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Federal Grant Funds Available for Passenger Ferry Operations

The Passenger Ferry Grant Program is authorized by Congress for projects that develop and support ferry service on many of the nation's waterways, including the purchase, repair, and modernization of ferry boats, terminals, and related facilities that communities depend on.

Nine Teams Chosen for Colorado's NextCycle Program

Each of the nine teams selected for the first-of-its-kind pilot program will receive a $5,000 business development grant, mentoring from the Colorado NextCycle technical advisory committee, and technical support from RRS, the recycling and sustainability consulting firm assisting with the Colorado NextCycle program.

House Democrats Back Bill to Significantly Expand OSHA's Coverage

The proposed Protecting America's Workers Act would expand OSHA coverage to state and local government employees in 25 states and expand it to include federal employees.

California's Governor Scales Back High-Speed Rail

"I have nothing but respect for Governor Brown's and Governor Schwarzenegger's ambitious vision. I share it. And there's no doubt that our state's economy and quality of life depend on improving transportation," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in his first State of the State address. "But let's be real. The project, as currently planned, would cost too much and take too long."

OSHA Reminds Employers to Prevent Workplace Carbon Monoxide Exposure

Carbon monoxide overexposure symptoms can include headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, or tightness across the chest. Severe overexposure can lead to neurological damage, coma, and death.

Some locations, operations, or hazmat personnel may require security awareness training that includes security risks associated with their specific tasks and methods designed to enhance security.

ANSI Wants Stakeholders to Have Input on DOT Guidance

DOT regulates safety of aviation, motor carriers, railroads, motor vehicles, commercial space, transit, and pipeline transportation areas, ANSI notes in a post asking its stakeholders "to submit feedback as an opportunity to demonstrate the value of standards in DoT guidance."

Thermal Fatigue Probable Cause of Enterprise Products Explosion: CSB

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board released its final report on the June 27, 2016, explosion and fire at the Enterprise Products Pascagoula Gas Plant in Pascagoula, Miss., with recommendations to two trade associations to include information on the potential for minor leaks and catastrophic failure of brazed aluminum heat exchangers.

Legislators Introduce Transit Worker and Pedestrian Protection Act

The bill would require U.S. transit-rail agencies to develop a rail operations worker assault risk reduction program within the next two years. Agencies would be required to conduct a risk analysis of assaults on rail employees, cooperate with labor representatives to develop their plans, and implement a plan to mitigate rail worker assaults.



FDA Issues Warning Letter to McKesson Corp.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb announced Feb. 12 that the agency has issued its first warning letter under the Drug Supply Chain Security Act to McKesson Corp. for what he described as "violations highlighted by a concerning tampering incident that involved opioid medications."

HSE: All Industries Must Control Welding Fume Exposures

There is new scientific evidence that exposure to all welding fume, including mild steel welding fume, can cause lung cancer and limited evidence it is linked to kidney cancer, HSE pointed out in a notice it called a "change in enforcement expectations."

Airbus to Add Robotic Assembly Line at Satellite Plant

Airbus will begin building an Industry 4.0 factory this month to automate and digitalize the production of solar arrays for satellites, an initiative that involves a complete revamp and expansion of the production building in Ottobrunn/Taufkirchen. A robotic assembly line will be introduced.

U.S. Urgent Care Industry Grew 8 Percent Last Year

The Urgent Care Association reported Feb. 11 that, as of November 2018, the total number of urgent care centers in the United States reached 8,774, up 8 percent from the 8,125 centers in operation in 2017.

NRC Holding Public Meeting Feb. 13 on Seabrook License Extension

The Massachusetts congressional delegation, U.S. Sens. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Congressman Seth Moulton, had called on the NRC to hear community concerns and address ongoing safety issues before renewing or amending the license for the plant.

DOJ Awards Grant to Aid Victims of Las Vegas Mass Shooting

The agency previously awarded a grant of more than $16 million to the state of Nevada to support these services. It is awarding $8.3 million to the California Victim Compensation Board to help meet critical long-term needs of victims of the 2017 mass shooting, compensating them for financial losses and medical expenses and providing services to victims and first responders.

PG&E, Other California Utilities File 2019 Wildfire Mitigation Plans

More than half of PG&E's 70,000-square-mile service area is in extreme or elevated fire-threat areas. The plan includes the expansion of PG&E's Public Safety Power Shutoff program to include all electric lines that pass through high fire-threat areas, both transmission and distribution.

NRC Raising Some Fees This Year

Proposed annual fees for FY2019 have increased for operating reactors, some materials users, and Department of Energy transportation activities.

Safety Precautions Issued for Lake Berryessa Visitors

The federal Bureau of Reclamation's Lake Berryessa office in Napa, Calif., is asking visitors to take extra caution when in or around the lake this winter. The lake is high due to recent storms, and recent wildfires have brought more sediment and downed trees into the lake.

NYPD Demands Waze Stop Letting Users Log Police Checkpoints

"Individuals who post the locations of DWI checkpoints may be engaging in criminal conduct since such actions could be intentional attempts to prevent and/or impair the administration of the DWI laws and other relevant criminal and traffic laws," wrote NYPD acting Deputy Commissioner Ann Prunty in a Feb. 2 letter to Google.

IIHS Estimates More Than 800 Traffic Deaths in 2017 Linked to Cellphone Manipulation

IIHS noted that a 2018 national survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that 64 percent of respondents consider distracted driving a much bigger problem now than it was three years ago.

Series of Arson Fires Plagues Anchorage

A fire on Jan. 26 destroyed a partly constructed, 141-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel in the city, with damage estimated at $20 million. Two restaurants in the same strip mall were set afire on Feb. 4 and Feb. 7.

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