The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine asked California's Second District Court of Appeal to revive lawsuits alleging that McDonald's, KFC, Applebee's and other restaurant chains did not give sufficient warning, under Proposition 65, that their chicken grilling creates a carcinogen, Law360 reports.
Consumer Advocacy Group has threatened to sue Unified Grocers, Marquez Brothers International, Super King Markets and other businesses in California because they allegedly sold rice containing either lead or arsenic, without warning customers as required under Proposition 65, Law360 reports.
DuPont has earned its second LEED Gold certification for a building in the Wilmington, Del., area. The four-story, 170,000 sq ft office building at the Chestnut Run complex features more than 20 DuPont products, and 95 percent of structural steel used is from recycled materials.
Canon's Americas headquarters in Melville, N.Y., has been awarded LEED Gold certification. The facility includes 90 parking spaces for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles, and charging stations for 12 plug-in electric vehicles.
Philips has earned Energy Star certification for the A19 and A21, its second generation 75-watt and 100-watt LED equivalent bulbs. The new bulbs gain two watts in efficiency over their first generation predecessors, which were introduced two years ago.
San Diego Gas & Electric's Energy Innovation Center received LEED Platinum certification for Existing Buildings Operations & Maintenance, in addition to its existing LEED Platinum for new construction. The Energy Innovation Center is a 27,000-foot demonstration facility where SDG&E's residential and business customers can learn about energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainability and alternative fuel technologies. The latest certification recognizes sustainability practices including food waste composting, effective use of HVAC, and use of low-impact paints, pesticides and fertilizers.
The IEEE Standards Association approved two new projects to develop future standardization of phasor data concentrators: IEEE PC37.247 “Standard for Phasor Data Concentrators for Power Systems” and IEEE PC37.248 “Guide for Common Format for Naming Intelligent Electronic Devices.” Both development projects are intended to produce standards that improve fault management and other smart grid functionality.
ASTM has published ASTM D4194-03(2014), Standard Test Methods for Operating Characteristics of Reverse Osmosis and Nanofiltration Devices. Reverse osmosis and nanofiltration desalinating devices can be used to produce potable water from brackish supplies and seawater as well as to upgrade the quality of industrial water.
ASTM has published ASTM D3923-08(2014), Standard Practices for Detecting Leaks in Reverse Osmosis and Nanofiltration Devices.
ASTM has published D3975-93(2014), Standard Practice for Development and Use (Preparation) of Samples for Collaborative Testing of Methods for Analysis of Sediments.
ASTM has published ASTM D4189-07(2014), Standard Test Method for Silt Density Index of Water. The SDI can serve as a useful indication of the quantity of particulate matter in water, can determine effectiveness of various processes such as filtration or clarification used to remove particulate matter, and has been been empirically correlated with the fouling tendency of some water treatment equipment such as reverse osmosis devices, ASTM says.
ASTM has published ASTM D6350-14, Standard Test Method for Mercury Sampling and Analysis in Natural Gas by Atomic Fluorescence Spectroscopy. This test method can be used to assess compliance with environmental regulations, predict possible damage to gas plant equipment, and monitor the efficiency of mercury removal beds, ASTM says.
ASTM has published ASTM D7906-14, Standard Practice for Recovery of Asphalt from Solution Using Toluene and the Rotary Evaporator. This practice is intended to be used to recover asphalt from a solvent using the rotary evaporator to ensure that changes in the asphalt properties during the recovery process are minimized, ASTM says.
An ASTM subcommittee agreed to changes proposed in ballots for D7101-13 Standard Index Test Method for Determination of Unvegetated Rolled Erosion Control Product (RECP) Ability to Protect Soil from Rain Splash and Associated Runoff Under Bench-Scale Conditions. All the changes improve the standard by making testing requirements more clear, the subcommitee said. Meanwhile, D7322 - 13a Standard Test Method for Determination of RECP Ability to Encourage Seed Germination and Plant Growth Under Bench-Scale Conditions has been approved, with edits based on ballot comments; and ASTM D7207-05, Standard Test Method for Determination of Unvegetated RECP Ability to Protect Sand from Hydraulically-Induced Shear Stresses under Bench-Scale Conditions has been withdrawn.
ASTM is balloting ASTM E479-91(2006) Standard Guide for Preparation of a Leak Testing Specification for withdrawal, because the relevant subcommittee felt the standard is too halogen-specific or refrigerant-oriented. The committee is planning a re-write.
Over half a million acres of timberland owned by The St. Joe Company have been certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative standard. The majority of the timberlands are located in Northwest Florida.
