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Managing your trash may prevent waste — of money. Savings will not be huge, but at a time of declining reimbursements, some practices find it worthwhile to negotiate a bit harder with companies providing such services, pay attention to additional fees and train staff to dispose of waste as cheaply as possible.

The first step is to identify what belongs in the hazardous waste bins and what does not. This varies by state. Waste disposal companies should be able to provide information, but generally, sharps contaminated with blood and other body fluids should be disposed of as hazardous medical waste. Exam table papers and disposable towels usually can go into the office waste stream.

“A lot of waste can go in the regular trash,” Lee said. “Practices need to know what is medical waste and what is not.”

Read the complete article at American Medical News:

The U.S. Department of Energy today announced it is accepting applications for a total of up to $74 million to support the research and development of clean, reliable fuel cells for stationary and transportation applications. The solicitations include up to $65 million over three years to fund continued research and development (R&D) on fuel cell components, such as catalysts and membrane electrode assemblies, with the goal of reducing costs, improving durability, and increasing the efficiency of fuel cell systems. The funding also includes up to $9 million to conduct independent cost analyses that will assess the progress of the technology under current research initiatives and help guide future fuel cell and hydrogen storage R&D efforts. These awards will help support U.S. leadership in the emerging global fuel cell market, while limiting greenhouse gas emissions and reducing the country’s reliance on fossil fuels.

“The investments we’re making today will help advance fuel cell technology in the United States,” said U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “This is part of a broad effort to create American jobs, reduce carbon pollution, and help ensure the U.S. stays competitive in the growing clean energy economy.”

Full story

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson met with Senators Richard Durbin (IL), Mark Kirk (IL), Debbie Stabenow (MI), Bob Casey (PA), Ben Nelson (NE), Bill Nelson (FL), Daniel Akaka (HI), Dianne Feinstein (CA), Jeff Bingaman (NM), and Jeff Merkley (OR) to brief them on the issue of chromium-6 in drinking water as it relates to this week’s Environmental Working Group (EWG) report.

The following is a statement from Administrator Lisa P. Jackson regarding that meeting:

“Yesterday, I briefed members of the Senate on chromium-6 in drinking water supplies as it relates to the recent Environmental Working Group report. EPA has already been working to review and incorporate the ground-breaking science referenced in this report. However, as a mother and the head of EPA, I am still concerned about the prevalence of chromium-6 in our drinking water.

Today, I am announcing a series of actions that the EPA will take over the coming days to address chromium-6 in our drinking water. It is clear that the first step is to understand the prevalence of this problem. While the EWG study was informative, it only provided a snapshot in time. EPA will work with local and state officials to get a better picture of exactly how widespread this problem is. In the meantime, EPA will issue guidance to all water systems in the country to help them develop monitoring and sampling programs specifically for chromium-6.  We will also offer significant technical assistance to the communities cited in the EWG report with the highest levels of chromium-6 to help ensure they quickly develop an effective chromium-6 specific monitoring program. 

The science behind chromium-6 is evolving. EPA is already on a path toward identifying and addressing any potential health threats from excessive, long-term exposure with its new draft assessment released this past fall. This assessment still needs to be reviewed by independent scientists as an essential step toward tightening drinking water standards for chromium-6. Strong science and the law will continue to be the backbone of our decision-making at EPA. EPA takes this matter seriously and we will continue to do all that we can, using good science and the law, to protect people’s health and our environment.”

Meeting Readout:

In yesterday’s meeting with the 10 U.S. senators, Administrator Jackson described EPA’s current chromium-6 risk assessment, which is a review EPA immediately started in response to new science in 2008 showing a link between chromium-6 ingestion and cancer. This risk assessment – which would be the first step to updating the drinking water regulations – will be finalized after an independent scientific peer review in 2011. Administrator Jackson told the senators that based on the draft risk assessment, EPA will likely revise drinking water regulations to account for this new science. These revisions would only take place after an independent science panel has verified the underlying science.

Administrator Jackson told the senators that EPA currently requires testing for total chromium which includes chromium-6. She noted that the testing does not distinguish what percentage of the total chromium is chromium-6 versus chromium-3, so EPA’s regulation assumes that the sample is 100% chromium-6. This means the current chromium-6 standard has been as protective and precautionary as the science of that time allowed.

Administrator Jackson told the senators that according to the most recent data, all public water facilities are in compliance with the existing total chromium standards, but she agrees that chromium-6 is a contaminant of concern. She also told the senators that people can have their water tested and install home treatment devices certified to remove chromium-6 if they are concerned about the levels of chromium-6 in their drinking water.

The administrator concluded the briefing by making the following points and commitments:

1)         While provocative, the EWG report is a self-described “snapshot” in time and does not provide a full, long-term picture of the prevalence of chromium-6 in our drinking water. EPA will work with state and local officials to better determine how wide-spread and prevalent this contaminant is.

2)         Meanwhile, EPA will issue guidance to all water systems on how to test for and sample drinking water specifically for chromium-6. This guidance will provide EPA-approved methods and other technical information.

3)         EPA will also offer technical expertise and assistance to the communities cited in the EWG study with the highest levels of chromium. This assistance will include providing technical experts to work with water system operators and engineers to ensure the latest testing and monitoring is being utilized.

4)         Once EPA’s chromium-6 risk assessment is finalized, EPA will work quickly to determine if new standards need to be set. Based on the current draft assessment, which has yet to undergo scientific peer review, it is likely that EPA will tighten drinking water standards to address the health risks posed by chromium-6.

More information on chromium:
http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/chromium.cfm
To track the status of the ongoing risk assessment:
http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iristrac/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewChemical.showChemical&sw_id=1107

EPA Pretreatment Webcast: The Pretreatment 101 Series: POTW Procedures for Conducting Compliance Inspections. Date; Wednesday, January 11, 2011; Time: 1 pm to 3 pm Eastern Time

To register: http://www.epa.gov/npdes/training

Description:

Jan Pickrel and Jennifer Dodd (Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation) will be part of the webcast. This webcast will discuss the federally required implementation procedures of a pretreatment program (40 CFR Part 403). This webcast will discuss the regulatory background of the POTW’s requirement to conduct compliance inspections at industrial facilities, required compliance inspection frequencies for the different Industrial User classifications (nonsignificant categorical industrial users, middle-tier categorical indu strial users, categorical industrial users with monitoring waivers, and other significant industrial users), procedures for conducting compliance inspections, inspector responsibilities and qualifications, and procedures for handling confidential information.

Analysis and Sampling Procedures

EPA is proposing changes to analysis and sampling test procedures in wastewater regulations. These changes will provide increased flexibility to the regulated community and laboratories in their selection of analytical methods (test procedures) for use in Clean Water Act programs. The changes include proposal of EPA methods and methods published by voluntary consensus standard bodies, such as ASTM International and the Standard Methods Committee and updated versions of currently approved methods. EPA is also proposing to add certain methods reviewed under the alternate test procedures program. Further, EPA is proposing changes to the current regulations to clarify the process for EPA approval for use of alternate procedures for nationwide and Regional use. In addition, EPA is proposing minimum quality control requirements to improve consistency across method versions; corrections to previously approved methods; and changes to sample collection, preservation, and holding time requirements. Finally, EPA is proposing changes to how EPA cites methods in three effluent guideline regulations.

Read the proposed rule here:

Groups of health care leaders within the American Hospital Association (AHA) have launched the “Sustainability Roadmap for Hospitals,” a web-based resource for the hospital management to understand and achieve energy efficiency targets.

The website provides background material, sample actions plans, case studies, and target-setting and tracking tools for clear steps health care organizations can take to improve their sustainability efforts and reduce the environmental impacts of their facilities and operations.

According to the website, the groups reviewed benchmark standards established by the AIA 2030 Challenge, but agreed to adopt a year-2050 timeline — “still is an aggressive goal for the health care industry” —  for hospitals to achieve carbon neutrality.

The group announced three stages to the plan to reduce energy consumption from fossil fuels:

• Stop all increases of energy consumed from fossil fuels no later than 2015.
• Drop energy consumed from fossil fuels to 40 percent below current levels by 2020.
• Further decrease fossil fuel consumption to 80 percent below current levels by 2050.

The roadmap also outlines entry-level activities, the so-called Green Light Projects. “The projects described all meet the criteria of “low-hanging fruit” in terms of ease of implementation, value, and opportunity for improvement (e.g., cost, environmental, and staff/patient satisfaction). Although the projects on the Green Light list can be implemented without benchmarking or strategic planning, these steps are still recommended as an early step for any project.

The Roadmap is a joint effort of the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), the Association for the Healthcare Environment (AHE), and the American Society for Health care Resource and Materials Management (AHRMM) in conjunction with consulting firm, Mazzetti Nash Lipsey Burch.  The plan follows up on the AHA’s sustainability statements from the July 2010 report, “Executive Primer on Hospital Environmental Sustainability.”

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is cutting emissions from gold ore processing and production facilities with a new standard that will reduce annual mercury emissions by more than 75 percent from 2007 levels.  This action is one of several steps EPA is taking to reduce mercury levels in our environment, which can damage children’s developing brains and nervous systems even before they are born.
EPA’s action sets the first national standard for mercury air emissions from industrial gold production, the seventh largest source of mercury air emissions in the country. Cuts made to meet the standard will build on the progress that has already been made under the state of Nevada’s successful program for controlling mercury emissions from precious metal mining.
There are more than 20 facilities that extract gold from ore that will need to meet the requirements of the rule within three years.  Some facilities in Nevada already are making significant progress toward the federal requirements under that state’s program.
Mercury in the air eventually deposits into water, where it changes into methylmercury, a highly toxic form that builds up in fish. People are primarily exposed to mercury by eating contaminated fish. Because a  developing fetus is most sensitive to the toxic effects of methylmercury, women of childbearing age and children are regarded as the populations of greatest concern.
More information: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/new.html