Government says 13 deaths tied to bath refinishing chemical

February 24, 2012

DETROIT (AP) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning Thursday about using a common paint-stripping chemical to refinish bathtubs after tying it to 13 deaths in 10 states.

The CDC said the alert was based on research that began at Michigan State University. Scientists found 13 deaths between 2000 and 2011 of workers using products containing methylene chloride to strip paint from residential bathtubs. Three of the deaths were in Michigan, and the remaining 10 were reported in nine other states.

Methylene chloride is widely used as a degreaser and paint remover in industrial and home-improvement products.

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Coast Guard pollution response personnel investigate oil discharge in San Juan Harbor

February 8, 2012

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Coast Guard pollution investigators responded Tuesday to a report of an oil discharge at the active construction site between Piers 6 and 7 in San Juan Harbor, Puerto Rico.

Coast Guard Pollution investigators are actively monitoring cleanup and recovery efforts and investigating to find the origin and amount of the discharge.

Construction site personnel are conducting efforts to locate the unidentified underground point of discharge to shut down the source and prevent further oil from spilling into the water, and they have activated two Oil Spill Response Organizations (OSRO) to conduct cleanup and recovery operations.

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MTI Recognizes Graduates at the Michigan Safety Conference

February 8, 2012

Detroit, Michigan:  The MIOSHA Training Institute (MTI) recognizes Marine Pollution Control Corporation's ("MPC's")  Site Safety Officer, Matt McInchak, for his successful completion of the MTI Boot Camp, graduating with dual certificates (in General Industry & Construction).  MTI recognized Matt along with 3 others at the annual Michigan Safety Conference.

To read more on this and other stories in the MIOSHA newsletter click here

New oilsands watchdog a victory for science

February 6, 2012

In the world of science and politics, the meeting was unprecedented. Senior representatives of the federal and Alberta environment departments met at the University of Alberta last Tuesday with a select group of scientists from all over Canada, some of whom showed up in person while others participated by teleconference.
 
The goal was to obtain the scientists' support for a new joint federal-provincial oilsands pollution monitoring program that the two governments hope will silence international criticism over the "dirty oil" produced by the oilsands industry.
 
As the industry invests billions of dollars to more than double its production by 2020, Alberta and Ottawa worry that the growing outcry over the environmental impact of this "dirty oil" will harm its export markets and impede its growth.

Read more here.