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By Aimee Siegler

In the electronics industry, 2010 has been a year of awakening to the need for corporate social responsibility. There have been drivers from all directions, from the Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) to Greenpeace to new standards, and all have had an impact on the industry.

The EICC requires its members to not only use the Electronics Industry Code of Conduct, but also to flow the requirements of the code to their suppliers. While the suppliers are not required to join the EICC, the effects of the use of the code will drive change in the supply chain. The code addresses a number of issues from labor and management systems to environment, health & safety and ethics. Some Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are not only flowing the requirements down to their suppliers, but are requiring their suppliers to flow the requirement to their own suppliers. This broadens the impact of the code in a year that has been filled with headlines like A look inside the Foxconn suicide factory and Inside Foxconn City: A Vast Electronics Factory Under Suicide Scrutiny. More recent news has focused on ethics issues like insider trading.
Greenpeace has also been a driving force with changes to the formula for their Guide to Greener Electronics. One of the factors that is now considered is not just the company’s use of brominated flame retardants and PVC, but whether or not the company lobbies on behalf of Greenpeace’s viewpoint. While my personal opinion is that this is a form of censorship, the fact is this measure has had an impact on the industry and its actions. As nations develop tighter controls on e-waste disposal, the amount of dioxins and furans generated through sub-standard end-of-life processing will decrease over time.

Read the complete article at TRIPLE PUNDIT:

EPA released a guidance aimed mainly at old school buildings on the proper handling and disposal of PCB-containing fluorescent light ballasts and how to safely retrofit them to fully remove the hazard.  EPA banned PCBs in 1979, but some PCB-containing ballasts were allowed to continue, provided they were not defective or leaking.  For more information on handling and disposing of PCB-containing light ballasts, go to http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/tsd/pcbs/pubs/waste.htm.  The guidance document is available online at http://www.epa.gov/pcb

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) save energy and prevent greenhouse gas emissions that lead to global climate change, but when one breaks, a small amount of mercury vapor can be released into the air. To protect against mercury exposure, EPA has updated its CFL brochure with tips on how to properly clean up broken compact fluorescent lamp bulbs and how to properly recycle them. To read the updated guidance, go to http://www.epa.gov/cflcleanup.  For more information on CFLs, go to www.epa.gov/cfl

WASHINGTON – Several weeks ago, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson committed to address hexavalent chromium (also known as chromium-6) in drinking water by issuing guidance to all water systems on how to assess the prevalence of the contaminant. Today, the agency is delivering on that promise and has issued guidance recommending how public water systems might enhance monitoring and sampling programs specifically for hexavalent chromium. The recommendations are in response to emerging scientific evidence that chromium-6 could pose health concerns if consumed over long periods of time.

“Protecting public health is EPA’s top priority. As we continue to learn more about the potential risks of exposure to chromium-6, we will work closely with states and local officials to ensure the safety of America’s drinking water supply,” said Administrator Jackson. “This action is another step forward in understanding the problem and working towards a solution that is based on the best available science and the law.”

The enhanced monitoring guidance provides recommendations on where the systems should collect samples and how often they should be collected, along with analytical methods for laboratory testing. Systems that perform the enhanced monitoring will be able to better inform their consumers about any presence of chromium-6 in their drinking water, evaluate the degree to which other forms of chromium are transformed into chromium-6, and assess the degree to which existing treatment affects the levels of chromium-6 in drinking water. 

EPA currently has a drinking water standard for total chromium, which includes chromium-6, and requires water systems to test for it. Testing is not required to distinguish what percentage of the total chromium is chromium-6 versus other forms such as chromium-3, so EPA’s regulation assumes that the sample is 100 percent chromium-6. This means the current chromium-6 standard has been as protective and precautionary as the science of that time allowed.

EPA’s latest data show that no public water systems are in violation of the standard. However, the science behind chromium-6 is evolving. The agency regularly re-evaluates drinking water standards and, based on new science on chromium-6, has already begun a rigorous and comprehensive review of its health effects. In September 2010, the agency released a draft of the scientific review for public comment. When the human health assessment is finalized in 2011, EPA will carefully review the conclusions and consider all relevant information to determine if a new standard needs to be set. While EPA conducts this important evaluation, the agency believes more information is needed on the presence of chromium-6 in drinking water. For that reason, EPA is providing guidance to all public water systems and encouraging them to consider how they may enhance their monitoring for chromium-6. 

More information on the new guidance to drinking water systems: http://water.epa.gov/drink/info/chromium/guidance.cfm

Dear ENERGY STAR partner,

We are writing to let you know about EPA’s upcoming plans to present “Season 2” of the National Building Competition, a coast-to-coast contest to save energy in commercial buildings and fight climate change.

On January 25, 2011, ENERGY STAR partners will be invited to nominate one or more of the facilities they own or manage from across the United States to compete. We’re excited to add a few new twists to this year’s competition. Perhaps most importantly, all buildings that apply and meet eligibility requirements will be selected to compete to “work off the waste” through improvements in energy efficiency with help from EPA’s ENERGY STAR program. Then, at the mid-point of the competition, EPA will narrow down the field to a select group of finalists who will then battle it out for the top spot. Among this group of finalists, the building that reduces its energy use the most on a percentage basis will be recognized by EPA as the winner.

To learn more about last year’s competition, go to www.energystar.gov/BuildingContest. Stay tuned for EPA’s official call for applications on January 25!

DETAILS
Eligibility Requirements:
ENERGY STAR partners are eligible to nominate one or more of the facilities they own or manage. Any type of commercial building is eligible for the competition, as long as it has an active Portfolio Manager account that includes the nominated building’s monthly energy use data from September 1, 2009 to present. Organizations must use Portfolio Manager to benchmark and share their energy data with EPA. Buildings that are selected as finalists in the competition will be required to submit Statements of Energy Performance (SEP) for the baseline and comparative periods of the competition. SEPs must be signed and stamped by a professional engineer or licensed architect. Eligibility requirements will be explained in greater detail in the application.

Judging:
Buildings will be judged based on the percent energy reduction (adjusted for weather and building size) demonstrated between the baseline period of 09/01/09 – 08/31/10 and the comparison period of 09/01/10 – 08/31/11. Among the finalists, the building that demonstrates the largest adjusted percent reduction in energy use intensity (EUI) across this 24-month period will be recognized by EPA as the winner.

EPA Webinar on “How to Apply”:
Last year, more than 200 organizations applied to compete, but many were automatically disqualified because they did not complete all the application requirements. Don’t let that happen to you! Attend this webinar to learn about the right way to apply. February 1, 1:00pm – 2:30pm ET. To register, visit https://energystar.webex.com/energystar and click on the February 1 session titled “How to Apply for EPA’s National Building Competition.”

Key Dates:
Call for Applications: January 25
EPA Webinar on “How to Apply”: February 1
Applications Due to EPA: February 25
Eligible Contestants Notified: March 28
Launch Competition: May 4
Finalists Notified: June 15
Finalists Publicly Announced: July 27
Winner Publicly Announced: November 2