Standards & Compliance Briefing: BPA, Fracking, WEEE Reform, Canon

A new standard, ASTM D7858, Test Method for Determination of Bisphenol A in Soil, Sludge and Biosolids by Pressurized Fluid Extraction and Analyzed by Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry, describes procedures for measuring BPA concentrations in environmental media such as soils, sludges and biosolids. The land application of biosolids and sludge could lead to elevated levels of BPA in waterways and sediments, ASTM says.

ASTM’s Subcommittee D18.26 on Hydraulic Fracturing is developing ASTM WK42803, Practice for Data Management and Reporting Associated with Shale Oil and Gas Hydraulic Fracturing Operations. The standard will focus on chemical disclosure and reporting; water sources and quality; health and environmental risks; and well integrity. The next committee meeting will take place in January in Houston, Geosynthetics Magazine reports.

There is widespread appetite for reform of WEEE regulation in the UK, with most respondents to a government consultation favoring either targets for compliance programs, with a compliance fee if the goals are not met; or an initiative to match collection sites to collection programs. Respondents included producers, trade bodies, producer compliance programs, waste management companies, local governments and charities, Lighting reports.

Canon Middle East has been recertified to the ISO 14001 environmental management standard.  Last year, Canon Emirates launched a recycling program for carbon neutral toner and ink cartridges. For the entire EMEA region, the company aims to cut its carbon footprint 15 percent by 2020, recycle 52 percent of waste at offices by 2014, and recycle 85 percent of waste at warehouses by 2014.

Commonwealth Edison has achieved LEED Silver for two Illinois facilities: its refurbished space at Lincoln Centre Two in Oakbrook Terrace and its newly built training center in Rockford. The Lincoln Centre Two facility uses 100 percent green power and recycled 94 percent of construction waste. The training center used 98 percent certified wood and reduced water use by 40 percent, ComEd said.

Developers Tim Borst and Lou DellaCava have won LEED Silver for their redevelopment of the 198,000 sq ft Petroleum Building in downtown Denver. The owners have invested over $1.5 million on energy efficiency upgrades in the past two years, including natural gas boilers, and source 75 percent of the building’s electricity from wind power, according to Boulder County Business Report.

Lord Corporation, a maker of adhesives, coatings, motion management devices and sensing technologies, received LEED Gold certification for its 50,000 sq ft Richard L. McNeel Business Center. The building features lighting controls with motion and daylight sensors, a building energy management system with indoor air quality sensors, a closed-loop water chiller and exterior bricks made from 80 percent recycled material.