School board sued over mold problem

CROSS LANES, WV — The Kanawha County Board of Education is being sued by a student's mother and a teacher for an illness the two claim is due to mold problems at Andrew Jackson Middle School, according to the West Virginia Record.

Pamela Lawson and the unnamed youth's mother allege that the mold problem began when the air conditioning systems at the school malfunctioned and broke down prior to the start of the 2008-2009 school year, and though the school was aware of the problem, they failed to address the issue, the story stated.

After falling ill with flu-like symptoms and seeking medical attention, the principal allegedly told Lawson to "make sure you tell the doctor that you have been exposed to mold," the story noted.

According to the story, the severity of Lawson's illness caused her breathing problems that now require her to be on oxygen, while the unnamed student chose to transfer to another school.

In addition to compensatory and punitive damages, the plaintiffs are asking the judge to order school officials to have each school tested for mold by an independent contractor, the story added.

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Law proposed to mandate MRSA screenings

SEATTLE — Under a proposed law that unanimously passed the Washington State Senate on Monday and now awaits the governor's signature, all hospitals in the state must screen high-risk patients for the potentially fatal infection Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), according to the Seattle Times.

According to the story, the bill, ESHB 1123, passed the House 97-0 on March 9, and was approved by the Senate 45-0.

Representative Thomas Campbell said: "People are dying, and we have to take action. I think that's why you're seeing unanimous votes in the House and the Senate."

Screening is quick, painless and inexpensive; the nasal swab test costs about $20, the story stated.

The proposed law would require hospitals to adopt a MRSA screening policy by January 1, 2010, and would require hospitals to notify patients of a MRSA diagnosis and provide education on treatment and prevention, the story noted.

Washington hopes to become one of only five states that mandate MRSA screenings; California, Illinois, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have already adopted mandated screenings, the story added.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), MRSA infections have become epidemic and kill at least 18,000 people a year, more than acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

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Contamination cleanup creates thousands of jobs

CARSON CITY, NV — Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that thousands of jobs will be created over the next three years to assist in environmental cleanup work at a Nevada test site and across 11 other states, according to Mesothelioma.com.

The cleanup is part of $6 billion in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, $44 million of which was funneled toward the Nevada cleanup, the story stated.

According to the story, the facilities that will be demolished and necessitate cleanup include an engine maintenance assembly facility in Area 25, the Pluto Disassembly Facility, the Reactor Maintenance Assembly and the Disassembly Facility and two ancillary structures used in Test Cell C.

Workers will clean up asbestos, lead, mercury, batteries and light bulbs, among other things, and install groundwater monitoring wells, the story noted.

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Cabin at ski lodge is LEED-Platinum certified

MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, CA — Cabin 11 in Tamarack Lodge located in California's Mammoth Mountain Ski Area has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), according to First Tracks magazine.

The 1,336-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath cabin is one of only 12 projects in the state to earn Platinum certification, the story stated.

Rusty Gregory, CEO of Mammoth Mountain, said: "Constructing the Tamarack cabin to LEED-Platinum standards is one of many important steps that Mammoth Mountain is taking to fulfill our commitment to the environment. As one of only a dozen Platinum certified projects in California, we’re proud to be taking a leading role in what can be accomplished with sustainable building practices."

Sustainable aspects of the cabin include: Environmentally friendly hardwood flooring, recycled carpeting and decking material, pest-resistant siding, recycled drywall and energy efficient windows, the story noted.

The USGBC awards LEED certification based on pre-specified features in categories such as innovation and design process, location and linkages, sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality, the story added.

Tennant wins Business Innovation of the Year Award

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Tennant Company announced that its breakthrough ec-H2O™ technology has won the 2009 European Business Award for the Business Innovation of the Year, according to a press release.

Tennant was chosen for the honor out of more than 7,000 applications from various companies, the release stated.

The Business Innovation of the Year competition is designed as a way for companies to benchmark their success against other top performing companies and aims to foster, inspire and encourage others to emulate the winners' success, the release noted.

Karel Hujiser, international vice president of Tennant, said: "We are very pleased with this independent recognition of our ec-H2O technology. It strengthens our belief that developing more environmental cleaning solutions is the right way to go for Tennant Company, also — and perhaps especially — in these challenging economic times. Our customers benefit from the cost-savings and efficiency increase while at the same time they can preserve natural resources."

ec-H2O technology converts plain tap water into a powerful cleaning agent without any added chemicals, the release added.

California's Green Ribbon Science Panel selected

SACRAMENTO, CA — The California Environmental Protection Agency's Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) recently announced the selection of 27 members to the state’s new Green Ribbon Science Panel, an advisory panel created for California’s Green Chemistry program that strives to remove or reduce toxic chemicals in products sold in California, according to a press release.

The DTSC selected the 27 panel members from more than 80 applicants based on the following criteria: Education, expertise and practical experience; experience serving on scientific and environmental policy advisory panels; and proven excellence with collaborative problem-solving skill and communication skills, the release stated.

Of those selected is Roger McFadden, chief scientist for Staples CE who has worked as a formulating and consulting chemist and product design engineer for several product manufacturing companies in the U.S. and Canada, the release noted.

The initial meeting of the panel will be held April 29-30 at the Red Lion Inn in Sacramento; the panel will meet a minimum of twice per year, the release added.

Fumes sicken several students and staff

CARPENTERSVILLE, IL — Several students and staff at Golfview Elementary School were hospitalized yesterday after complaining of headaches and nausea caused by a strange odor, according to the St. Charles Sun.

Students were sent to the gymnasium while air quality tests were performed throughout the school, the story stated.

Joe Stevens, president of the School Board in District 300, said: "It smells like a lemony odor or like ant spray."

An odor was found in two classrooms and in the library, but air quality tests found nothing noteworthy, the story noted.

Officials believe the symptoms were caused by fumes left in the building from cleaning products used after contractors removed tile and asbestos from the building during spring break, the story added.

According to the story, the school remains closed today so it can be properly ventilated.