Send questions to: bloggersteve@prospectivetechnology.com
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Energy,
Steve Younis
References:
Executive Order (pdf)
FEDERAL LEADERSHIP IN ENVIRONMENTAL, ENERGY, AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
White House Statement
President Obama signs an Executive Order
Focused on Federal Leadership in Environmental,
Energy, and Economic Performance
I applaud President Obama’s lead in finally taking action on a critical issue that has been put on the shelf for over 8 years. The politics of past administrations stalled this action without cause. The US and the world have an obligation to be stewards of the environment, and yes, stewards of humanity. We are obligated to take care of what we have on this planet and act in a way that brings in a tract of cognizant thinking. That thinking must demonstrate that we are truly considering the future of the planet, as well as the people who are, and will be, inhabiting it. When we look at steps such as this EO and analyze it more deeply, we always can say that more can be done, or we can have more stringent goals, or the government is just trying to get in line with the rest of the world and meet minimal standards. Yes, we can do that, but now we have a platform to work from… we can use this to launch to more aggressive standards and results. The general public has finally taken to this movement and has generally embraced it. We can hope that same type of embracing takes hold in the government. There are may aggressive personnel in the government who believe in the cause of making this planet better and are proud to lead in the stewardship, and I truly believe that this will give them a foothold to launch more aggressive actions that exceed the baselines set forth in this EO. And as we all know and have experienced… how long does an EO really last before it is updated and requirements get tougher? It will get more stringent as time goes by… Below is a copy of the press release issued by the White House… the EO PDF is also attached for review.
EO Text after the Break: [Read more →]
Tags:CAFE·Energy·Executive Order·mpg·Obama
Send questions to: bloggerkevin@prospectivetechnology.com
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Hexavalent Chromium,
Kevin McGill
Reference Documents:
Senate Letter to IG Requesting Investigation: 2009-10-1 Letter to IG
IG Letter to Senate Confirming Investigation: 2009-10-1 Letter from IG2
In a press release yesterday from the office of Sen. Evan Bayh (D) Indiana, there was confirmation that the DoD Inspector General (IG) will investigate the U.S. Army response to the hexavalent chromium exposure of National Guard soldiers and KBR civilian personnel at the Qarmat Ali water treatment plant near Basra in 2003. The confirmation letter in fact indicates that the investigation began in September.
The senators from the Democratic Policy Committee provided the IG with a list of seven questions that they wanted assessed during the course of the investigation; including the Army’s apparent failure to clear sodium dichromate from the site prior to authorizing KBR to enter, and the failure to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to soldiers soon after the first reports of symptoms related to exposure to sodium dichromate began surfacing in the spring of 2003.
The senate letter identified three areas to be assessed directly related to the CHPPM response including: whether testing of soldiers should have occurred sooner; did CHPPM improperly conclude that no follow-up was needed because there “does not appear to be evidence of acute exposures,” and was it scientifically sound for CHPPM to extrapolate test results from one group of soldiers to another group.
There was no indication in the DoD IG correspondence how long the investigation will take.
Tags:CHPPM·Hex Chrome·KBR
Send questions to: bloggerkevin@prospectivetechnology.com
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Hexavalent Chromium,
Kevin McGill
As discussed in the previous post, the analysis and response of CHPPM to the alleged hexavalent chromium exposure at the Qarmat Ali water treatment plant in Basra, has drawn fire from Senate Democrats and some expert epidemiologists as being confusing, contradictory and drastically flawed. But what exactly are the charges against the report? Dr. Herman Gibb, an epidemioligst, an expert on heavy metals exposures and a 29-year employee of the U.S. EPA testified at the most recent Senate hearing on this subject. (To see a video of the testimony click here and skip to the 75:00 mark).
Dr. Gibb testified that the report is “confusing and lacks sufficient detail,” and offers the following:
1) CHPPM concludes that the vast majority of the chromium levels in the red blood cell are within normal ranges, but does not provide adequate references for these ‘normal’ values.
2) CHPPM reports that nearly all of the test results are below the limit of detection, but then later states that ninety-eight percent of the samples showed chromium levels within the range of 4 to 5 micrograms per liter (μg/L). This a direct and obvious contradiction.
3) If 98% of the test results are between 4 to 5μg/L, at least some literature would indicate that this would equate to an exposure of approximately 80-200 times the current OSHA PEL.
4) Samples were drawn at least 30 days after the exposure when half of the toxic would have left the blood cells. Did the CHPPM analysis take this into consideration?
5) Reliance solely on the measurement of chromium in the red blood cells is insensitive, because it does not take into account the hexavalent chromium that was inhaled and may have remained in the nose or lung.
6) Red blood cell tests should not be used as a bottom line indicator of exposure and should not have been extrapolated to other exposed individuals.
[Read more →]
Tags:CHPPM·Hex Chrome·KBR
September 29th, 2009 by Kevin McGill ·
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Hazardous Materials,
Hexavalent Chromium,
Kevin McGill
The U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine (CHPPM) finds itself in the middle of a hexavalent chromium story that is getting bigger by the day. It involves the Army National Guardsmen allegedly exposed to hexavalent chromium while guarding the restart of a water treatment plant in Iraq after the successful invasion in 2003. The troops were guarding civilian employees attempting to restart the plant. The Guardsman from four states claim that there was no regard for their personal safety while they were performing their duty, even though the exposure to hexavalent chromium was so severe as to cause nasal perforations in several soldiers.
CHPPM got involved after the fact when they were called in by the Army to perform an exposure assessment. Their conclusion was that there was ‘not a significant inhalation exposure’, a conclusion contradicted by a private sector industrial hygienist who estimated the exposures to have been 80 to 200 times higher than the OSHA limit. Today, the Senate, headed by Sen. Byron Dorgan D-North Dakota called for the Pentagon Inspector General to perform an investigation into the Army’s and KBR’s handling of the situation, calling the CHPPM testing “deeply flawed. Also being questioned is why there was no remediation of the hexavalent chromium prior to the work beginning, and why protected devices were not used to protect the soldiers from the harmful effects of exposure.
Two soldiers exposed to the hexavalent chromium in Iraq have contracted cancer and died. Other soldiers are claiming that their current illnesses were caused by the exposure and are suing KBR.
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September 16th, 2009 by Steve Younis ·
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Fire & Safety,
ODCs and HFCs,
Steve Younis
The replacement of Halon 1301 & 1211 handheld portable fire extinguishers for weapon systems has been complicated from the start. It took many years to get to the point where we are with ground combat systems and their swap out to newer compliant fire suppression alternatives, even this has reached completion after over 17 years of effort.
The more complicated issue is replacement of HHFEs in aviation applications. Over the years several alternatives have been presented forward but have been turned away for a variety of reasons. With the passing of time we now face a double edged sword of sorts, ODCs are becoming a premium to obtain and supplies to the aviation community are going to get limited, not just to our military but other military organizations and commercial aviation as well. It is easy just to say replace them with something else but US and international regulations make that very difficult, as well as the collateral effects of the alternative agents. We are now faced with the growing problem of global climate change and the movement to limit the emission greenhouse gases. Many of the new alternatives that replace 1301 & 1211 have a high content of these gases. The future predictions tell us that there will be tightening of regulations on emission these gases so this throws another curve ball at this situation. Add the fact that US FAA regulations requires the use 1301 & 1211 in aircraft flying within the US and only approved listed alternatives are accepted. It has always been the conception that the Army aviation community has no requirements in their documents that state that they have to use Halon 1301… they do not need to state that, they are covered under FAA regulations and NFPA codes which work hand in hand. So this misconception needs to be changed and we need to realize that they do have a basis by which to stand firm on 1301 for the time being. This coupled with the fact that the aviation community as a whole still has an exemption from the Montreal Protocol to continue use of 1301 & 1211.
Moving forward, referenced NFPA codes do allow for substitutes, but again at the moment they are limited. The bulk portion are have greenhouse gas issues. There are several powders and water approved. The powders are limited as some have aluminum corrosion issues and are strictly prohibited. A new version of the governing NFPA code is due out in 2010. At this time I do not know of any major changes to the code but will verify that when it is published.
This leads us to the safety and this as always is the main priority. The goal is to maintain their safety. The parties in charge need to weigh out all the options moving forward and remember that although they can ride on the laurels of the current situation with Halon 1301, they cannot count on the fact that this will last forever. The move toward limiting greenhouse gas emissions does buy them time and maybe the thought in their mind that they can stay with Halon now, but this would be bad planning moving forward and there are still alternative above and beyond Halon and high carbon based alternatives. They should use this period of international indecision to make the right choice for the soldier for the long run, which as I see it can be done with what is out there now.
Tags:Fire Safety·HFCs·ODCs
September 15th, 2009 by John Heise ·
Send questions to: bloggerjohn@prospectivetechnology.com
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Energy,
John Heise
Algae Biofuels: From Pond Scum to Jet Fuel
and
From the Sewage Plant, the Promise of Biofuel
Interesting overview of several initiatives for generating bio fuels. Admittedly, I don’t pretend to understand the economic analysis necessary to decide which avenue shows the most promise. The article outlines different methods of extraction of fuel types and rendering methodologies. Note that it is at this stage that an equation is forged as to how much energy to put into the extraction process to garner what level of output. Notable for lack of inclusion in the discussion is the trend for centralization of algal production under pristine conditions.
As a wannabee farmer ( dexter cattle and sheep) [Read more →]
Tags:algae·biodiesel·dexter cattle
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Kevin McGill,
LEED/Green Building
Okay, so you’ve paid your architect and LEED consultant, and you’ve filed your paperwork with the U.S. Green Building Council. They’ve tallied your points, and…(drumroll please…) your building is LEED certified!! Congratulations on your new green building. Your LEED certification ensures that you will be saving energy, money and natural resources over your neighbor’s building that does not sport the silver, gold or platinum moniker. Well maybe not!!
After all, you were able to earn valuable LEED points for reserving parking spaces for carpoolers, being located within 1/4 mile of a bus line, and providing changing rooms for bikers. All great things for a building owner to do, without question, but none of it will fulfill the promise of greener, more efficient buildings.
An article in the New York Times illustrates the point that just because a building is LEED certified does not mean that it is saving energy and natural resources and reducing carbon emissions. The NYT highlights a federal building in Youngstown, OH that while sporting the LEED certification, could not qualify for the Energy Star label. Unfortunately for LEED, this is not an isolated occurrence, as a study last year of 121 new LEED certified buildings through 2006 showed that 53% of them could not obtain the Energy Star label, and 15% of those buildings used more energy per square foot than 70% of older, existing buildings.
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Send questions to: bloggerkevin@prospectivetechnology.com
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Corrosion Prevention and Control,
Hazardous Materials,
Hexavalent Chromium,
Kevin McGill
There has been a host of articles this week touting the progress that the commercial aviation industry is making toward reducing and eliminating hexavalent chromium from the coatings and surface treatments they use.
Sherwin Williams Aerospace offers a full lineup of primers that are chrome and lead free, designed for a number of different applications. These new low-VOC, two-component systems are touted as having faster application, uncompromized protection of the aircraft substrate and being compliant with OSHA for lead and chromate exposure.
Boeing Commercial has initiated an inservice test of 14 KLM 777 aircraft that utilizes the same chrome-free primer utilized on the AH-64 Apache aircraft.
And American Eagle has decided to utilize a product called PreKote as a non-toxic surface pretreatment that does not contain hexavalent chromium. A spokesperson for the company says that using this product increases efficiency and saves money by requiring fewer step in the painting process. Prekote reportedly also reduces water usage by two-thirds and decreases wastewater treatment.
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Kevin McGill,
Water
Personal water purification has become simpler and more effective with the invention of the Life Saver Water Bottle by Michael Pritchard. He claims during this nine minute excerpt from his presentation at the TED Global conference last month in Oxford that with an investment of just $20 Billion, every person in the world could have access to safe drinking water.
The concept is simple; since the smallest bacteria are 200 nanometers, and the smallest viruses are 25 nanometers, if you use an ultra-filtration system that uses a 15 nanometers pore, then all the harmful materials in the water will be filtered out, leaving you with safe, clean drinking water.
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Send questions to: bloggerkevin@prospectivetechnology.com
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Kevin McGill,
Water
New satellite imagery proves what has been suspected for some time, that the groundwater supply in one of India’s driest areas is shrinking. Three NW Indian states lost the equivalent of twice the volume of Lake Mead from their underground sources in the years between 2002-2008. Why is India losing so much groundwater? The primary reason is the tremendous increase due to irrigation to grow the crops to feed the 114 million people living in the region. Groundwater is used more extensively in the developing world for such purposes in part because the surface water supply is largely contaminated.
Just one more reason to track, develop and support the technology of the solar powered water purification unit discussed in a blog post earlier this week. If units like these can be strategically placed to utilize surface water for irrigation, then maybe the groundwater supply would have time to replenish. Not only is this a humanitarian issue, but it has the potential to quickly become a national security issue as nations starved for water go outside of their borders to capture this vital resource.
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