms. Last winter was a different story, which is probably the reason OSHA has published this informational site to assist employers in proteecting workers from the anticipated hazards associated with winter storm response and recovery operations that workers are likely to conduct.

The site provides information in preparing for a winter storm, response and recovery, and additional resources. Preparation includes such things as listening to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio or going to the NOAA Watch website for information on the storm, winterizing your car, preparing and carrying an emergency kit. Response and recovery includes information regarding the different hazards workers may face, such as driving/vehicle accidents, carbon monoxide poisoning, hypothermia and frostbite, exhaustion, dehydration, back injuries and heart attack, slips and falls, electrocution, burns, being struck by falling objects, roof collapse, and lacerations or amputations.
The site is a very good source of information for preventing the hazards discussed above. In particular the winterizing your car part is very helpful in getting yourself ready for the winter storms that are only a matter of time before they get here.

FED Wishes Everyone A Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

Future Environment Designs would like to wish everyone a Happy, Prosperous, and Healthy New Year. Future Environment Designs hopes your 2012 will be better than 2011 and hope that the New Year will bring all of us peace, a better economy, safety, and health. Happpy New Year!

Times Square December 2011

We Wish You A Merry & Jolly Holidays!

2011-12-24T11:22:00.002-05:00

Future Environment Designs wishes all our followers, readers, and those of you who have attended our classes this past year a Merry and Jolly Christmas. We thank all of you for your support and we hope to see you again in the New Year. Thank you again, for your support.

What Happened with NYS ELAP Ceiling Tile Analysis?

2011-12-21T16:06:00.000-05:00

On April 8, 2011, New York State Department of Health's Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP) issued an FAQ regarding asbestos sample analysis. In this FAQ, ELAP informed us that ceiling tiles with cellulose need to be analyzed using the procedures in Items 198.6/198.4. This meant analysis using gravimetric reduction and inconclusive results requiring transmission electron microscopy analysis (TEM). In addition, the NYS Education Department (SED) in their newsletter #107 (July 2011) recommended that if schools have not tested their ceiling tiles in accordance with the current protocols, they should do so either as part of an existing or planned capital improvement or as an independent analysis prior to disturbance.

Well its been over six months since this new procedure/protocol was announced, and next month it will be six months since the SED clarification. We would like to hear if this procedure has led to any new findings/concerns or are ceiling tiles still coming back primarily not containing asbestos? Please let us know what you are experiencing regarding this issue? So, far our experience is that most ceiling tiles are coming back not containing asbestos. What is your experience?

Read The Preamble, To Better Understand The Standards

2011-12-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

The OSHA Training Blog a couple of months ago had an interesting post discussing how to better understand OSHA standards. The post was titled "Want to Really Understand an OSHA Standard? Read the Preamble!". This post discussed the importance of the preamble to the regulatory process. Most importantly, the importance of the preamble in discussing want went into creating the standard. For understanding the standard the section that will provide the most information is titled "Summary and Explanation of the Standard". So, next time you want more information on a standard, a good place to start is the preamble.

2011 Northeast Regional Industrial Hygiene Conference & Exposition

2011-12-09T17:04:00.001-05:00

Last Friday, we attended this year's Northeast Regional Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition. This annual conference is sponsored by the three local sections of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), the Metro New York, the New Jersey, and the Philadelphia Sections. It is held typically at Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Brunswick, New Jersey which is pretty convenient by mass transit. Traveling from Long Island its pretty simple, we took Long Island Railroad to Penn Station, at Penn Station we take New Jersey Transit to New Brunswick and its about three or four blocks from the train station. Costing about $49. Probably spend that in tolls and gas let alone aggravation.
The presentations were very professional as usual, though not much of the information could be added to our classes. Visit NY Metro Section's website for copies of the presentations. As usual Mr. Aaron K. Trippler (Director Government Affairs, AIHA) was entertaining in discussing what is going on in Washington DC. The highlight of his presentation was his final slide with this quote:

If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there’d be a shortage of sand. - Milton Friedman

The Exposition Hall was very informative and we enjoyed the champage and chocolate covered strawberries handed out by Mr. Steve Matthews and Mr. Kenneth Burns from Unitech Services Group (Thank you!!!). We were able to get the updated Ashtead Technology Catalog (rental industrial hygiene equipment) and picked-up a few give-aways. The interesting product of the Exposition was Bomark Instruments displaying a Drager confined space entry monitoring system (see the photo below) that can monitor multiple or very large areas. The units monitor for the typical four gases (carbon monoxide, oxygen deficiency, lower explosive limit, and hydrogen sulfide), however, the units are connected wirelessly. So when one unit sounds an alarm the other units sound an alarm, allowing a total evacuation of the confined space (pretty cool! and it looks a little like R2D2).

Bomark Instrument's Drager Confined Space Entry Monitoring System

The Conference is a great place to go to catch-up with people who we only see once or twice a year and it provides 1.0 Industrial Hygiene CM points. Hopefully, we'll see you there next year.

OSHA Issues Hazard Alert for Hair Salon Owners & Workers?

2011-12-08T09:30:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a hazard alert regarding hair smoothing products. You can find this alert at OSHA's website titled "Hair Smoothing Products That Can Release Formaldehyde". During Federal OSHA investigations, air tests showed formaldehyde at levels above OSHA's limits (of 0.5 ppm during an 8-hour work shift or 2 ppm during any 15-minute period) for formaldehyde in salons using Brazilian Blowout Acai Professional Smoothing Solution, labeled "formaldehyde free," and Brasil Cacau Cadiveu, resulting in violations and citations to the manufacturers and distributors of the products. The violations included failing to list formaldehyde as a hazardous ingredient on the Material Safety Data Sheet (the hazard warning sheet) provided to downstream users (e.g., salon owners, stylists), failing to include proper hazard warnings on product labels, and failing to list the health effects of formaldehyde exposure on the MSDS.
Formaldehyde is a colorless, strong-smelling gas that presents a health hazard if workers are exposed. You can be exposed to formaldehyde if you breathe it into your lungs, if it gets into your eyes, or if it is contained in a product that gets onto your skin. You can also be exposed accidentally if you touch your face, eat food, or drink after using a product containing formaldehyde without first washing your hands. It can irritate the eyes and nose, and cause coughing and wheezing. Formaldehyde is a "sensitizer," which means that it can cause allergic reactions of the skin, eyes, and lungs such as asthma-like breathing problems and skin rashes and itching. When formaldehyde is in a product that gets sprayed into the eyes, it can damage the eyes and cause blindness. It is also a carcinogen.
It is important to realize that though the product may be labeled as formaldehyde free, formaldehyde might be listed as methylene glycol, formalin, methylene oxide, paraform, formic aldehyde, methanal, oxomethane, oxymethylene, or CAS Number 50-00-0. All of these are names for formaldehyde under OSHA's formaldehyde standard. There are also chemicals, such as timonacic acid (also called thiazolidinecarboxylic acid) that can release formaldehyde under certain conditions, such as those present during the hair smoothing treatment process. Formaldehyde can be released from hair smoothing products that list any of these names on the label and workers can breathe it in or absorb it through their skin. Workers can be exposed to formaldehyde during the entire hair straightening process, especially when heat is applied (e.g. blow-drying, flat ironing).

As a salon owners, you must follow the OSHA formaldehyde standard if a product contains formaldehyde or any of the chemicals mentioned above, this would include:

Give employees appropriate gloves and other personal protective equipment (e.g., face shield, chemical splash goggles, chemical-resistant aprons) and train them on how to use this equipment while mixing and applying the products;
Explain to workers how to read and understand the information on a product's label and MSDS;
Make sure the workplace has eye and skin washing equipment if products that contain formaldehyde could be splashed onto the workers’ skin or into their eyes;
Train workers how to safely clean up spills and properly throw products out; and
Get workers the right medical attention (e.g., doctor exams) if they develop signs and symptoms of an exposure to formaldehyde or are exposed to large amounts of formaldehyde during an emergency (e.g., a large spill).

Contact Future Environment Designs and we can help you with any of the above items. Give us a call, if you think workers may be exposed to above the OSHA formaldehyde standard and you need air testing to ensure compliance with the air quality standards. We are here to help.

NIOSH Blog Discusses Erionite

2011-12-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

Image by fluor_doublet via Flickr

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health's (NIOSH) Science Blog posted the following article "Erionite: An Emerging North American Hazard." The importance of this mineral is that in its fibrous form it is very similar to asbestos. It is a naturally occurring mineral with deposits in many western states (on the blog post is a map indicating the areas) and disturbance of the fibers can generate airborne fibers with physical properties and health effects that are similar to asbestos. Residents of Turkish villages where erionite-containing rock was used to construct homes, had a high risk for developing malignant mesothelioma. The United States Geological Survey found that the erionite from the Cappadocian region of Turkey, North Dakota, and Oregon were chemically and morphologically similar.
Reading this blog post, is like reading an article on asbestos exposure or how to control asbestos exposure. According to the post, the focus of potential exposure are road construction and maintenance workers that work with erionite-containing gravel used in road surfacing. Recommendations by NIOSH are to treat erionite-containing gravel in the same way as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) treats asbestos-containing materials. Train workers, control dust emissions and utilize wet methods, all sounding very familar to us in the asbestos industry, however currently their is no occupational exposure limit for erionite. Which will make things difficult for those exposed to erionite-containing gravel. Let's hope OSHA heeds NIOSH's recommendations

Kings Park Psychiatric Center Demolition Up For Bid

2011-12-06T18:12:00.000-05:00

We realize the Kings Park Psychiatric Center Demolition being up for bid is a bit old since this was announced back in October. However, our understanding is that the bid documents were not ready at the time of the announcement in Long Island Business News. Contact Dvirka & Bartilucci or TRC Environmental for more information regarding this bid opportunity. This definitely will be a large project and look forward to seeing the results of the bid for this project.

2011 Northeast Regional Industrial Hygiene Conference & Exposition is Friday

2011-11-30T13:25:00.000-05:00

This Friday is the 2011 Northeast Regional Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition held annually at Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The title of this year's conference is "Emergency Preparedness - 10 Years Beyond & GHS - New Horizons". According to the published program interesting topics include the "Fukushima Accident in Japan" by Dennis Quinn, CHP, DAQ, Inc. and the "Making a Difference: Sustainable Construction Practices at MTA & NYCT" by Thomas Abdallah, P.E. LEED AP, Chief Environmental Engineer, MTA New York City Transit. We are looking forward to attending the Conference, and the Exposition Hall with the vendors is always like going to a class reunion for us. We hope you get a chance to attend this event and hope to see you there.

CDC Website Discusses Earthquakes

2011-11-01T10:53:00.001-04:00

The Centers for Disease Control has updated their Emergency Preparedness and Response website with information on surviving an Earthquake. Considering we had a small one on the east coast this year, that we even felt on Long Island, it is important to be prepared and knowledgeable about what to do. The website discusses the things you can do before, during, and after the earthquake. The key point of the website is that in MOST situations, you will reduce your chance of injury from falling objects (and even building collapse) if you immediately:

The website discusses emergency supplies, and inspecting the home for hazards. One of the more interesting suggestions is the following from "Inspecting Home for Hazards:" - Check to see if your house or garage is securely fastened to the foundation. (If your house was built before 1950, it probably does not have bolts securing the wood structure to the concrete foundation.) If your house is not secured to the foundation, take the following steps:

Using a hammer drill and carbide bit, drill a hole through the sill plate into the foundation. Holes should be approximately 6 feet apart.
Drop a 1/2- x 7-inch expansion bolt into each hole and finish by tightening the nut and washer

We suggest you visit the website, so you can be prepared, just in case we get a more severe earthquake, next time.

October 31, 2011 Is FEMA's Registration Deadline

2011-10-31T11:42:00.000-04:00

It is important that residents in Nassau & Suffolk County who have been impacted by Thunderstorm Irene register for FEMA aid as soon as possible. October 31, 2011 is FEMA’s registration deadline and registrations cannot be accepted after the October 31, 2011 deadline. "Registration keeps open the possibility of a wide range of assistance," said Philip E. Parr, FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer. "If your insurance coverage comes up short, or other damage appears later, you need to be registered with FEMA to be considered for disaster assistance."

Image via Wikipedia

The following list is a sample of the assistance available through FEMA:

Temporary Housing: (a place to live for a limited period of time): Money is available to rent a different place to live, or a government provided housing unit when rental properties are not available.

Repair: Money is available to homeowners to repair damage from the disaster that is not covered by insurance. The goal is to make the damaged home safe, sanitary, and functional.

Replacement: Money is available to homeowners to replace their home destroyed in the disaster that is not covered by insurance. The goal is to help the homeowner with the cost of replacing their destroyed home.

Permanent/Semi Permanent Housing Construction: Direct assistance or money for the construction of a home. This type of help occurs only in insular areas or remote locations specified by FEMA, where no other type of housing assistance is possible.

Other Needs: Money is available for necessary expenses and serious needs caused by the disaster. This includes medical, dental, funeral, personal property, transportation, moving and storage, and other expenses that are authorized by law.

To register, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Phone lines are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET,

seven days a week until further notice. People with hearing disabilities can use the TTY number, 800-462-7585.

Applicants can also register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or with any web-enabled mobile device or smart phone at m.fema.gov. Follow the link to "apply online for federal assistance."

Total Environmental & Safety Blog Post - Discusses Economic Prosperity

2011-10-31T11:02:00.000-04:00

As an Indoor Air Quality Professional we agree completely with Mr. Ralph Carito's blog post on Total Environmental & Safety's blog. His post "Linking EHS, Ethics and Economic Prosperity", is another post that shows how environmental health and safety regulations not only don't drive up costs but actually allow companies to be more competitive, more risk averse, and more efficient. Helping companies become more competitive.

Safety Regulations Don't Add Costs They Decide Who Pays Them

2011-10-26T15:42:00.000-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

Robert S. Adler, who is a lawyer and a commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, wrote an excellent Op-Ed piece in the New York Times defending regulations. With the daily barrage of individuals complaining about regulations and how regulations are stifling employment. His Op-Ed piece "Safety Regulations Don't Add Costs They Decide Who Pays Them" tells us what these individuals complaining about over-regulation are leaving out. That these costs are already being paid for by society (us) including death, injury, and increased costs for health insurance (or taxes for the uninsured). We totally agree with his points, and his points also apply to environmental and occupational safety regulations. Where the numbers may be a little more murky (i.e., relations with asthma and pollution, and productivity and safety), nonetheless, regulations basically ensure the company producing the product pays the cost. Society pays for the true price of the product and decides whether that product is worth buying.

Future Environment Designs does an Asbestos Presentation to BOMA's Long Island Chapter

2011-10-19T15:30:00.000-04:00

The asbestos mine in Asbestos, Canada

We were invited to do an asbestos presentation to the Long Island Chapter of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), last week. Our presentation discussed a little about asbestos in the past, current issues with asbestos, and a discussion about asbestos in the future. Visit our website at http://futureenvironmentdesigns.com/news.html to access the presentation. It was an enjoyable presentation and it was a pleasure discussing asbestos with a group of people who deal with asbestos on a facility/ownership level. Thank you Mr. Robert Bloom for inviting me. If you have any comments on my presentation please post them here.

Asbestos Fears for Port Hedland Tug Workers

2011-10-12T14:10:00.000-04:00

Image via WikipediaAustralian Mining's website reported on October 5, 2011, that up to 10 workers at BHP Billiton’s (BHP) Port Hedland site were exposed to asbestos after completing maintenance work on a tug boat. According to the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) crew from Teekay Shipping, a BHP contractor, were exposed to chrysotile, or white asbestos, while removing gasket material on the Star Voyager last month. Two weeks earlier Teekay workers at Port Hedland walked off the job after asbestos was found in the gasket joining material on another tug, the PB Fitzroy. Both the Star Voyager and PB Fitzroy were built by Chinese shipmaker Cheoy Lee Shipyards.
Here is the problem, even though Australia has banned the use of asbestos in their country. That does not prohibit the use of asbestos in products that Australia buys. Which is the same problem the United States has.
This incident exposed workers to asbestos for 24 hours, and in one case, exposed the worker's family to asbestos after returning home from work in contaminated workclothes. Workers must be aware of the potential hazards in the materials they work with or otherwise how will they know how to protect themselves.

EPA Issues a Compliance Order Against Buffalo's Public Housing Authority

2011-10-07T09:34:00.001-04:00

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a compliance order, charging Buffalo's Public Housing Authority with violations of the Federal Clean Air Act resulting in fines up to $25,000 a day for each violation. See the WIVBTV video for the full story or Phil Fairbank's article "Housing Authority faces fines on asbestos" at BuffaloNews.com.
This is part 2 of the Kensington Heights housing project where the federal government has handed indictments of nine individuals and two contractors on felony criminal charges related to the asbestos removal project. The 23-count indictment charges the contractors and individuals, including three inspectors -- one from the state, two from the city -- with improperly removing and disposing of asbestos at the complex. EPA spokesman Michael Basile said the allegations against the authority are similar but are administrative charges, not criminal charges. The authority is alleged to have violated the EPA's National Emission Standards for Asbestos.
Basile says the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority needs to first submit a plan of proper asbestos removal for what's left in the building, then a plan for a safe demolition. "We want to make sure that the building is demolished and the removal of the asbestos is done in a safe manner to protect human health and the environment, not only for the people that are going to be working on the project, but for the people that live in the immediate area,” said Basile. Basile says he hopes the fines will never be imposed, and believes the Public Housing Authority wants to get the asbestos removal and demo process done as soon as possible. He says once the plans are developed and submitted to the EPA, the approval process should take less than two weeks.

Steve Jobs: How to live before you die | Video on TED.com

2011-10-06T09:10:00.000-04:00

Image via WikipediaThis video of Steve Jobs' commencement speech is amazing and so true about how to live your life (I see many similarities to my own life). We lost Mr. Jobs today, but his impact on our lives will remain for so many years.
Steve Jobs: How to live before you die | Video on TED.com

Strong Link Between Mold & Asthma in Children.

2011-09-30T10:00:00.000-04:00

Image via WikipediaThe current issue of Indoor Environment Connection's front page article is "Strong Link Between Mold and Asthma in Children" written by Tom Scarlett. The article discusses a new study that appeared in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, this study indicates that children living in homes with high levels of mold had more than twice the risk of developing asthma than did children in mold-free homes. The article does a really good job of putting together results from several studies to point out the risk of children developing asthma from mold exposures. Discussed in the article is the metric, "Environmental Relative Moldiness Index" (ERMI) that was used in the study to determine the exposure level of the occupants. It will be interesting how we can use ERMI to help us quantitatively describe the mold burden in future studies and testing.

Chemical Lab Safety Refresher in IH News

2011-09-29T09:40:00.001-04:00

The current issue of the Industrial Hygiene News has an excellent article on laboratory safety called "A Chemical Lab Safety Refresher" written by Mr. Phillip G. Retallick, who is the Senior Vice President Regulatory Affairs for Clean Harbors. The article covers the typical information regarding lab safety - training, storage, disposal, labeling, and compliance audits. One of the more interesting sections was the discussion on the requirements of a good industrial hygiene program. This section discussed the need for a worksite analysis and a well-defined and monitored work practices. The need for a Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) Registry software and routine monitoring of the air to ensure lab staff are protected is not typically discussed. The assumption is that sufficient ventilation will handle any potential problems. However, how do you know you have sufficient ventilation? Monitoring is the best way to ensure that. The article list important resources such as the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) "Environmental Management Guide for Small Laboratories" and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) hazardous materials portion (Section H) of 29 CFR 1910. A short and to the point article on Lab Safety.

Future Environment Designs

16th Annual PACNY Environmental Conference Being Held March 1 & 2, 2012

Toxic Dusts - Demolition Implications

This Saturday Is The Taste of Spring Event - See You There!

Study: Number of NYC Construction Industry Workers Falls in 2011 | ENR: Engineering News Record | McGraw-Hill Construction

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