Janitors protest Safeway's use of harsh cleaning chemicals

ROCKRIDGE, CA — A group of janitors joined protesters against the expansion of two Safeway locations to oppose the use of harsh cleaning chemicals at the stores, according to the San Francisco Business Times.

According to the story, organizations in the community oppose the proposed design for the locations, saying the two-level, modern stores will not fit with the neighborhood.

Janitors say that their cause falls in line with the opposition to the expansion, the story stated.

A statement from the union representing the janitors, the Service Employee International Union (SEIU) Local 1877 of Northern California, stated: "The demonstration comes as Safeway's plans to expand its two stores in North Oakland's Rockridge neighborhood are facing opposition from community stakeholders concerned about potential negative impacts on public safety and the environment."

SEIU Local 1877 of Northern California Vice President Denise Solis added: "If Safeway wants to expand its stores in our community, they must take meaningful steps to protect the health and safety of workers, customers and the environment."

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EPA: Companies can no longer claim chemical confidentiality

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it has overturned a policy that allowed companies to make a confidential business information (CBI) claim when reporting potentially dangerous chemicals to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Inventory, according to a press release.

According to the release, companies that manufacture, process or distribute chemicals are required to immediately provide notice to the EPA if they learn that a chemical presents a substantial risk of injury to health or the environment under Section 8(e) of the TSCA.

Under the previous policy, however, companies would often claim CBI to avoid providing the actual identity of the chemical to the public, the release stated.

According to the release, this new action will give the public more identifying information in the Section 8(e) reports, which are published on the EPA website.

This latest move is part of an ongoing effort by the EPA to utilize authority through the TSCA to the fullest extent possible, the release added.

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Blue Ridge Elementary school has four times the acceptable levels for radon

WALLA WALLA, WA – Blue Ridge Elementary School is taking immediate measures — including running heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems most of the day and notifying families — after an independent test found levels of radon as much as four times the acceptable amount recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to the Union-Bulletin.

According to the story, the tests, performed by Fulcrum Environmental Consulting, showed elevated levels occurred during evening and weekends when the school's HVAC system was not operational.

Walla Walla Public Schools Superintendent Rich Carter said: "The safety of our staff and students is our number one priority. We will do whatever it takes to develop a permanent solution to ensure radon levels are mitigated."

District officials are planning to perform a second round of tests to gain more data and test other facilities in the district as a precaution, the story stated.

The district is meeting with air quality professionals to develop a more permanent long-term plan, the story added.

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Alcohol-based hand sanitizer ignites at mall

SAUGUS, MA — Efforts by the Square One Mall to keep patrons healthy by providing alcohol-based hand sanitizer stations backfired after one of the sanitizing units spontaneously combusted earlier this week, according to The Daily Item.

The machine is powered by batteries rather than electricity, so many are puzzled as to how the blaze ignited, the story stated.

Town of Saugus Fire Department Chief James Blanchard said: "It had spread up the wall and set off the sprinklers. We're still looking into how that got started. We're trying to see if anyone else has had a similar problem. It's kind of unusual. I've never seen anything like this."

No one was hurt in the incident that was contained to a small area near the restrooms of the Square One Mall’s food court, the story noted.

Simon Malls, which owns Square One Mall, has placed similar dispensers in all of its malls, the story added.

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SCA Tissue joins relief efforts in Haiti

PHILADELPHIA — SCA Tissue, a global personal hygiene product company, has announced their commitment to assisting in relief efforts following the devastating earthquake in Haiti with a $50,000 gift to the American Red Cross, according to a press release.

According to the release, in addition to the financial donation, SCA is also implementing a dollar-for-dollar employee donation matching program and has committed to providing personal care products for survivors and disaster relief teams.

SCA Tissue North America President Don Lewis said: "Our employees expressed strong interest in supporting the relief efforts, and our matching gift program gives them the opportunity to make an immediate impact. We hope this inspires others to do same."

Funds from the employee matching program will go towards the American Red Cross and Direct Relief International, the release added.

The first LEED-certified public school in New York State

AUBURN, NY — The Cayuga-Onondaga Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) Regional Education Center has been awarded the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification, according to The Citizen.

According to the story, the 64-acre campus is the first public school in New York State to achieve LEED certification.

BOCES superintendent Bill Speck said: "It couldn't make us prouder."

According to the story, the campus earned points for its more than 200 125-foot-deep geothermal wells, recycled construction-related waste, locally-manufactured building materials and monitoring devices in all building systems to collect data and ensure efficient energy use when the building is not in use.

A presentation ceremony will take place Friday, January 22 on the campus, the story added.

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Texas college to be fully powered by wind

GEORGETOWN, TX — Starting in February, Southwestern University will rely solely on wind to power the entire campus, according to News 8 Austin.

According to the story, Southwestern University will become the first college or university in the state of Texas and one of only six in the nation to be fully powered by green energy.

Leah Jones, a student from the university who helped initiate the idea for a wind-powered campus, said: "We just wanted to go 100 percent, all the way. It seems like a great opportunity to get sustainable energy on campus."

The power, which will come from two wind farms in West Texas, is being offered at a fixed rate to the university over 18 years and, while the details of the contract are confidential, the city of Georgetown said they are competitive with rates for conventional energy, the story stated.

Other sustainability initiatives at the university include the dining hall's decision to go 'trayless' last year, the story added.

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