$13 million PCB cleanup effort funded by Georgia-Pacific

KALAMAZOO, MI — In a settlement filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court and announced by the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Georgia-Pacific Corporation has agreed to a new $13 million cleanup for the Kalamazoo River Superfund site in Allegan and Kalamazoo counties, according to the Associated Press.

Georgia-Pacific is to consolidate polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) contaminated material, install a permanent landfill cap across 32 acres, install a groundwater-monitoring system, implement erosion-control measures and restore wetland and shoreline habitats, the story stated.

Sediments in and around the river from Portage Creek to Lake Michigan are loaded with PCBs, a chemical substance once used in the paper industry that can cause health problems for animals and people exposed to high concentrations of them, the story noted.

According to the story, a federal bankruptcy filing by LyondellBasell Industries, which owns Millennium Holdings LLC, left Georgia-Pacific as the lone financier of future cleanups on the river.

A similar $25 million cleanup of a 1.5-mile stretch of the river near Plainwell was completed in December, the story added.

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School custodian arrested for extortion

MILLBROOK, AL — A Stanhope Elmore High School custodian was arrested for alleged­ly extorting money from a student in exchange for re­turning a confiscated cell phone instead of reporting the incident to school administrators, according to the Prattville Progress.

Gloria Reeves, who was charged with one felony count of second-degree extortion, was re­leased from the Elmore County Jail after posting $15,000 bond, the story stated.

In­terim principal Ginger Wright said that this sort of thing has never happened in the school before and there was no plan in place to prevent such activities, the story noted.

According to the story, Wright is working hard to help the students and staff recover while keeping the image of the school intact.

Gloria Reeves, Millbrook Po­lice Chief P.K. Johnson and the Elmore County School Sys­tem all declined to comment on the matter, the story added.

Wright said: "We teach them to trust their teachers. If there's a problem, tell your par­ents. To put it in perspective, thank goodness those kids spoke up."

Florida's first LEED-certified hotel

CLEARWATER, FL — The Sandpearl Resort has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), making it the first hotel in Florida to achieve such an honor, according to Jamble magazine.

The 253-room resort, which opened in 2007, boasts several sustainable aspects, including a state-of-the-art chilled water air conditioning system that cools the hotel with water rather than Freon, the story stated.

On top of preferred parking for hybrid vehicles, the hotel also encourages a green lifestyle by outfitting rooms with water-saving fixtures and intelligent room monitoring systems that automatically shut off lights and air conditioning when rooms are unoccupied, the story noted.

The restaurants in the hotel use biodegradable packaging and make use of seasonal, organic and Fair-Trade food, the story added

According to the story, even the staff uniforms in the resort spa are made from readily renewable and biodegradable hemp.

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Janitor allegedly threatens entire school

CALIFORNIA, PA — A California Area High School janitor was suspended and is facing criminal charges after allegedly threatening to physically harm teachers, students and administrators, according to the Herald-Standard.

Michael Tiernan, a janitor at the high school for over a decade with no prior criminal record, was charged with terroristic threats and harassment after he began heckling fellow employees in February, the story stated.

The harassment allegedly continued until Tiernan was suspended by the California Area School District in April, the story noted.

According to the story, Tiernan allegedly told coworkers that if he loses his job, "nobody is coming out of this building alive."

Tiernan was released on $2,500 unsecured bond following his arraignment and is to have no contact with school employees and no access to the high school for the time being, the story added.

Mandated green cleaning in Connecticut schools

HARTFORD, CT — A law that passed the state Senate yesterday will require schools across the State of Connecticut to develop green cleaning programs by 2011, according to the News-Times.

Bill 6496, which is awaiting the signature of Governor M. Jodi Rell, requires cleaning products, including general-purpose cleaners, glass cleaners, floor finishes, floor strippers, hand cleansers and soaps, be certified by Green Seal or EcoLogo, the story stated.

The law does not apply to disinfectants, disinfecting cleaners or other products regulated by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the story noted.

According to the story, the law takes effect July 1, 2011, and gives districts time to use the products already on hand rather than throwing them away.

Representative Chris Lyddy said: "Kids can't learn and teachers can't teach when they are in an environment that negatively impacts their health. We owe it to our children to provide the best learning environment that we possibly can. This legislation is a bold step in the direction of protecting our children. I believe prevention is the best intervention to any issue."

Connecticut laws now regulate environmental issues affecting schools that range from monitoring indoor air quality, requiring environmentally green construction and renovations and restricting pesticides in school buildings and on school grounds, the story added.

FEMA awards Munters with $5 million contract

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA — The moisture control specialists Munters Corporation has been awarded a $5 million contract to provide temperature and climate control services to six flood-damaged buildings in the City of Cedar Rapids, according to The Gazette.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded Munters the contract from June 1 through November 30, which includes $1.43 million in equipment and staff and $3.58 million in fuel costs, the story stated.

The six unoccupied buildings are: The Veterans Memorial Building; the library; Paramount Theatre; the first floor of the Public Works Building; the Ground Transportation Center bus depot; and the GTC's Montessori School, the story noted.

Ontario urged to step up hospital cleaning standards

HAMILTON, ON, Canada — Cleaning staff must be made an integral part of care teams if Ontario hospitals are to reduce infections like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin resistant enterococcus (VRE) and Clostridium difficile (C. diff), according to the Hamilton Spectator.

After going on a national tour organized by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) against hospital-acquired infections (HAI), Steve Davies, a social sciences researcher at Cardiff University in Wales, urged the Ontario government to implement cleaning standards and not to undervalue cleaning and downsize or contract services out, the story stated.

Michael Hurley, president of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, said: "The sad reality is people innocently go into these institutions not knowing about the infections there and may not ever come out again. The scale of the tragedy is enormous. The loss is large, but totally preventable."

Some hospitals have increased cleaning frequencies and stepped up patient and visitor awareness by reminding everyone to wash their hands both verbally and through signage, the story noted.

The problem facing many hospitals with budget constraints is that outsourcing is geared toward saving money, while infection control is geared toward saving lives, the story added.

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