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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
May 28, 2009

After tracking hazardous waste shipments and dumping around the world, a national environmental group has sounded the alarm about a million pounds of old electronics innocently donated in Pennsylvania.

Basel Action Network contends that the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society and Allegheny County, Pa., should have known that a free electronics recycling program was too good to be true. The environmental group this week issued a report claiming that EarthEcycle — which collected more than 1 million pounds of old electronics through the Humane Society’s recycling campaign in March and April — ships hazardous waste to countries where it will most likely end up in toxic dumping grounds.

» Click here to view article (By KARAMAGI RUJUMBA, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

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The Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s Region IV has announced a regional emphasis program (REP) targeting recyclers. The REP means that members should anticipate increased enforcement efforts in coming months. Attached is the text of the letter sent by OSHA announcing the Regional Emphasis Program, followed by the names and addresses of OSHA contacts for every involved state.

As always, ISRI Safety is available to help you with your safety needs by offering a broad range of safety outreach services free of charge to our members. All of them can help you prepare for OSHA compliance audits. For details on ISRI Safety Outreach, visit www.isri.org/safety or call Anne Marie Horvath, ISRI’s safety program manager, at 202-662-8511, or email annemariehorvath@isri.org. I am likewise always available to help you with your safety needs, so please don’t hesitate to call me at 202-662-8515, or email

johngilstrap@isri.org.

Sincerely,

John Gilstrap

Director of Safety

Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc.

1615 L. St, NW

Suite 600

Washington, DC 20036

(202) 662-8515

(202) 626-0915 (fax)

johngilstrap@isri.org

June 22, 2009

Dear Stakeholder:

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has initiated a Regional Emphasis

Program (REP) focusing on health hazards related to operations involving scrap and waste materials, including recycling/reclaim facilities. As a result of this regional emphasis program (REP), the Area Offices in Region IV will be conducting inspections of workplaces that have been identified as having operations and possible worker exposures to common health hazards found in this industry. The most common causes of illnesses are poisoning (e.g., lead or cadmium poisoning), disorders associated with repeated trauma, high levels of noise, skin diseases or disorders, and respiratory conditions due to inhalation of, or other contact with, toxic agents. We are notifying you of our intent to conduct these inspections because your company may be covered by this emphasis program. OSHA continues to offer compliance assistance focusing on prevention of occupational injuries and illnesses. As part of this new emphasis program, compliance assistance products are readily available to assist your company in enhancing its safety and health program. You can obtain information about hazard communication, respiratory protection, lead, cadmium, hearing conservation and noise, lockout/tagout, emergency action plans and safety and health programs from OSHA’s website at www.osha.gov. Specific information about the hazards of working in the scrap and waste materials recycling industry can be obtained from OSHA’s area offices. If you do not have access to the Internet, please contact our office and we will provide copies of this information to you. You may contact our office at any time for further assistance: OSHA, Atlanta-West Area Office, 2400 Herodian Way, Suite 250 Smyrna, GA 30080. The office’s phone number is 770-984-8700. OSHA also offers a free Consultation Service under Section 21(d) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The 21(d) Consultation Service helps employers to identify (and correct) potential hazards at their worksites and improve their occupational safety and health management systems. This service is delivered by universities using well-trained safety and health professionals. To schedule this free consultation service, please contact the 21(d) Consultation Program at: Georgia Institute of Technology, The Safety & Health Consultation Program, Phone: 404-407-7431, Fax: 404-407-8275, Website: www.oshainfo.gatech.edu. Your interest in protecting your employees from safety and health hazards is appreciated.

Sincerely,

Andre C. Richards

Area Director

OSHA, Atlanta-West Area Office

Regional_Office_in_Philadelphia,_215_861_4900

http://www.isri2.org/broadcast/safety/OSHA_region_4.pdf

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Toxic Materials in Electronic Products

Over 1,000 materials, including chlorinated solvents, brominated flame retardants, PVC, heavy metals, plastics and gases, are used to make electronic products and their components—semiconductor chips, circuit boards, and disk drives.

A CRT monitor can contain between four and eight pounds of lead alone. Big screen TVs contain even more than that. Flat panel TVs and monitors contain less lead, but use mercury lamps. About 40% of the heavy metals, including lead, mercury and cadmium, in landfills come from electronic equipment discards.

These toxicants are released during the production, use and disposal of electronic products, with the greatest impact at end-of-life. Harmful chemicals released from incinerators and leached from landfills contaminate air and groundwater. The burning of plastics at the waste stage releases dioxins and furans, known developmental and reproductive toxins which persist in the environment and concentrate up the food-chain.

CRT’s: What Are the Health Risks?

Lead

The health effects of lead are well known; lead exposure causes brain damage in children and has already been banned from many consumer products.

Mercury

Mercury is toxic in very low doses, and causes brain and kidney damage. It can be passed on through breast milk; just 1/70th of a teaspoon of mercury can contaminate 20 acres of a lake, making the fish unfit to eat.

Cadmium

Cadmium accumulates in the human body and poisons the kidneys.

BFR’s

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) may seriously affect hormonal functions critical for normal development. A recent study of dust on computers in workplaces and homes found BFRs in every sample taken. One group of BFRs, PBDEs, has been found in alarming rates in the breast milk of women in Sweden and the U.S.

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