Study finds high pollution levels in casino restaurants (1/15/09)
Las Vegas Sun - Las Vegas,NV,USA
UNLV testing shows 12 of 16 at levels that exceed EPA standards... more

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has reached an agreement with Wolf Paving Co. Inc (1/15/09)
Media Newswire (press release) - New York,NY,USA
The agreement, which includes two environmental projects costing $96,900 and a $20,080 penalty, resolves EPA allegations that Wolf Paving failed to comply with particulate (smoke, ash, dust) emission limits... more

Energy 'Czarina' Has List of Bush Policies to Undo (1/15/09)
Washington Post - United States
The Supreme Court ruled almost two years ago now that the EPA has some authorities to look at greenhouse gas emissions... The current administration declined to do that. more

Nursing Home Abuse News and Updates (1/14/09)
Compiled by Bee Becker
Spokesperson for SafetyForum Nursing Home Abuse Action Group (NHAAG)  More...

Wolf Paving settles with EPA The Business Journal of Milwaukee (1/14/09)
Bizjournals.com - Charlotte,NC,USA
Wolf Paving Co. Inc. of Oconomowoc has agreed to perform work and fines totaling about $117,000 to settle allegations that it violated federal air pollution laws. more

Court refuses to reverse Pinto pollution case (1/13/09)
East Valley Tribune - Mesa,AZ,USA
...the justices refused to disturb a ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that said a waterway being polluted does not mean a new company can come in and add its own wastes. The judges blocked the EPA from issuing the legally required permits... more

EPA orders local company to cease discharges (1/13/09)
El Dorado News-Times - El Dorado,AR,USA
The Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Arklatex Operating Co., Inc., to cease discharges of pollutants at two of its oil field production and brine disposal facilities in Union and Ouachita counties. more

January is Radon Action Month (1/12/09)
Galesburg Register-Mail - Galesburg,IL,USA
Radon is a leading cause of lung cancer, second only to cigarette smoking. It is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas... The EPA estimates one in 15 homes in the United States have an elevated radon level. more

EPA Initiates Enforcement Action over Hazardous Waste Problems at Nevada Gold Mines (1/12/09)
Coastal Post - Bolinas,CA,USA
Conservation Groups Urge EPA to Investigate Nine More Mines The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has initiated enforcement action at the Gold Quarry and Jerritt Canyon Mines after investigations found serious problems with the handling and disposal of hazardous waste. more

Court Cancels EPA Clean Water Act Exemption for Pesticides (1/9/09)
Environment News Service - USA
Environmental groups today celebrated their victory as an appeals court vacated a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that has allowed pesticides to be applied to U.S. waters without a Clean Water Act permit. more

EPA sues Lyons cement plant (1/9/09)
Rocky Mountain News - Denver,CO,USA
The Environmental Protection Agency has sued a Louisiana-based company for allegedly failing to control air pollution from a Boulder County cement plant. The EPA action against the Cemex cement plant in Lyons is the latest step from regulators to bring it into compliance with numerous alleged infractions of clean air laws. more

Safety Campaign: Peg Perego Primo Viaggo SIP 30/30 infant child restraint systems (1/9/09)
U.S. DOT NHTSA
The plastic adjustment cover on certain Peg Perego Primo ViaggoSIP 30/30 infant child restraint systems manufactured between July 1, 2007 and March 14, 2008, could have an exposed mold flash with a sharp edge... Peg Perego will notify registeredowners and provide a free repair kit. more

EPA orders restoration of Sage Creek near Cody (1/8/09)
U.S. EPA.gov (press release) - Washington,DC,USA
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a compliance order to John A. Porter for violations of the Clean Water Act in a section of Sage Creek near Cody, Wyo. Porter allegedly violated the Act in April of 2008 by excavating and placing fill material in the creek and adjacent wetlands without a permit. more

Oakland lumped in with region as an air pollution area (1/8/09)
Spinal Column Online - Waterford,MI,USA
The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has pegged Oakland County as one of several counties in southeast Michigan that has failed to meet daily national air quality standards for fine particulate pollution. The so-called non-attainment designation is now forcing state and regional officials to devise a way to bring the region into compliance. more

Environmentalists want EPA to regulate coal waste (1/8/09)
GovExec.com - Washington,DC,USA
As the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hears testimony on Thursday about the massive coal ash spill at a Tennessee Valley Authority power plant in December, advocacy groups are calling for the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate the disposal of coal ash produced by electric power plants. more

EPA reaches agreement with Ottenweller on clean-air violations (1/8/09)
U.S. EPA.gov (press release) - Washington,DC,USA
The agreement, which includes two environmental projects costing $44,000 and a $13,500 penalty, resolves EPA allegations that the Ottenweller facility emitted excessive amounts of organic hazardous air pollutants in violation of federal regulations and its state operating permit. more

Baxter named in class action over anti-coagulant Heparin (1/7/09)
Madison County Record - Edwardsville,IL,USA
A class action suit against the maker of a blood thinning drug claims the company is substituting safer ingredients - cooked, dried pig intestines - with more dangerous ones. more

EPA sues Cemex (1/7/09)
Agency says Lyons plant violated Clean Air Act
Daily Camera - CO,USA
A Lyons cement plant failed to install the best pollution controls while tainting Boulder County’s air for possibly more than a decade, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. more

Tyson pleads guilty, fined for OSHA violation (1/7/09)
Reuters - USA
Meat company Tyson Foods Inc pleaded guilty, agreed to pay a $500,000 fine, and will serve a one-year probation for a violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) which led to a worker's death, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday. more

$140,000 settlement lodged in federal court over 2006 oil spill near Scottsburg, Oregon (1/6/09)
U.S. EPA.gov (press release) - Washington,DC,USA
On Wednesday, December 31, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) lodged a Consent Decree in federal court to settle alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act by Pacific Northern Environmental Corporation(PNE), of Longview, Washington. The settlement, lodged on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), involves an oil spill that took place near Scottsburg, Oregon, in 2006. more

Pennsylvania manufacturer faces $140K in OSHA fines (1/2/09)
Reliable Plant Magazine - Tulsa,OK,USA
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Lloyd Industries Inc. for violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and has proposed a total of $140,760 in penalties. more

Innohep (tinzaparin sodium) Dear Healthcare Professional Letter issued re: increased risk of death in renal impaired elderly (12/31/08)
FDA MedWatch
Celgene has issued a Dear Healthcare Professional letter describing a controlled clinical study suggesting that Innohep may increase the risk for death, compared to unfractionated heparin when used to treat elderly patients... more

Alaska Property Owner and Contractor agree to pay $30,600 for wetlands violations (12/31/08)
U.S. EPA.gov (press release) - Washington,DC,USA
Quality Asphalt Paving, Inc. (QAP) of Anchorage, Alaska and Kikiktagruk Inupiat Corp. (KIC) of Kotzebue has reached a combined $30,600 settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA). more

EPA Orders Oregon Landowner and Contractor to restore wetlands (12/31/08)
U.S. EPA.gov (press release) - Washington,DC,USA
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a Compliance Order to Mr. Kurt Carstens (landowner) and Mr. Steve Morrill (excavator operator), of Lincoln County near Siletz, Oregon, to address wetlands violations of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). more

EPA Issues Administrative Complaint to Moo Town Dairy (12/31/08)
U.S. EPA.gov (press release) - Washington,DC,USA
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an administrative complaint and proposed a civil penalty of $157,500 to Moo Town Dairy near Sulphur Springs, Texas, for violations of the Clean Water Act. more

Faulty Instructions Prompt Recall of Electrical Wiring How-to-Books by The Taunton Press; Shock Hazard to Consumers (12/30/08)
News from CPSC
Wiring a House, 3rd Edition and Wiring Complete, Expert Advice
from Start to Finish Instructional Books: The books contain several errors in the technical diagrams that could
lead consumers to incorrectly install or repair electrical wiring, posing an electrical shock hazard to consumers. more

ExxonMobil Fined $6.1 Million for Failing to Cut Pollution (12/27/08)
ShortNews.com - Regensburg,Germany
ExxonMobil has been fined $6.1 million by the Justice Department after it failed to deliver on commitments to reduce sulfur emissions at four plants in Louisiana, Texas, and California. more

Practical advice about car warranties (12/26/08)
CNN - USA
...it's important to understand that warranty repairs are a revenue source for the dealership. So when dealers refuse coverage, it's not because they want to. They simply cannot... based on the warranty agreement and the very strict adherence to the agreement expected by the manufacturers. more

Counties given deadline for dirty air cleanup plans (12/24/08)
Beaver County Times - Beaver,PA,USA
The EPA reported earlier this week that 211 counties in 25 states violate standards for fine particulate matter spewed by vehicles, power plants, and other industrial and residential sources. Counties have until 2012 to develop plans for reducing emission levels and until 2014 to implement the plans. more

Nursing Home Abuse News and Updates (12/23/08)
Compiled by Bee Becker
Spokesperson for SafetyForum Nursing Home Abuse Action Group (NHAAG)  More...

EPA puts Dane County on pollution violation list (12/23/08)
Wisconsin State Journal - Madison,WI,USA
Six Wisconsin counties, including, for the first time, Dane County, were listed by the federal Environmental Protection Agency on Monday as being in violation of tightened standards for fine-particle pollution. more

Concerned for Your Child's Asthma? Pollution Near Schools May Be the Problem (12/22/08)
PR Newswire (press release) - New York,NY,USA
EPA Sits On Important School Siting Regulations With 20,000 Schools in Dangerous Locations more

EPA expected to add Dane County to pollution violation list (12/18/08)
Wisconsin State Journal - Madison,WI,USA
The federal Environmental Protection Agency is expected to list Dane County today as among counties now in violation of fine-particle pollution standards... more

ExxonMobil to Pay Penalty for Violating Agreement (12/18/08)
MarketWatch - USA
ExxonMobil has agreed to pay nearly $6.1 million in civil penalties for violating the terms of a 2005 court-approved Clean Air Act agreement, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. more

Sitka company pays fine to EPA (12/17/08)
Juneau Empire - Juneau,AK,USA
Allen Marine Inc. has settled with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to pay a $15,300 penalty for filling Sitka tidelands without a federal permit... more

Alaska Property Owner Agrees to pay $15,300 for tidelands violation (12/16/08)
U.S. EPA.gov (press release) - Washington,DC,USA
Allen Marine, Inc., of Sitka, Alaska, has reached a $15,300 settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act. The violation involved placement of fill material below the High Tide Line (HTL) of Sitka Sound, more

Veteran Consumer Advocate Announces Departure from Premier Public Interest Organization (12/14/08)
Statement by Joan Claybrook, President of Public Citizen
Dec. 9 - Today I am announcing that I am stepping down as president of Public Citizen after 27 incredible years of leading this remarkable national public interest organization. more

Measures for ozone reduction on table (12/14/08)
Denver Post - Denver,CO,USA
Denver's EPA violation in 2007 requires the Colorado air quality commission to set pollution-control plans. more

The arsenic mandate: Like other cities, T.F. must adhere to new federal standards (12/8/08)
TMCnet - USA
Gene Taylor, the EPA's environmental specialist who oversees drinking water in the Pacific Northwest, said "thousands" of cities had to make changes to... more

Clean Air Coalition's monitoring program to add winter months (12/8/08)
Wisconsin State Journal - Madison,WI,USA
If put under the violation status, the county will have to improve its air quality ratings according to stringent new measures enforced by the EPA. more

Oregon mayor asks EPA to crack down on landfill (11/11/08)
Toledo Blade - Toledo,OH,USA
Oregon Mayor Marge Brown yesterday complained that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is not doing enough to crack down on what she claimed are persistent violations at the Envirosafe Services of Ohio Inc. hazardous waste landfill. more

Child labor going largely unchecked (11/10/08)
CharlotteObserver.com - Charlotte,NC,USA
N.C. OSHA cited the company for eight serious violations, including its failure to put required safety guards on the machine. The agency fined Pallet Express $12,000. The state labor department has also fined the company $250 for putting a juvenile without a youth employment certificate in a hazardous job... more

EPA files complaint against Coldwell Banker (11/8/08)
Providence Journal - Providence,RI,USA
The Environmental Protection Agency has filed 102 complaints against the two corporate owners of several Coldwell Banker real estate brokerage offices for failing to provide lead hazard disclosures during transactions in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire. more

10 California water systems ordered to monitor for E. coli (11/7/08)
San Jose Mercury News - CA, USA
...pathogen monitoring plans under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. The EPA says the 10 water systems face fines up to $32500 per day for each violation. more

Two Real Estate Corporations Charged With Failing to Warn Purchasers and Tenants about Lead Paint in New England (11/7/08)
U.S. EPA.gov (press release) - Washington,DC,USA
EPA inspections and review of submitted information revealed that Coldwell Banker Real Estate Brokerage offices in North Haven and Fairfield, Conn... more

U.S. EPA fines Los Angeles distributor, protects consumers from illegal pesticides/ Four Quarters Wholesale products were sold across the Southwest (11/7/08)
U.S. EPA.gov (press release) - Washington,DC,USA
...the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, distributing them when they were not registered with the EPA is a violation of federal law... more

U.S. EPA takes action against plumbing manufacturer for not providing toxic chemical information needed by first responders, community/ Champion-Arrowhead fined $16,000 (11/7/08)
U.S. EPA.gov (press release) - Washington,DC,USA
According to the EPA, in 2005, Champion-Arrowhead, LLC, processed over 408000 pounds of copper compounds, over 29000 pounds of lead compounds... more

EPA combats improper pesticide manufacturing, labeling and use in the Pacific Northwest (Facilities in Kent, WA; Yakima, WA; Olympia, WA; and Memphis, TN) (11/7/08)
U.S. EPA.gov (press release) - Washington,DC,USA
EPA determined that both the registrant (Buckman) and the distributor (CH20) were liable for this violation. According to Scott Downey, manager of EPA’s... more

Ten California Water Systems Facing Fines For Failing To Monitor E. Coli In Drinking Water/ U.S. EPA could levy tens-of-thousands in fines daily for each violation (11/6/08)
U.S. EPA.gov (press release) - Washington,DC,USA
“It is vital that drinking water systems develop their plans and sample promptly,” said Alexis Strauss, the Water Division director for the EPA’s Pacific... more

Biofriendly agrees to $1.25 million fine over its Green Plus diesel additive (11/4/08)
Dallas Morning News - Dallas,TX,USA
...the EPA's assistant administrator for enforcement, said in a statement. "This is the largest penalty ever levied for violation of the Clean Air Act's... more