Bulletin Board December 22, 2006

Bulletin Board

December 22, 2006
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Hazard Alert

Diisobutyl Ketone
Diisobutyl Ketone is used as a solvent in the leather processing industry

during the coating of leather for shoes, furniture, cars etc. Diisobutyl Ketone

is also used as a solvent in formulations of paints, laquers and varnishes.

Its use in the solvents for paints is relatively small at approximately 3500 t/a

out of a total solvents use by the European paints sector of approximately

2x106 t/a. According to Baumann & Muth (1995), Diisobutyl Ketone has a

high solvent potential for cellulosenitrate, vinyl resins, waxes, natural and

synthetic resins for leather lacquers and rubber lacquers. [1]
Environmental Fate: [2]

When released into the soil, this material may leach into groundwater. When

released into the soil, this material may evaporate to a moderate extent.

When released into the soil, this material may biodegrade to a moderate

extent. When released into water, this material may evaporate to a

moderate extent. When released into water, this material may biodegrade to

a moderate extent. When released into the water, this material is expected

to have a half-life between 1 and 10 days. This material has an estimated

bioconcentration factor (BCF) of less than 100. This material is not expected

to significantly bioaccumulate. When released into the air, this material is

expected to be readily degraded by reaction with photochemically produced

hydroxyl radicals. When released into the air, this material is expected to

have a half-life of less than 1 day.
Health Effects: [3]
Acute Health Effects

• Contact may irritate the skin causing a rash and burning feeling.

• Exposure to Diisobutyl Ketone can irritate the eyes, nose and throat.

• Breathing Diisobutyl Ketone can cause you to become dizzy,

lightheaded, and to pass out.
Chronic Health Effects

• Long-term exposure can cause drying and cracking of the skin.

• Diisobutyl Ketone may affect the liver and kidneys.
Personal Protection: [3]
Clothing

• Avoid skin contact with Diisobutyl Ketone. Wear solvent-resistant gloves

and clothing. Safety equipment suppliers/ manufacturers can provide

recommendations on the most protective glove/clothing material for your

operation.

• All protective clothing (suits, gloves, footwear, headgear) should be clean,

available each day, and put on before work.

• ACGIH recommends Polyvinyl Alcohol as a protective material.

Eye Protection

• Wear indirect-vent, impact and splash resistant goggles when working

with liquids.

• Wear a face shield along with goggles when working with corrosive, highly

irritating or toxic substances.

• Contact lenses should not be worn when working with this substance.

Respiratory Protection

• Where the potential exists for exposure over 25 ppm, use a MSHA/

NIOSH approved full facepiece respirator with an organic vapor cartridge.

Increased protection is obtained from full facepiece powered-air purifying

respirators.

• If while wearing a filter or cartridge respirator you can smell, taste, or

otherwise detect Diisobutyl Ketone, or if while wearing particulate filters

abnormal resistance to breathing is experienced, or eye irritation occurs

while wearing a full facepiece respirator, leave the area immediately.

Check to make sure the respirator-to-face seal is still good. If it is, replace

the filter or cartridge. If the seal is no longer good, you may need a new

respirator.

• Exposure to 500 ppm is immediately dangerous to life and health. If

the possibility of exposure above 500 ppm exists, use a MSHA/NIOSH

approved self-contained breathing apparatus with a full facepiece

operated in a pressure-demand or other positive-pressure mode.
1. www.chem.unep.ch/irptc/sids/OECDSIDS/108-83-8.pdf

2. http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/d6520.htm

3. www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/rtkweb/0760.pdf

Legislation
Asia Pacific
Maritime Legislation Amendment (Prevention of Pollution

from Ships) Bill

2006-12-01

The Maritime Legislation Amendment (Prevention of Pollution from Ships)

Bill was introduced into Parliament in 11 October 2006. The aim of this Bill

is to amend Division 12 of the Navigation Act 1912, and the Protection of

the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983 to align Australian

with its obligations under the International Convention for the Prevention of

Pollution from Ships 1973/78 (MARPOL). The new Bill will adopt the revised

texts of Annex I (prevention of pollution by oil) and Annex II (prevention of

pollution by noxious liquid substances) of MARPOL, which were adopted by

the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in October 2004 and will enter

into force internationally on 1 January 2007.

Enhesa Update, November 2006
Victoria: Environment Protection (Prescribed Waste)

Regulations to be amended

2006-12-01

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has released a publication

on the Amendment to the Environment Protection (Prescribed Waste)

Regulations 1998. The proposed amendments to the Regulations relate to

the definitions of prescribed industrial waste in line with the passing of the

Environment Protection (Amendment) Act 2006 to amend the Environment

Protection Act 1970 as of 1 July 2007.

Enhesa Update, November 2006
Hong Kong drafts law to cut smog-forming pollutants

2006-12-01

The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)

has announced new legislation aimed at controlling the emissions of volatile

organic compounds (VOCs), a major category of pollutants responsible for

smog that reduces Hong Kong’s visibility. The new legislation, the Air Pollution

Control (Volatile Organic Compounds) Regulation, bans the import and

local manufacture of products whose VOC content exceeds the prescribed

limits. Products that will come under the regulation include architectural

paints, printing inks, and six types of consumer goods, namely, hairsprays,

air fresheners, insecticides, insect repellents, floor wax strippers and multi-

purpose lubricants. The regulation also requires emission reduction devices

to be installed on certain printing machines. The HKSAR government and

the Guangdong provincial government had a consensus to reduce VOCs by

55 percent by 2010, on the basis of the emissions in 1997, said a spokesman

for the Environmental Protection Department of the HKSAR government.

The regulation is one of the initiatives pledged in the 2006 Policy Address

by HKSAR Chief Executive Donald Tsang, he said. “We expect it can reduce

about 8,000 tons of local VOC emissions. It will also bring Hong Kong to the

forefront of VOC control in the world,” the spokesman added. It is expected

that the legislation will come into force from April 1, 2007.

English People’s Daily News, 25 November 2006

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/
Seoul Bans Sale of US Beef With Bone Fragments

2006-12-01

The Korean Government has announced that it will not allow the first batch

of beef shipped from the United States to be sold in the country after a bone

fragment was detected in a package. The detection of a bone fragment in the

beef, which arrived at Incheon International Airport last month, is expected

to trigger fresh concerns about the safety of U.S. beef. This contaminated

beef was part of the first shipment to South Korea since a three-year ban on

U.S. beef was lifted, following the reporting of a case of mad cow disease

in the U.S.

The National Veterinary Research & Quarantine Service (NVRQS) said it

has asked the government to destroy the beef or send it back to the U.S.

A senior NVRQS official said the bone fragment detected is not a specified

risk material (SRM), a main factor for mad cow disease. ``The bone does

not pose any health risks to humans,’’ he said. But he said that since the

fragment was found, Seoul has decided not to allow the sale of beef in

accordance with the agreement with the U.S. He said the U.S. meat-

processing center that shipped the beef with a bone fragment will be barred

from exporting to South Korea, with the total number of eligible U.S. meat

processing plants being cut to 35 from 36. Seoul has banned bone parts and

specified risk materials such as brains, spinal cord marrow, backbones and

certain internal organs that could spread mad cow disease to humans.

The Korea Times News, 24 November 2006

http://times.hankooki.com
America
Pesticide bylaw moving forward

2006-12-04

Pesticide control bylaws in Maple Ridge are progressing onto the next stage,

despite some public opposition. The new legislation received unanimous

council support and was forwarded to a future regular meeting after hearing

a summary of the responses from the public at its committee meeting. Of 70

submissions, 42 people opposed the bylaw that would ban cosmetic use of

pesticides on lawns and gardens (without acquiring a $60 permit). Of those

42 - 26 were against it because they’re currently using a lawn-care company

which uses pesticides and they want to keep doing so. Of the 30 others

who responded, half gave outright support and half backed the bylaw, but

with a few suggestions. Under the bylaw, homeowners must get a pesticide

permit before hiring a lawn-care company to apply those pesticides. This

requirement may change to allow licensed applicators to spread the

chemicals. In a report to council, parks director David Boag agreed with the

premise that licensed firms use less pesticides than amateurs. Maple Ridge

will also contact the provincial government, which owns land in Maple Ridge,

and ask it observe the bylaw as well. Golf courses, which are exempt, have

to report pesticide use to the provincial government. Council also heard from

Kathryn Seely, with the Canadian Cancer Society, who said up to half of all

cancers can be prevented by stopping exposure to chemicals. If adopted,

the bylaw would ban cosmetic use of pesticides by March and limit products

that can be applied to lawns and gardens to non-toxic ingredients, such as

horticultural soap, oils, fatty acids or horticultural vinegar for weed control.

Borax for controlling ants and fleas, sulphur and lime for fungus and mite

control and rodenticides would also be allowed. Homeowners who get a

permit for pesticide use would have to post signs indicating the pesticide

used and date of its application. As well, under the bylaw people couldn’t

apply pesticides within two metres of a neighbour’s property without written

permission. The bylaw says pesticides can’t be applied within 30 metres of

a lake or stream or within 15 metres from a surface water well or within five

metres of a schoolyard, park or bus stop. Those found to violate the bylaw,

will face a fine of $250 for each infringement. Failure to put up the right signs

or applying them in a restricted area can result in $100 fines.

The News, 22 November 2006

http://www.mapleridgenews.com
Proposed Ontario labelling law would target carcinogens

2006-12-04

NDP environment critic, Peter Tabuns said he is frustrated that the federal

government is dragging its heels on labelling consumer products to prevent

cancer, saying it’s cheaper than treating it. Ontario NDP MPP Peter Tabuns

wants consumer product labels to list cancer-causing chemicals. To that

end, Tabuns is introducing the community right to know act. The act calls for

Ontario to follow California, Vermont and Europe, which require the labelling

of carcinogens in products such as laundry detergent, household cleaners

and hair dye. If the act passes, it would be a first in Canada. The act would

require manufacturers to put a label on any product that contains a chemical

known or suspected to cause cancer. It would also set up a website listing

companies that release cancer-causing pollutants into the air or water.

Chemicals requiring labeling would include:

• Phthalates: a plastic softener used in nail polish, adhesives, caulking

material and paint pigments.

• Silica: found in household cleansers.

• NTA: used in laundry detergent.

• Formaldehyde: used in nail hardeners.

Opposition to the proposed legislation is expected from manufacturers.

Ontario’s health minister, George Smitherman, won’t say whether he’ll

support the bill until he sees it, but believes labelling is important. The

government already has labelling legislation and bureaucracy to enforce

the act, meaning the costs would be negligible, Tabuns said.

Cbc.com News, 23 November 2006

http://www.cbc.ca/story/science
New law mandates spill news

2006-12-04

Following a delay in publicizing a toxic chemical spill near Binghamton, the

state has reviewed the way state announces hazardous waste releases. The

Department of Environmental Conservation said that the agency will now

notify affected communities within 48 hours of investigating most toxic spills.

These changes are the result of legislation signed by the Governor, George

Pataki. It was uncovered in April that the DEC knew of an illegal release of

a refrigerant into the Susquehanna River but never alerted the public. The

new reporting requirements mandate DEC provide affected communities

with timely details on size, location and quantity of materials spilled.

Times Herald-Record News, 16 November 2006

http://www.recordonline.com
NRC Approves Final Rule on National Source Tracking

System for Certain Radioactive Materials

2006-11-27

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced on 25 October, that a final

rule implementing a National Source Tracking System (NSTS) to enhance

controls for certain radioactive materials used in industry, academia and

medicine had been approved. The tracking system has been developed

through close cooperation with other federal and state agencies as part of

the NRC’s efforts to enhance controls over radioactive materials. The final

rule closely follows recommendations of a joint NRC-U.S. Department of

Energy report on radiological dispersion devices (RDDs, or “dirty bombs”)

published in May 2003. The rule is based upon an interim database of

radiological sources initiated in 2004 and currently in use by the NRC. The

rule also implements provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The final

rule will require licensees to report to the NSTS the manufacture, transfer,

receipt, disassembly and disposal of nationally tracked sources. Basic

information to be collected will include the manufacturer, model number,

serial number, radioactive material, activity and manufacture date of each

source. Information on the facilities involved in any transaction will also be

included.

Environmental Protection News, 2 November 2006

http://www.eponline.com
Washington: Final Authorization of State Hazardous

Waste Management Program Revisions

2006-12-04

Washington is seeking finalise authorisation from the EPA on the changes

to the hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and

Recovery Act, as amended, (RCRA). EPA has determined that these

changes satisfy all requirements needed to qualify for Final authorization,

and is authorizing the State’s changes through this immediate final rule.

EPA is publishing this rule to authorize the changes without a prior proposal

because we believe this action is not controversial and do not expect

comments that oppose it. It is expected that the final rule will become effective

on December 29, 2006, unless EPA receives adverse written comments on

or before November 29, 2006. If opposing comments are received the EPA

will publish a document in the Federal Register withdrawing this rule before

it takes effect.

Regulations.gov, 30 October 2006

http://www.regulations.gov
Europe
EU wraps up REACH chemicals safety law

2006-12-04

An agreement has been achieved by negotiators from the Council and

European Parliament on the REACH reform, ending three-years of

negotiation. The REACH regulation will ensure that some 30,000 chemicals

currently used in everyday products undergo at least basic health and safety

testing. The details of the agreement are to be released by the Parliament’s

chief negotiator and MEP Guido Sacconi on 1 December. One of the key

factors in the agreements was that chemicals of very high concern would be

taken off the market if safer alternatives exist, said Chris Davies, a British

MEP who led the negotiations for the Alliance for Liberal Democrats in

Europe (ALDE). The full house will vote on the compromise on 13 December

and then forwarded to the EU Council of Ministers in what will be only a

formal rubber-stamping exercise. “The clear message from MEPs is that the

industry must give emphasis to developing safer alternatives to chemicals

of very high concern,” Davies said. The deal comes as a major achievement

for Parliament and the Finnish Presidency with Helsinki already designated

as the host of the future European chemicals agency. The main points of the

new agreements are as follows:

• “Persistent, bio-accumulative and toxic chemicals will now have to be

taken off the market if suitable alternatives are available;

• “manufacturers of all (approximately 1,500) chemicals of high concern will

be required to submit a substitution plan when they apply for authorisation if

they identify alternatives that are safer and available at an economic cost;

• “more than 17,000 chemicals produced in very small quantities will not

have to undergo rigorous examination, but hazardous products will be

subjected to greater control than ever before, and;

• “MEPs have made the development of non-animal testing methods a

priority, but the price to be paid for REACH, in the short term at least, will be

an increase in animal testing.”

“We have struck a balance between the commercial interests of the chemicals

industry and the need to provide better protection for human health and the

environment from chemicals with unknown long term effects,” Davies said.

Euractive News, 1 December 2006

http://www.euractiv.com/en
MEPs adopt waste position following epic vote

2006-12-04

The European parliament environment committee has voted on a proposal

to revise EU waste laws. During the meeting a number of key changes

were made to the European commission’s proposal. MEPs approved 14

compromise amendments drafted by rapporteur Caroline Jackson (EED

14/11/06). These include an obligation for member states to stabilise overall

waste production by 2012. They also specify a clear five-stage EU waste

hierarchy for operators to follow in descending order of priority while only

allowing for member states to depart from the hierarchy in “exceptional”

circumstances. The committee opted against calling for a legal definition of

by-products and asked instead for the commission to propose guidelines

or legislation to determine when by-products fall outside the scope of

EU waste rules. Meanwhile, end-of-waste criteria should be established

through legislative co-decision rather than through the EU’s comitology

procedure. However, there were widely diverging interpretations of the

committee’s amendments on the key question of whether waste-to-energy

incinerators should be able to qualify as recovery operations. Before the

vote, the Ms Jackson described the issue as “the elephant in the room”.

Afterwards, the only thing most actors would agree is that the vote has done

little to increase clarity. Ms Jackson said the vote had “broadly endorsed”

the idea that incinerators meeting certain efficiency criteria should be

granted the recovery tag, while those that don’t should be classified as

disposal operations. However, insiders have reported that the committee’s

amendment on the issue as “not at all helpful”. It removes efficiency criteria

proposed by the European commission from an annex defining recovery

operations, and instead inserts slightly weaker criteria into an article in

the main directive on permitting for waste-to-energy plants. According to

the managing director of the European confederation of waste-to-energy

plants, Ella Stengler, this approach does not answer the overriding question

of whether and under what conditions such facilities are recovery verses

disposal operations. Melissa Shinn of green campaign group EEB said she

believed MEPs had in fact delivered a clear message. Rather than simply

denying inefficient incinerators the status of recovery installations, the new

language on permits would in fact outlaw them, she said.

To support her case, Ms Shinn pointed to an amendment passed on the

definition of recovery, which states that only those operations whose

“primary purpose” is the generation of energy can be classified as energy

recovery. This should rule out waste incinerators being classed as recovery

operations, she said.

ENDS Europe Daily News, 28 November 2006

http://www.endseuropedaily.com
EU advised on health-environment research

2006-12-04

The EU’s scientific committee on health and environmental risks (Scher)

has issued an advisory opinion on research priorities in human health and

the environment. Top of its list is long-term exposure to ultra-fine particulate

matter (PM2.5), as well as indoor air quality and nanoparticles. Scher calls for

an EU network to monitor human exposure to pollutants and for high priority

to be given to “new” chemical compounds, including degradation products

of high production volume chemicals. The opinion relates to spending over

the next seven-years under the FP7 EU research programme.

ENDS Europe Daily News, 28 November 2006

http://www.endseuropedaily.com
Marine NGO slams Spanish chlor-alkali deal

2006-12-04

The Spanish Government has been critised by Oceana, a marine protection

campaign group, over a decision to allow the country’s mercury-based

chlorine production plants to remain operational until 2020 despite a

nominal EU requirement to close them by October 2007. This decision is the

first of its kind on the future of Europe’s chlor-alkali industry and effectively

endorses the sector’s voluntary commitment on phasing out mercury-based

technology. It provides one of the first concrete indications of how EU

national authorities will interpret key parts of the EU’s integrated pollution

prevention and control (IPPC) directive. Oceana research director Ricardo

Aguilar said an agreement reached between the Spanish government,

regional authorities and the country’s chlorine sector will mean industry “can

go on emitting mercury into the atmosphere and the sea for 13 years longer

than foreseen”. The group says it is concerned about the impact on fish and

the humans that eat them of increasing mercury levels in the sea. The new

legislation was signed in January and has set tighter limits on chlor-alkali

plants that Spanish industry group ANE claims will lead to a 47 per cent cut in

mercury emissions. From 2011 all remaining mercury-based plants will have

to plan for a switch to membrane technology, a cleaner production method

selected by the European commission as the environmentally “best available

technique” (BAT) to produce chlorine. Crucially, though, the agreement will

not absolutely require the shift to membrane technology until 2020, the date

by which sectoral trade association Euro Chlor has in any case committed

to phasing out all Europe’s mercury plants (EED 15/11/06).

Euro Chlor confirmed that the Spanish government’s is the first EU

administration to formally accept its deadline. Oceana believes the Spanish

deal goes against the 1996 IPPC directive, which says that by October

next year pollution permits in each industrial sector should be tailored to

emission levels consistent with the use of BAT. However, EU policymakers

deliberately implied the directive’s BAT requirement in terms that give

national authorities significant latitude to take account of local conditions

and circumstances when setting their pollution permits. This has made

predictions of the directive’s expected impact on industrial emissions almost

impossible to make. Spain’s move - which appears to give the chlor-alkali

sector maximum freedom over the timetable for converting to BAT - could

be a sign that EU governments will interpret the law with wide flexibility

(EED 13/10/00). Spain’s environment ministry said that despite Oceana’s

criticisms, environmentalists had “generally welcomed” the agreement

“because it brings in progressive reductions in mercury emissions”. ANE

described it as a “framework of reference for improving the sector’s

environmental behaviour and sustainability”. The government’s move is

economically compelling: over 90 per cent of national chlorine production is

based on mercury cells, and the sector accounts for over half the country’s

entire chemical industry.

ENDS Europe Daily News, 27 November 2006

http://www.endseuropedaily.com
Africa & Middle East
NEMA to decide on DDT

2006-12-01

According to the executive director of the National environmental

Management Authority (NEMA), Dr. Aryamanya Mugisha, the final verdict

on whether to reintroduce DDT into Uganda is expected to be handed down

in December. He refuted suggestions by parliamentary social services

committee chairman James kubeket-erya and MP Chris baryomunsi that

DDT re-introduction be subjected to a referendum. A public hearing was

held on the environmental Impact assessment process for the proposed

re-introduction of indoor residual spraying of DDT, which was suppose to

assist the NEMA obtain more comments before taking a decision on the

environment aspects. Ministry officials, scientists, environmental experts,

activists, MPs, exporters, academia, students and development partners

attended the meeting. The health ministry wants to re-introduce DDT

for indoor spraying as one of the means to fight malaria, now killing 320

Ugandans daily. But the decision to use the chemical is delayed pending

NEMA approval as a lead environmental agency. Agricultural exporters are

concerned that Uganda stands to lose a lot of money through the spraying

of DDT.

The New Vision, 23 November 2006

http://www.newvision.co.ug/
Zero tolerance of waste products

2006-12-01

This week, the Institute for Zero Waste in Africa (Izwa) launched its Zero Waste

2010 Coalition campaign. This campaign is a nationwide initiative to avoid

and reduce the potential negative impact of excessive waste and pollution

during the soccer World Cup. The organisation hopes that this campaign will

not only ensure zero waste for 2010 but also for the long term. Muna Lakhani,

Durban-based national co-ordinator of Izwa, said the organisation’s mission

was “working towards a world without waste through public education and

the practical application of zero waste principles”. Lakhani said because the

World Cup would see scores of people entering the country, businesses

such as restaurants, accommodation and catering needed to redesign food

packaging. “Paper pulp and cardboard work well with takeaways, and help

to avoid toxic polystyrene. Paper can be hygienically pulped, dewatered and

pressed into burger and hotdog containers, egg trays and ceilings. According

to Lakhani, the key to the success of the campaign lay with businesses and

industry rethinking their production methods. Lakhani encouraged the public

to also get involved by not buying products that were not easily recycled,

like polystyrene and plastic, or could not be reused in another way or form.

He said the government needed to be stricter regarding waste disposal

and businesses and the public should receive “meaningful fines” for not

complying. Lakhani is confident the campaign will be successful if business,

government and the public follow the zero waste guidelines.

IOL News, 26 November 2006

http://www.iol.co.za