Government Concentrates

Chemical safety board investigates Texas refinery blast

The Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board, BP America, union officials, and other government agencies have begun their investigations of the explosion that killed 15 workers and injured some 100 others on March 23 at the BP refinery in Texas City, Texas. The blast took place at an isomerization unit that converts highly flammable pentane and hexane into isopentane and isohexane to boost the octane rating of gasoline, CSHIB reports. Investigators are focusing on equipment associated with a "raffinate splitter," which is a distillation system that prepares the feed stream for the isomerization reactor, CSHIB says. The distillation equipment was being restarted following reactor maintenance. All those killed were contract employees at the BP plant who worked out of mobile trailers near the blast site, which may have contributed to the large number of deaths, the board notes. As of the middle of last week, however, investigators were unable to fully explore the site because of high benzene levels in the air. The board estimates its "root cause" accident investigation could take up to two years to complete. The accident is the second fatal one at the plant in a year. It is expected to have little long-term effect on gasoline production because only the isomerization unit was knocked out, reports the Energy Information Administration.

PCAST looks at nanotech

The U.S. leads the rest of the world in nanotechnology funding, publications, and patents, according to a draft report by the President's Council of Advisors on Science & Technology. Designated to serve as the National Nanotechnology Advisory Panel, PCAST is charged with reviewing the National Nanotechnology Initiative and suggesting ways to strengthen the program every two years. This report, which was outlined in draft form at a PCAST meeting on March 22, marks the first such review. The draft report finds that NNI is spending its money wisely. It also finds that NNI's interagency management of 22 federal agencies involved in this area is "sound." Data within the report show that the global private investment in nanotechnology in 2004 totaled $4.0 billion dollars--nearly half of which came from North America and a third from Asia. The global government investment was slightly higher at $4.6 billion, with nearly equal amounts coming from North America, Asia, and Europe.

States sue to block EPA mercury rule

Nine state attorneys general sued EPA last week to throw out a regulation affecting mercury air emissions from coal-fired power plants. The states say the regulation fails to protect the public and violates the Clean Air Act. Coal-fired power plants emit 48 tons of mercury into the air annually and are the last remaining large uncontrolled U.S. source of mercury, which is neurologically toxic, particularly to children. EPA's regulation would reduce the plants' mercury emissions to 38 tons by 2010 and to 15 tons after 2018 but would not require specific mercury pollution controls. Instead, utilities can install controls needed for other pollutants to reach compliance levels as well as use a pollution cap-and-trade system. The states charge that the Clean Air Act requires a technology-based approach for mercury emissions and does not allow trading of toxic emissions. They also say much larger emissions reductions can be achieved sooner by using mercury-specific control technologies. Also, several senators plan to quiz Stephen Johnson, Bush Administration nominee to head EPA, on the mercury rule during his confirmation hearing in early April and have threatened to block his appointment. Coal-fired utilities have opposed mercury controls but like the regulation. EPA has long delayed this regulation, which was issued after more than a decade of litigation.

Rule on 'select agents' issued

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has issued its final rule on "select agents" and toxins. The rule requires universities and other research entities working with these agents to conduct annual reviews of their biosafety, security, and incident response plans. Any entity using or transferring one of 42 agents believed to pose a bioterrorism concern must follow security, handling, reporting, and registration requirements outlined in the rule published in the March 18 Federal Register. The final rule is substantially the same as the interim final rule issued in December 2002, but some changes have been made. In addition to the annual reviews now required in the final rule, another important change permits entities to file a unified registration for 20 agents that are common to both CDC and USDA lists. A unified Web-based registration system is now under development. Public universities fall into the category of government agencies and are exempt from security risk requirements; private universities are not exempt. Under the final rule, individuals at private universities who manage labs working with select agents must undergo a security check as a condition of registering the labs. The rule also permits a single certificate of registration to cover a "group of buildings" at one physical location and allows an exemption for toxins under a specified quantity if the toxins are under the control of physicians, veterinarians, manufacturers, or distributors.

GOVERNMENT & POLICY ROUNDUP

FDA has banned the use of chlorofluorocarbon propellants in albuterol metered-dose inhalers by the end of 2008. Albuterol is used for treatment of asthma and chronic lung diseases. The use of CFCs in inhalers had been permitted under a special exemption in the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer.

The Government Accountability Office has released a study on the status of women and minorities at six Department of Energy laboratories. The study (GAO-05-190) found, among other things, that hiring and promotion rates are equitable, but that salaries still lag somewhat.

March 26 marked the 30th anniversary of the entry into force of the Biological & Toxin Weapons Convention. Although it was the first treaty to ban an entire class of weapons of mass destruction, it remains flawed because it lacks verification procedures.