Government Warns Web Sites of Bioterrorism Protection Claims
The federal government has warned dozens of Web site operators to stop making unproven claims about devices for bioterrorism protection, including gas masks that may not work as advertised and ultraviolet lights falsely touted as anthrax killers. Since the Sept. 11 hijackings and subsequent anthrax attacks, the Federal Trade Commission has found hundreds of Internet sites selling products targeted at new fears. The FTC sent e-mail warnings in November to operators of 50 sites that peddled questionable treatments for anthrax, smallpox and other potential biological weapons. The ineffective remedies included dietary supplements such as oregano oil and zinc mineral water. Some of the items might work in certain circumstances, but the FTC suspects the Web sites of promoting the devices with misleading or unsupported claims that overstate the protection offered. The FTC has been working with the Food and Drug Administration and law enforcement officials in 30 states to scour the Internet for misleading claims. The agency found more than 200 sites selling bioterrorism-related products...Read More »
Environmental Reclamation Wins EPA Emergency Response Contract
Enviro-Energy Corporation¹s (OTCBB:ENGY) environmental reclamation and remediation subsidiary, Environmental Reclamation Inc. has been selected as the designated primary operating sub contractor in a new five-year, task order, emergency response contract awarded by the EPA¹s Region 10. The contract, awarded to Environmental Quality Management, Inc. as prime contractor and contract manager, covers a wide range of environmental emergency response services for federally funded agencies and programs for Region 10. ERI is to provide operating services, equipment and expertise in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. This work will expand the application of ERI environmental capabilities currently provided to mining companies and government agencies. A task order contract does not have a specific ceiling to the amount of money expended. Budgets are determined primarily by the need to remediate or treat a problem...Read More »
New Environmental Insurance Will Ease Military Cleanup
To help contain the expense of cleanup activities at an unused army barrack in Lompoc, Calif., an environmental insurance program is providing a financial cushion and liability protection as part of an innovative fixed cost remediation agreement. ECS Inc., one of the nation's major providers of environmental insurance, designed the program exclusively for Arcadis G&M and its Guaranteed Fixed Price Remediation Program. Arcadis G&M's GRiP is being implemented in the cleanup of the former U.S. Disciplinary Barracks near Lompoc. The 2,875-acre facility was used as a military detention center. When cleaned up, a portion of the site will be transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. For one fixed price, Arcadis' fixed-price remediation program provides all investigation, remediation, and regulatory services that will be necessary for environmental cleanup of one particular contaminated site at the former military base. ECS designed the GRiP insurance program to offer Arcadis protection against potential cleanup cost overruns and provide insurance coverage for first-party (on-site) and third-party (off-site) coverage for remediation expenses, bodily injury, property damage and legal defense expenses...Read More »
Idaho Residents Consider Class-action Contamination Suit
A group of northern Idaho residents has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against a group of mining companies, including Asarco Incorporated, demanding the companies finance medical monitoring to identify and treat health problems allegedly caused by the companies' mining and smelting activities, which contaminated the region's water and soil with lead and other heavy metals. The suit, filed in Idaho State Court in Kootenai County, seeks to represent residents within a 21-square mile Superfund site surrounding the Bunker Hill mining complex, known as the Box, and those living within the greater Coeur d'Alene river basin, which includes an estimated 100,000 people residing in Post Falls, Idaho and Spokane, Wash. The Box -- which includes Pinehurst, Kellogg, Smelterville, and Wardner -- has undergone some cleanup and remediation of residential properties, but residents still suffer health problems from the heavy metals that remain in the ground and water supply, the suit alleges. The suit also seeks compensation for residential property owners whose property values have declined as a result of the contamination...Read More »
Los Angeles Landfill Gets $340 Million Cleanup
Polluters have agreed to a $340 million cleanup of a former Los Angeles-area landfill that was declared a Superfund site 15 years ago. Under the settlement, 177 companies will contain and monitor contaminants at the 190-acre Operating Industries site. The dump is located in Monterey Park, about 10 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. The agreement brings the total cleanup cost to more than $600 million, making it one of the most expensive non-governmental Superfund sites in the federal program's history. An estimated 4,000 companies are believed to have dumped commercial and industrial waste at the landfill from 1948 to 1984. They include southern California's major employers: Exxon-Mobil, Unocal, Chevron, Texaco, Lockheed-Martin, Boeing and General Motors. Residents for 20 years have fought for cleanup and expressed health concerns. Cleanup contractors were hired by 57 companies; the other 120 companies are paying into a cleanup fund. The settlement does not require that contaminants be removed, but rather will allow them to degrade naturally. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that degradation could take 30 to 150 years...Read More »
States May Sue Bush Administration Over Pollution
Some Northeastern states will sue the Bush administration if it eases air pollution rules for US power plants that expand or make other major modifications, according to Connecticut officials. The Environmental Protection Agency has been working on an overhaul of the Clean Air Act's so-called New Source Review rules. The rules, which were strictly enforced by the Clinton administration, require electric power plants and oil refineries to install expensive pollution control equipment when they make significant modifications or repairs to the facilities. The Bush plan, which has been the target of intense lobbying by environmental groups and electric utilities, is expected to be released this month, industry sources told Reuters. Environmental and congressional sources say the administration's plan is expected to increase the amount of maintenance that companies can perform before triggering the rule. Utilities say the rule change would allow them to maintain their plants to meet rising power demand without incurring expensive modification requirements. The industry and the Bush administration claim the regulations prevent more refineries and power plants from being built or expanded, which in turn reduces available energy supplies. Green groups see the White House efforts as a roll back of the 1970 Clean Air Act, fearing a package of loopholes that would allow utilities to pollute more with fewer penalties...Read More »
Titan Plans Inroads into American Tire Recycling Markets
Titan Technologies, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: TITT), an automobile tire recycler, is working to expand its operations into the United States. Officials with Forrest All Industries have expressed interest in building facilities throughout the country, beginning in Louisiana this year. Titan is also in serious discussions with other groups that are in different phases of negotiations, which may or may not result in final contracts to build recycling facilities. These groups are from Arizona, Connecticut, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Texas. Groups from Japan, Turkey, England and Austria are also interested. Titan officials said the value of their recycling process has dramatically increased since carbon black produced from processing used automobile tires was successfully activated and created many potential uses, two of which are flue gas filtration from coal fired power plants and waste water treatment...Read More »
Weston Wins Potential $25 Million Air Force Contract
Roy F. Weston, Inc. has been awarded a new Architect and Engineering Services contract with a total gross value of up to $25 million for the Air Force Institute for Environment, Safety and Occupational Health Risk Analysis, located at Brooks AFB, Texas. Under the seven-year contract, Weston will manage Title I, Title II, and other A&E services to administer, coordinate, and technically support AFIERA's worldwide Environment, Safety and Occupational Health mission. Other services will include environmental engineering, health and safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene, environmental auditing and risk assessments. WESTON has provided a wide range of services to AFIERA in past years, including aircraft emission testing and emission factor development on all current Air Force engines, as well as extensive drinking water compliance and vulnerability studies at Air Force installations worldwide...Read More »
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