EPA officially launches green disinfectant and sanitizer pilot programs

WASHINGTON — On December 9, 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched two voluntary pilot programs for disinfectants and sanitizers that will allow the use of the Design for the Environment (DfE) logo on certain products as well as allow the use of certain EPA-approved factual statements of environmental preferability, according to a press release.

Bill Balek, ISSA director of legislative affairs, said: "ISSA applauds the EPA for crafting a policy that will empower purchasers to make informed decisions when selecting disinfectants and sanitizers, as well as provide a market incentive for manufacturers to develop antimicrobial pesticides that possess a preferred environmental and safety and health profile."

Balek participated in the Comparative Claims Work Group assembled by the EPA for the purpose of developing the parameters of the pilot program, the release noted.

Registrants will be subject to a two-tier review process starting with review by the DfE program that will start accepting applications immediately, while the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) will start accepting applications on May 3, 2010, the release added.

According to the release, the OPP will start accepting applications for the use of factual statements of environmental preferability on product labels on January 25, 2010.

For more information about the pilot programs, click here.

Click here to read the complete release.

Duo develops biodegradable packaging

GREEN ISLAND, NY — Two businessmen recently developed a green alternative to polystyrene packaging that uses 10 times less energy to produce and biodegrades into a natural fertilizer, according to the American Free Press.

Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre, classmates from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), founded Ecovative Design in 2007 to produce EcoCradle — packaging made from farm waste and mushrooms whose manufacture generates zero greenhouse gas emissions, the story stated.

Bayer, chief executive officer (CEO) of Ecovative Design, said: "For each unit of EcoCradle we produce, compared to the same unit or volume of polystyrene, we use 10 times less energy and emit eight times less CO₂ over the life of the product from production, use and to disposal. Our long-term vision is actually to replace all plastic and foams and mitigate their environmental consequences ... and this natural platform we have discovered or invented will allow us to do that."

According to the story, polystyrene is so prevalent in the packaging industry that it accounts for 30 percent of all the waste in United States landfills.

EcoCradle is made from agricultural byproducts including cottonseed hulls, buckwheat hulls and rice husk that are mixed with mycelium — a fungal bonding agent — and allowed to grow inside molds, the story noted.

According to the article, the mycelium secretes a powerful enzyme that decomposes the organic waste as it grows, and after seven days at room temperature in the dark, a compact, ultralight, malleable material is formed that can resist temperatures of up to 800 degrees Celsius (1,472 Fahrenheit).

EcoCradle, a patented trademark in the United States and 30 other countries that doubles as an environmentally preferable insulation, has a production cost comparable to that of polystyrene, the story added.

Click here to read the complete article

SEIU Local 26 janitors march for green alternatives

MINNEAPOLIS — Janitors represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 26 kicked off their campaign to make green cleaning a reality with a march through downtown Minneapolis on December 5, according to a press release.

By striving to increase the use of green cleaning products with safer chemicals, recycle more waste and support the transition to day-shift cleaning, SEIU Local 26 janitors are hoping to green the greater Minneapolis area, the release stated.

According to the SEIU Local 26, "Day-shift cleaning is a growing trend in the cleaning industry; it can reduce energy use by up to 8 percent and leads to better client satisfaction with a stable, well-trained cleaning staff. And while safer, "green" chemicals are now available at little or no additional cost, there is still pervasive use of more dangerous, conventional cleaning products."

The Green Jobs Green Future campaign has gained the support of environmental organizations including the Blue Green Alliance, the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG) and the Sierra Club, the release noted.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Congressman Keith Ellison joined the janitors and marched in support of adopting green alternatives to toxic cleaning chemicals and increasing recycling efforts, the release added.

Click here to read the complete release.

EPA releases WaterSense label for commercial applications

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released its first WaterSense specification for a commercial building product, according to a press release.

According to the release, WaterSense-labeled flushing urinals will use 50 percent less water than standard urinals, saving businesses 4,000 gallons of water per year for every fixture installed.

In addition to using no more than a half-gallon of water per flush, urinals bearing the WaterSense label meet the EPA's performance requirements, ensuring they work as well or better than standard models, the release stated.

As an example of the water saving capability of WaterSense-labeled urinals, a college with 10,000 students that installs WaterSense labeled urinals in its classroom buildings will save each year enough water to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool, the release noted.

All WaterSense-labeled products are independently tested and certified to meet rigorous criteria for both efficiency and performance, the release added.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/watersense

Vernon Hills Retirement Community Legionnaires' disease outbreak

VERNON HILLS, IL — The source of an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease responsible for two deaths and seven hospitalizations at a retirement community has been identified as contaminated pool and spa water, according to the Vernon Hills Review.

After tests at The Park at Vernon Hills came back positive for Legionella bacteria, environmental consulting firm EBSol Inc. — a company specializing in Legionella detection — was brought in to help determine the cause of the outbreak and come up with a remediation plan, the story stated.

Melaney Arnold, a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Public Health, said: "We did find the Legionella bacteria at the facility and right now the environmental consultant the facility hired is working on a remediation plan. [The pool, spa and rainforest area in the atrium of the facility] will not be allowed to open again until we get two consecutive negative test samples for Legionella. In a situation like this, proper maintenance of pools and spa areas is very important."

Bio-Incident Management Services was contracted to clean and disinfect the pool and other water features where contaminated water was found, the story noted.

The Park at Vernon Hills, which hopes to have the affected areas completely disinfected and opened within the next few weeks, is keeping residents apprised to the latest developments with frequent updates, the story added.

Click here to read the complete article.

Custodian wins workers' compensation case over perfume

SAINT JOHN, NB, Canada — After suffering a severe allergic reaction from perfume and cologne worn by students, a custodian at Saint John High School won a workers' compensation battle, according to the National Post.

This case, involving an unnamed custodian, is believed to be the first case in Canada where fragrances in schools have been classified as a workplace hazard, the story stated.

Gary Walker, principal of Halifax West High School, said: "I have a teacher I have sent to hospital several times in an ambulance. When Axe [body spray for men] first came out, she just dropped, the scent was so violent for her. During our parent meetings we talk about it, in our newsletters we talk about it, on our website we talk about it. We spend a lot of time on it."

According to the story, the woman, who has had similar reactions when exposed to pungent perfumes, suffered dizziness, labored breathing and "extreme chest pains" that spread across her chest and down her arms.

An appeal tribunal ruled that exposure to the perfume qualified as an injury arising out of the janitor's work, ordering the New Brunswick workers' compensation commission to accept her request for benefits, the story noted.

School District 8 has had a "scent-free" policy in place for several years now because of complaints from teachers and staff, the story added.

Click here to read the complete article.

San Jacinto Unified School District hires armed security guards

SAN JACINTO, CA — In response to recent incidents of night-shift custodians being assaulted, the San Jacinto Unified School District has hired armed security guards to patrol campuses, according to the Press-Enterprise.

According to the article, the decision to hire a firm to provide security detail for the district comes after the concept of Team Cleaning was introduced to increase the safety of custodians working in schools at night.

San Jacinto Unified School District Superintendent Shari Fox, who called the incidents "anomalies," said: "As of now, everyone is in Team Cleaning, so they are always with one other person, within hollering distance."

The San Jacinto Unified trustees voted earlier this week to hire a security firm for six months at a charge of no more than $65,000 plus $25 per alarm call, the story stated.

In a November 18 incident, a suspect, who demanded money from a male custodian at Edward Hyatt Elementary School and hit him with a stick, ran away after the custodian began yelling at him, the story noted.

In the most recent incident that occurred just after midnight on December 3, a female custodian was found unconscious at Jose Antonio Estudillo Elementary School, presumably the victim of an assault, the story added.

According to the story, the California School Employees Association (CSEA), the union representing the San Jacinto Unified School District custodians, feels hiring a security firm to ensure the well-being of night-shift custodians is a good and necessary move.

Click here to read the complete article.