Progressive News, Spring 2006

PROGRESSIVENewsSpring 2006Inside This IssueOhio Carbon Black Maker to Pay . . . . . . . . 2Illinois Lab Maker Citedfor Air Violations . . . . . 2Companies Cited forHazardous ChemicalReleases . . . . . . . . . . . . 2McWane Pleads Guilty to Crimes in Utah . . . . 2Cal. Managers say Tobacco Smoke is Toxic Pollutant . . . . . . 3N.J. Metal Recycler to Pay to Resolve Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Wastewater IndustryExpected to Grow . . . . 3Stroh Die Casting Cited for Air Violations . . . . . 3L.A. Man Jailed ofMishandling Dry-Cleaning Waste . . . . . . 4W. Virginia developerFined for Water Violations . . . . . . . . . . 4EPA Fines Firm For Failing to File Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . 4U.S. Tightens Rules onCaner Causing Chromium . . . . . . . . . . 5Illinois State AttorneyBattles Power PlantConstruction . . . . . . . . 5Industrial Businesses Urged to Reduce use ofChemicals . . . . . . . . . . 5Illinois High SchoolAchieves U.S. BuildingCertification . . . . . . . . 5HighlightsWay back in 1993, when the North American Free TradeAgreement (NAFTA) was ratified, Ross Perot said wewould all hear the giant sucking sound. What was he talk-ing about? Now it's quite clear; the sucking sound is thevacuum of jobs and materials being sucked out of theUnited States to foreign lands.At first business leaders moved their companys to theSouth because of less unions, better tax breaks and whatwe thought was a more favorable work ethic. That lastedfor only a few years until our neighbor Mexico offeredcheaper labor, no unions and less taxes. How smart wewere.That is until Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Indonesia and ofcourse China made our world flat. Globilization.Outsourcing. Call centers. "American made", could bemade in any place in the world as American companiesflock to foreign lands for the economic advantage thatthey offer. It is an efficient and robust world economy,accelerating as transportation systems for data and goodsget faster, cheaper and link ever more remote peoples.Foreign lands will build factorys for us, recruit workers andeven house them in dorms as if your company representsa little city within a city.Going over the pond means nothing anymore because thepond has become one global ocean with no borders. Isthis a bad thing? If you think of the days of the buggywhip manufacturers looking at the automobile, then it is.But one cannot stop progress. Its much like my businesswith the EPA. You can run but you cannot hide; its betterto embrace the problem than run from them. By being anexpert in the field, you attract a market that you never hadbefore.Although, there are those who say, enough with China. Inthe 30's and 40's it was Germany. In the 50's and 60'sand even the 70's it was Russia. Japan was the nemisis inth 80's and 90's and now China is going to swallow uswhole. So what is one to do? Some say "Run, Forest,run.....Or, the sky is falling, watch out.........But Chicken Little's protests just aren't going to get us toclose up shop. The sun comes up everyday and everydaywe all put it on the line. We have had to look at thingswith a different perspective. No longer can we ignore thatwhich we would like to ignore.When my grown children were just starting grammerschool, I always remember the principal of the schoolspeaking to the parents and shocked us by saying, "thejobs that your children will be doing as adults do not evenexist today" She was right. And when my middle daugh-ter came home from college for Christmas vacation, Ipicked up what I thought was her math book and wasamazed how difficult it was. I was embarrassed when Iwas told that the math book was my youngest daughter'sbook and she was still in grammer school.So either I was pretty bad in math or the point was madeyears ago, that progress and speed are not stoppable.Things change regardless of what we want or how smartwe think we are with the tools of today. So I guess I'msaying that the most organized Rolodex doesn't comparewith the slowest computer. Imagine doing business with-out a computer today.Outsourcing, offshoring, teleconferencing, portals, inter-net, podcasts, e-mails, e-mail marketing, viral marketing,mobile computing , web pages, multi-tasking, pentiums,gig a bytes, nanoseconds and did you want extra frothwith that latte?It's enough to say I give up. It's here. I acknowledge all ofthis, not that I understand it all. Wisdom used to comefrom our elders and now we ask our youngsters how tolink something up on the web for the oldsters. So even ifwe are a local business, we have to look at things differ-ently if we are to succeed.Even without going global, we can survive. We have to beopen to new ways to do what we have always had to do-find new ways to embrace the new world to lower ourcosts, improve value and find more prospects who will bethe customers of tomorrow.So as Forest Gump had to run to get away from his prob-lem, the bullies, maybe our best advise is to run as well ,but run to the problem of change because that suckingsound is getting a little louder and a little closer. But let'srun to the future, embrace the technology, use the newtools that are available and maybe that saying that youthis wasted on the young should not be so harsh and offen-sive to the youth of today; after all, we need them, needto respect their knowledge and even some of us still needto stop that clock from blinking on and off on that darnVCR.........Sincerely,Sheldon B. GoldnerPresident and EditorL E T T E R F R O M T H E E D I T O ROhio Carbon BlackMaker to Pay $350,000to Resolve Air ViolationsJan. 27 -- DegussaEngineered Carbons LPhas agree to pay $350,000 to settle allegedfederal clean air viola-tions at its carbon blackplant in Belpre, Ohio.The agreement includes a $105,000 fine and a $245,000environmental project. The settlement resolves U.S.Environmental Protection Agency allegations that thecompany used raw materials with a higher sulfur con-tent and released more sulfur dioxide than its permitallowed.Carbon black is a powdery material used to make products such as tires, printing ink, paint and plastic.Illinois Lab Equipment Maker Cited for Air ViolationsFeb. 1 -- Honeywell Analytics is being cited by the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency for alleged clean airviolations at its laboratory equipment assembly andpaper coating plant in Lincolnshire, Ill.Honeywell allegedly failed to apply for a state operat-ing permit. The company also used paper coatings witha volatile organic compound exceeding state limits, theEPA alleged.The EPA’s Region 5 office in Chicago said the findingsare preliminary and the company has 30 days to meetwith the agency to discuss a resolution.Companies in Ill., Wis., Minn. Cited for Hazardous ChemicalReleasesFeb. 3 -- Three companiesmaking milk, cheese andice have caught the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency’s attention regarding hazardous chemical releases.Two of the companies settled cases with the agencyregarding reporting violations involving the release of anhydrous ammonium, which is used in commercialrefrigeration systems, the EPA said.Lang Ice Co. of Chicago paid $34,918, and AntigoCheese Co. of Antigo, Wis., paid $20,000 for failure to immediately notify the National Response Centerregarding the chemical releases, the EPA said.And Associated Milk Producers of New Ulm, Minn.,faces a proposed $88,400 civil penalty for allegedly failing to notify the response center regarding an anhydrous ammonium release in December 2004, the EPA said.McWane, Former VP Plead Guilty toEnvironmental Crimes in UtahFeb. 15 -- McWane Inc. and a former vice presidentpleaded guilty in federal court to environmental crimesand will pay the largest criminal environmental fine inUtah.The company, which is based in Alabama and makesindustrial valves, pipes and flanges, pleaded guilty totwo counts of falsifying emission test results at PacificStates Cast Iron Pipe Co. facility in Springville, Utah.The court sentenced the company to three years’probation and ordered it to pay a $3 million fine.Charles Matlock, a former vice president and generalmanager of the company, pleaded guilty to one countof rendering a Clean Air Act testing method inaccurate.The court will sentence him May 2.The court also indicted another employee, vice presi-dent of environmental affairs Charles Robison, but dis-missed the charges in return for his agreement not toappeal his conviction in another McWane case inBirmingham, Ala.As a footnote to this article,recently in the Wall Street Journal anarticle mentioned that companys are charging employees that smokea surcharge for their health insurance premiums. Challenged in courtas being discriminately oppressive to the smokers; their protests went"up in smoke", as the courts stated that the choice to smoke impliedthe smoker's desire to do so regarless of the consequences, healthwise or cost wise. I guess the smokers pay the price one way or theother.PROGRESSIVENews Winter 2006 • 2Calif. Environmental Managers Say Tobacco Smoke is Toxic PollutantFeb. 16 -- A majority of environmental managersresponding to a recent poll saidthat California’s decision to listenvironmental tobacco smokeas a toxic air contaminantunder state law was correct.The poll, conducted on Enviro.BLR.com during the firstseven days of February, asked environmental managersif they believed tobacco smoke should be regulated asa toxic air contaminant. Of the 515 respondents, 75percent responded affirmatively.The poll was conducted in response to the CaliforniaAir Resources Board´s formal identification of second-hand smoke as a TAC.California Department of ToxicSubs.N.J. Metal Recycler toPay $250,000 to Resolve Hazardous Waste CaseFeb. 15 -- Veridium Corp., a Paterson, N.J., metal recycler, will pay $250,000 to settle alleged hazardouswaste and air pollution violations.The New Jersey Department of EnvironmentalProtection said inspections from 1999 to 2005 uncov-ered seven instances of improper storage of cyanide,acids, bases and other hazardous waste.The company also allegedly failed to properly markhazardous waste containers and to keep hazardouswaste containers closed; improperly stored 55-gallondrums of waste for more than 90 days; and did notfamiliarize police, fire and emergency-response teamswith the facility´s layout and the types of hazardouswaste at the facility, according to the DEP.The DEP also cited the company for operating a materi-als dryer without the proper permit. Veridium ceasedoperations at the site last month.Wastewater Industry Expectedto Grow to $3.3B in Revenueby 2010 Feb. 22 -- The U.S. wastewaterrecycling and reuse industry isprojected to grow annually by8.8 percent, reaching $3.3 billion in total revenue by2010, according to a technical market research reportfrom BCC Research. The underlying market is heading into a replacementphase, as the industry is seeing significant technologicalinnovation that will make technologies accessible to alarger number of buyers, according to the Norwalk,Conn.-based research firm. Landscape and agricultural irrigation make up thelargest share of water reuse. The amount of waterreused in the United States will grow annually by 11.1 percent through 2010, according to the report.Issues such as drought, tougher regulatory restrictionson wastewater and potable water, and increased public awareness will influence the recycling and reuse industry. More information is available at the company’s Website at www.bccresearch.com. Stroh Die Casting Cited for Air Violations at Wisconsin PlantFeb. 23 -- Stroh Die Casting Company Inc. faces federalaction for alleged clean air violations at its Milwaukeeoperations.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency alleges thatStroh failed to test the performance of the furnaces ituses to melt coated aluminum recovered from its customers, and that the company did not comply withnotification and record-keeping requirements underthe Clean Air Act. Secondary aluminum plants must test for dioxin and furan emissions.The EPA said the violations occurred between Januaryand November 2004. The agency may issue a compli-ance order, fine the company or file a lawsuit to forceit to comply.PROGRESSIVENews Winter 2006 • 3PROGRESSIVENews Winter 2006 • 4L.A. Man Heads to Jail for Mishandling Dry-Cleaning Waste Feb. 24 -- A federal court has sentenced a Los Angeles man to 37 months in jail and is requiring him to pay $1.3 million in cleanup costs for mishandling carcinogenic dry-cleaning waste. Behzad Kahoolyzadeh, who also used the namesBehzad Cohen and David Cohen, pleaded guilty March 4, 2004, in the U.S. District Court for the CentralDistrict of California in Los Angeles to conspiracy ontwo counts of illegal transportation of hazardous waste and two counts of illegally storing hazardous waste. Kahoolyzadeh’s Vernon, Calif.-based company, AADDistribution and Dry Cleaning Services Inc., was one ofthe largest handlers of dry-cleaning waste in the state.The company handled the carcinogenic compound perchloroethylene. To hide permit violations, Kahoolyzadeh and his partners shipped drums of PERC waste offsite andstored them in facilities that were not permitted tostore hazardous waste. They falsified manifests to conceal the illegal shipments. Hormoz Pourat, vice president of ADD, previously wassentenced to 37 months in federal prison and orderedto pay $1.3 million in restitution. West Virginia Developer Fined for Water ViolationsFeb. 24 -- Dlesk Realty and Investments LLC ofWheeling, W.Va., will pay $5,000 to settle alleged federal clean water violations.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency alleged thatthe developer violated the Clean Water Act in May2004 by unlawfully discharging fill material into astream during the construction of an industrial park inWheeling. The company should have applied for a per-mit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before thedischarging fill material into a waterway.Dlesk Realty will apply for a permit from the Corps aspart of its consent agreement with the EPA.EPA fines firms for failing to file hazardous waste reportsMarch 1 -- Federal environmen-tal officials have fined nineCalifornia companies for not filing biennial hazardous waste reports.The nine companies, upon turning in their delinquentreports, said they generated more than 290,000 poundsof hazardous waste. In addition to filing their missingbiennial hazardous waste reports, each company paid a $2,200 fine."The biennial reports provide the EPA, the state andlocal communities with important information on whathazardous wastes are in their communities," said JeffScott, director of the EPA’s Waste Management Division for the Pacific Southwest Region.The federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Actrequires companies that generate more than 2,200pounds of hazardous waste on a monthly basis or more than 2.2 pounds of acute hazardous waste to file a report at least every two years with the EPA. The report must include the quantities, nature and disposition of the hazardous wastes. Acute hazardouswaste is waste that even in very small amounts cancause severe health effects.The data is also used to evaluate the effect of regulations and policies on companies that generatehazardous waste. The reports also collect informationabout changes in waste volume and toxicity that can beused to measure the impact of the EPA’s efforts in thearea of pollution prevention and waste minimization.PROGRESSIVENews Winter 2006 • 5US Tightens Rules on Cancer Causing Chromium Federal regulators set a stricter new standard for worker exposure to hexavalent chromium, a cancercausing metal that is a hazard in steelworking, weldingand jewelry trades. OSHA said it would lower its permissible workplace exposure limit to hexavalentchromium and all related compounds to five micro-grams per cubic meter of air from 52 micrograms set in 1971.Hexavalent chromium,used to produce chromate pigments and dyes and in stainless-steel welding andchrome plating, can cause lung cancer, nasal septumulcerations, perforations, skin ulcers and allergic andirritant contact dermatitis.Under the new five-microgram standard, OSHA said an extimated 10 to 45 workers per 1000 could developlung cancer over a lifetime of exposure. With the newstandard, 100 to 145 cancers a year would be avoidedto workers currently exposed to airborne hexavalentchromium. Companies have until November of 2006 to comply. Industrial Businesses Urged to Reduce Use of 31 ChemicalsMarch 2 -- Federal environmental regulators are challenging industrial businesses to reduce their use of 31 priority chemicals as a means of reducing toxicchemical releases. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on March 1unveiled its National Challenge Commitment forPriority Chemicals, a collaborative initiative with theindustrial community. The EPA is challenging govern-ment and industrial facilities to reduce their use of oneor more of the chemicals by 10 percent over threeyears. "Reducing the volume of priority chemicals in productsand waste can reduce toxic chemical releases, reducehandling and disposal costs, and increase recycling,resulting in both environmental and economic bene-fits," said Susan Bodine, assistant administrator of theEPA´s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. Additional information about the program is availableonline at www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/priori-ties/chemical.htm.Illinois High School Achieves U.S. Green Building Certification March 10 -- Bolingbrook HighSchool in Bolingbrook, Ill., hasbecome the state’s first public school to become certi-fied by the U.S. Green Building Council. The school has received Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design, or LEED, certification in accordance with the council´s principles and criteria for environmentally sustainable design and construc-tion. Bolingbrook is the third high school nationwide to receive LEED certification, according to Darien, Ill.-based Wight & Co., which oversaw the project. Theschool opened in 2004. Seventy-five percent of the building materials used inthe project contained recycled content, and 62 percentof the construction waste generated was recycled. Check Out Our New Website…www.progressive-environmental.comWhere Your Business is Precious to UsO U R N A M E S AY S I T A L L PROGRESSIVENews800-323-9785 TOLL-FREE