Employees, their families and people living close to 28 exfoliation sites may have been exposed to amphibole asbestos from vermiculite mined in Libby, Montana between the 1920s and the early 1990s, a report from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has concluded.

Communities in three states will receive technical assistance from EPA to help put the principles of efficient, affordable and environmentally sensitive growth into action, the agency announced in a recent press release. Many communities want to foster economic growth, protect environmental resources, enhance public health, and plan for development, but lack the tools, resources, and information to achieve their goals. EPA’s smart growth technical assistance program helps with this need.

Twenty-six WasteWise partners and 29 National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP) partners are being recognized for their environmental achievements in reducing greenhouse gases and preventing harmful chemicals from entering the environment, according to an EPA press statement.

It’s expected that the Philadelphia Phillies have the power to hit the ball out of the park. But when it comes to green power, the Phillies and the 15 other winners of the Green Power Leadership Awards are all showing they can hit a home run, too! These partners, who represent retail, travel, athletic teams, U.S. military, universities and communities, are being recognized by EPA for buying green power and helping advance the nation’s green power market, according to a recent press release.

Nestle Waters North America (Nestle Waters) has released its first corporate citizenship report − “The Shape of Corporate Citizenship.” The report presents six corporate commitments, which address those issues most critical to its business and stakeholders: Promoting health and hydration; ensuring water quality and providing clean water when supplies are interrupted; managing water resources for long-term sustainability; reducing the company’s manufacturing and logistics footprint; developing sustainable packaging solutions; and being a good neighbor

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) announced this week that Steven H. Davis, CAE, IOM, will depart AIHA on March 31, 2009, after 11 years of service to the organization, the last six as executive director.

Green stocks in both renewable energy and consumer products have not been immune from the current economic freefall. Solar companies have been especially hard-hit because sales of solar panels are largely dependent on financing and the recent decreasing price of oil has made investment in them less attractive in the short term, according to a press release from SocialFunds.com.

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have announced the renewal of the organizations’ alliance agreement for another two years. The two organizations will continue the strategic partnership with a focus on construction and general industry issues and emergency response. The agreement was originally signed October 2, 2002. The extended relationship between AIHA and OSHA will encourage training, education, outreach, and communication and promote national dialogue on workplace safety and health.

More than 110 million visitor sessions from the public sought potentially life-saving safety and health information from the Web site of the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in Fiscal 2008, according to an agency press release.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Chair Judith Hackitt reminded senior managers and safety professionals to put leadership and effective process safety and performance measurement high on their agenda, according to a recent press release.