Court in Pnnsylvania says no to protecting janitors' jobs

PITTSBURGH — In a 6-1 decision written by Justice Jane Cutler Greenspan, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that a Pittsburgh ordinance designed to protect janitors from losing their jobs in downtown office buildings violates Home Rule law, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Since the Pittsburgh City Council enacted an ordinace in 2004, building owners of facilities with more than 100,000 square feet of floor space, if switching security, janitorial, maintenance, stationary engineering or window washing contractors, must have the new firm hire the old firm's workers.

According to the story, if there are too many workers, some can be let go in order of seniority or fired for just cause; otherwise, they can't be fired or laid off for 180 days.

Several building managers challenged the law in the Allegheny County Common Pleas Court and the Commonwealth Court, claiming that it violated their right to contract, the story stated.

Although Pennsylvania state law prohibits municipalities from placing requirements on businesses, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) asked the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to review the case, the story noted.

Justice Jane Cutler Greenspan said: "By requiring employers to retain certain employees for approximately half a year, the ordinance exemplifies the very essence of the invasive regulations that Home Rule is designed to prevent and, indeed, strictly prohibits."

With the passing of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decission, janitors working in downtown Pittsburgh office buildings have few protections from losing their jobs if service providers are changed, the story added.

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Hamilton College receives LEED certification at the Gold level

CLINTON, NY — Hamilton College was recently awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification at the Gold level for its renovation of the 40-year-old Kirner-Johnson building, according to the Oneida Daily Dispatch.

It is Hamilton College's policy to build all new structures to LEED standards, regardless of whether or not the college decides to seek actual certification, a timely and costly process, the story stated.

Hamilton College has purchased renewable energy certificates for this coming fiscal year that include 100 percent renewable energy to be used in the Kirner-Johnson building, the story noted.

According to the story, by purchasing "green" power, Hamilton College is a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Green Power Partnership.

Economics Professor Paul Hagstrom said: "As the users of Kirner-Johnson, we appreciate that, along with the function and aesthetics of the space, the college was dedicated to incorporating sustainable design."

Thanks to environmentally preferable upgrades, the Kirner-Johnson building will operate with a 25-28 percent reduction in energy usage, the story added.

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The EPA fines the University of Florida $175,000

GAINESVILLE, FL — The University of Florida has agreed to pay a $175,000 fine to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for alleged environmental violations that include illegally disposing of hundreds of gallons of a toxic chemical on campus for nearly two decades, according to the Gainesville Sun.

Tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, which the University of Florida has ceased using, is a solvent used to clean lawn mowers and weed eaters, the story stated.

According to the story, although concentrations of the chemical 25 times above the level allowed by the EPA were found in the surrounding soil and groundwater, EPA officials say the level of contamination is low and the risk of human exposure is minimal.

During an unannounced EPA inspection in March 2008, inspectors found that University of Florida employees were spraying lawn equipment with a degreasing agent that was allowed to dry and then washed off with a hose, releasing some potentially harmful contaminants into the local environment, the story noted.

Bill Properzio, director of the University of Florida's Environmental Health and Safety Department, said: "I guess the assumption had been made that if you followed the manufacturer's instructions, you were OK."

According to the article, the University of Florida used between 275 and 412.5 gallons of the chemical over an 18-year period dating back to 1990.

Since the inspection, the University of Florida has spent roughly $67,000 determining the level of contamination, and once testing is complete and a cleanup plan is in place, the university will be required to pay for its implementation, the story added.

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Contractor in Guam can no longer clean restrooms for free

HAGATNA, Guam — Public restrooms in parks around the island of Guam will go uncleaned if the government does not settle its outstanding debt, according to KTGM-TV.

Advanced Management Inc., the company contracted to provide cleaning services in park restrooms on the island, allegedly has not been paid in months and owner Monte Mcdowell can no longer afford to clean the 16 restrooms for free, the story stated.

According to the story, Mcdowell claims he has not been paid since July and that his company is owed $132,000 for services rendered.

The Guam Department of Administration says the only invoices pending in their system total $3,645, the story noted.

Mcdowell, who says if he gets paid in the next couple of days he will continue to honor his contract, notes that Advanced Management Inc. cannot afford to pay its employees without getting paid by the government for the work they've performed, the story added.

According to the article, Mcdowell has yet to bill the Guam Department of Parks and Recreation for the month of December, which he claims will add another $30,000 to the outstanding total.

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Study: Bacteria becoming immune to disinfectants

GALWAY, Ireland — A new study by the National University of Ireland at Galway that was published in the journal Microbiology suggests that certain bacteria have adapted to survive not only common antibiotics, but also the disinfectants used to clean surfaces, according to LiveScience.

According to the story, researchers, who focused on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium responsible for a range of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), found that the bacteria — when exposed to disinfectants — were able to efficiently pump out antimicrobial agents, causing a genetic mutation that allowed them to resist various antibiotics, specifically ciprofloxacin.

Though more research is needed, the new study suggests disinfectants may be part of the problem of resistant bacteria, the story stated.

Dr. Gerard Fleming of the National University of Ireland in Galway and lead researcher said: "In principle, this means that residue from incorrectly diluted disinfectants left on hospital surfaces could promote the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. What is more worrying is that bacteria seem to be able to adapt to resist antibiotics without even being exposed to them. We need to investigate the effects of using more than one type of disinfectant on promoting antibiotic-resistant strains. This will increase the effectiveness of both our first and second lines of defense against HAIs."

Studying the environmental factors that might promote resistant bacteria is very important as superbugs like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have become a deadly and growing problem in hospitals in recent years, the story noted.

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Rodent infestation closes Pennsylvania State Capitol cafeteria

HARRISBURG, PA — The cafeteria at the Pennsylvania State Capitol, which is operated by the ARAMARK Corporation, was closed last week while crews performed deep cleaning after Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture inspectors found evidence of a rodent infestation, according to the Patriot-News.

The cafeteria, which previously had not been inspected for several years, is expected to remain closed until after the new year, the story stated.

Justin Fleming, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, said: "There were mouse droppings around the facility too numerous to mention."

The droppings, which indicate the presence of live mice, are considered an imminent health risk and have been known to potentially carry hantavirus, the story noted.

Although employees spent the weekend cleaning the entire cafeteria and fixing other health-related problems, ARAMARK is waiting to have the facility reinspected to ensure complete compliance with the health inspection requirements, the story added.

Sarah Jarvis, an ARAMARK Spokeswoman, said: "Our priority is to ensure that the food served at the Capitol building is of the highest quality and prepared [in] the safest environment possible. We take all violations and suggestions very seriously."

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Swiffer becomes the official cleaner of the Children's Museum of Indianapolis

CINCINNATI — The Procter & Gamble Company's Swiffer brand recently became the official cleaner of the world's largest children's museum, according to a press release.

Swiffer products will now be used throughout the 479,000-square-foot Children's Museum of Indianapolis to trap and lock dust and dirt in every exhibit it houses, the release stated.

As the official cleaner, Swiffer Dusters will be tasked to clean the museum's 43-foot-tall Fireworks of Glass exhibit, the release noted.

Jeff Patchen, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, said: "Dale Chihuly's artwork (Fireworks of Glass) is one of the centerpieces of our museum, and the preferred dusting solution to help keep it clean and dust-free is Swiffer. After seeing how well it works on such a delicate piece of art as Chihuly's piece, we wanted to deepen our partnership with Swiffer to help keep our exhibits clean and dust-free for our young visitors to enjoy."

Swiffer Dusters use thousands of fluffy fibers that gently change shape to fit anywhere to trap and lock dust and dirt better than traditional feather dusters, the release added.

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