EnviroPolitics Blog

Pennsylvania Governor orders non-life-sustaining businesses to shut down

Cafeteria worker Cathy Piluso hands out free meals at Bensalem High School in Bensalem, Pa.,

By MARC LEVY, MICHAEL RUBINKAM, MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf is tightening his directives to businesses to shut down, issuing a dire warning and saying Thursday that all “non-life-sustaining” businesses in Pennsylvania must close their physical locations by 8 p.m. to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Enforcement actions against businesses that do not close their physical locations will begin Saturday, Wolf said in a statement.

“I had hoped for voluntary compliance so our public safety official could focus on assisting with the crisis,” Wolf said in a video statement. “Unfortunately we have not seen full compliance. We have no time to lose.”

Under Wolf’s order, more than 150 types of businesses have been ordered to close their physical locations.

Wolf said his order would be enforced by state troopers, local officials, the state Health and Agriculture departments and the Liquor Control Board.

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Allowed to stay open are gas stations, grocery stores, beer distributors, drugstores and building materials stores.

Businesses under shutdown orders range from coal mines to building contractors to many types of manufacturers, plus professional offices including law firms and accounting offices. Retailers ordered to close include car dealers, clothing stores, furniture stores, florists, office supply stores and lawn and garden stores.

Wolf’s statement came as Pennsylvania reported another big jump in confirmed coronavirus cases and Wolf’s administration worked to help hospitals create more bed spaces in anticipation of a surge in coronavirus patients.

Confirmed coronavirus cases topped 180, up 40%, according to the state Department of Health. In Philadelphia, officials reported that 20 of the 44 cases there are health care workers, although they were not all exposed at work.

Meanwhile, with schools ordered shut for at least the rest of March and possibly longer, the state Education Department canceled statewide tests for schoolchildren because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Health Secretary Rachel Levine said her agency is asking hospitals, starting Friday, to update their emergency plans to accommodate COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

That directive includes asking hospitals to postpone elective procedures and admissions to ensure as many beds as possible are available for coronavirus patients. The department is also lifting a regulation that prevents a hospital from adding beds without permission and trying to make sure that hospitals have adequate supplies of personal protective equipment and ventilators.

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China’s Rethink on Car Pollution May Signal a Retreat on Climate

Governments must not let the coronavirus pandemic derail action on climate change, an architect of the landmark Paris agreement warned on Wednesday

Bloomberg News March 18, 2020, 12:19 PM EDT

Beijing’s move toward relaxing emissions standards will ratchet up concern that policymakers around the world may scale back their climate goals as they seek to rescue their economies from the ravages of the coronavirus.

The Chinese government is said to be debating whether to ease restrictions on the amount of harmful particles that vehicles emit from their tailpipes — a measure known as particle number, or PN. The move would help automakers battling an unprecedented slump as the pandemic slows economic activity. It could be just one of the steps by the government in Beijing to shore up key sectors.

That stimulus is likely to come at a cost to efforts to protect the environment, since officials could give priority to the health of industries that have an outsized impact on greenhouse gas pollution, especially construction, transport and infrastructure. That combined with signs that green issues are slipping down the European Union’s agenda would reduce momentum on the issue from two main on main forces driving work on climate change.

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Don’t let coronavirus stall climate action, warns architect of Paris deal

Laurence Tubiana, a former French diplomat who was instrumental in brokering the 2015 accord aimed at averting catastrophic global warming, said the disruption caused by the coronavirus was a wake-up call.

“In a way, it’s a lesson: viruses don’t respect borders, climate change doesn’t respect borders,” Tubiana, who continues to closely track climate diplomacy, told an online briefing. “If we do not manage the climate crisis it will be the same.”

Tubiana was speaking amid mounting concerns that the economic disruption caused by the coronavirus could tempt governments to shy away from the massive effort to cut carbon emissions needed to stabilise the Earth’s climate system.

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Year after fire, Marcal churns out toilet paper 24/7 for virus-panicked shoppers

The Marcal Paper sign, an iconic since the 1940s, falls during fire on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. — Fire rages in January, 2019 at Marcal Paper in Elmwood Park, NJ

By Scott Fallon, NorthJersey.com

A year after much of its Elmwood Park campus was destroyed in an epic fire, the Marcal Paper company now finds itself on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis — just weeks after it reopened.

The company, which many thought would never recover from the 10-alarm blaze in January 2019, is now running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, producing 170 tons of paper towels and toilet paper daily to try to keep up with consumers.

Demand has become so great that the 88-year-old company has started selling its inventory of paper towels and toilet paper already made and stored at its facility.

“We have to,” said Rob Baron, Marcal’s president and CEO. “The demand exceeds the paper coming off the machine.”

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For weeks, consumers have been purchasing paper products in bulk as the coronavirus spread, officials urged the public to practice social distancing and the possibility of quarantines loomed. Supermarkets across the U.S. ran out of the items quickly and struggled to restock. Even Amazon said it was having trouble meeting demand.

The panic shopping has led to surreal consequences — from people in Oregon calling 911 about toilet paper shortages to officials in Ohio warning residents not to flush other paper products like baby wipes down the toilet in lieu of toilet paper.

New Jersey consumers have been seeing paper product shelves at supermarkets and big-box stores fast become bare. The paper industry didn’t see it coming.

“Six weeks ago, coronavirus wasn’t on anyone’s radar,” Baron said. “Then we slowly saw an uptick. But it wasn’t until the weekend before last when we saw inventories just plummet.”

Marcal has slowly been getting back on its feet after it reopened nearly a year to the day after it shuttered.

The fire on Jan. 30, 2019, destroyed 450,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 21 paper-making lines in about eight hours. It also brought down the iconic red Marcal sign that had loomed over Route 80 for decades.

No one died or was seriously injured even though 200 workers were still in the mill when the blaze broke out.

“We’ve been getting ourselves back in business over the past six weeks,” Baron said. “We’re going in the right direction.”

While many Marcal employees are now working remotely, a crew of 20 to 30 workers on 12-hour shifts are at the mill churning out paper products.

Workers are told to stay at least 6 feet away from one another to lessen potential spread. And the only visitors to the mill are mostly mechanics to fix machines.

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Air Force moves 500K coronavirus test swabs from Italy to U.S. for nationwide distribution

Ellen MItchell reports for The Hill

The Pentagon on Wednesday confirmed that the Air Force has moved 500,000 coronavirus testing swabs to the United States from Italy.

An Air National Guard unit transported 500,000 swabs – used as part of the process to test for COVID-19 – from Italy to Memphis, Tenn. The swabs were then loaded onto FedEx aircraft and distributed around the country as directed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Defense Department spokesman Jonathan Hoffman told reporters.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein earlier on Wednesday confirmed the shipment.

“We’ve just made a pretty significant movement into Memphis last night,” Goldfein told reporters.

He added that the shipment was in support of Homeland Security and HHS “to make sure that we are meeting the demands that they have.”

Defense One first reported on the shipment of swabs, which were flown by a C-17 cargo plane using the call “Reach 911.” It landed early Tuesday morning at Memphis International Airport.

The Trump administration has faced intense criticism over the lack of widely available coronavirus tests. Officials have insisted testing is ramping up this week and will be more accessible across the country in the coming days and weeks.

Joint Staff surgeon Air Force Brig. Gen. Paul Friedrichs, who spoke alongside Hoffman, said the swabs have been sent to different medical facilities to collect samples from individuals. Those samples are then sent to a lab for analysis.

The Defense Department has made available its 14 coronavirus testing labs available to analyze samples. As of Tuesday, 936 patients had been tested in its facilities.

Friedrichs also said the military is “working with international partners to meet our full demand” for testing equipment, in addition to working with U.S. companies.

The military has 89 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including 49 active-duty troops, 19 family members, 14 civilian and seven contract employees, the Pentagon announced Wednesday morning.

Fourteen of the 89 have been hospitalized.

Goldfein said seven of those who have been infected by the virus are active-duty airmen.

The Air Force general stressed that while the numbers are low, “we are taking it very seriously,” adding that global operations, the movement of people and supplies – including test kits – have not been interrupted.

Air Force Surgeon General, Lt. Gen. Dorothy Hogg, who spoke alongside Goldfein, said the service expects “our cases will increase, just like they are in the general public.”

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NJ Senate voting tomorrow on long list of bills addressing the coronavirus emergency

Senate Chamber, at the New Jersey State House, Trenton, New Jersey

By Frank Brill, EnviroPolitics Editor

The New Jersey Senate is scheduled to vote tomorrow (3/19/2020) on a long list of bills designed to help state and local governments, business and residents cope with the current coronavirus emergency.

Access to the State House will be restricted to lawmakers, government employees and accredited members of the media because of virus.

Following is a the voting agenda. Most, but not all, of the bills deal with the corona emergency.

A1104	Hunger-Free Students’ Bill of Rights Act-school meal info be provided to parents
A3095	Ballots-provides co. clerks with an addl. week to mail, for 2020 primary election
A3813	180-day school year requirement-permits use of virtual or remote instruction
A3840	School meal provision during epidemic-req school district provide during closure
A3841	Income tax or CBT-extends time to file if federal gov extends filing or due date
A3842	Bridging the Digital Divide in Schools Grant Program-establishes
A3843	Coronavirus disease 2019-req. health insurance & Medicaid coverage for testing
A3845	Grants-authorize EDA to make during periods of emergency declared by Governor
A3846	Temp Lost Wage Unemployment Prog-allow claim for lost wages, coronavirus 2019
A3847	Paid leave, local gov employees-provide w/out utilizing accumulated leave, cert
A3848	Infectious disease, time off work-concerns
A3849	Government record availability during emergency-modifies deadline
A3850	Public meetings during period of emergency-allows to conduct by electronic means
A3851	County & municipal budgets-extend deadlines for adoption,
A3852	State government business & session-conduct outside Trenton, period of emergency
A3854	Coronavirus 2019-authorize all licensed health facilities & labs to test
A3855	Public health emergencies-require food access info be displayed on websites
A3856	Healthcare & residential facility sanitation, coronavirus 2019;$10M
A3857	Food banks, grants;$15M
A3858	Cash payments to Work First NJ recipients-issue supplemental, cert circumstances
A3859	Foreclosure & tenant evictions-concerns prohibition during certain emergency
A3860	Telemedicine & telehealth-establish requirements to use to respond to COVID-19
A3861	Corp. hold shareholders’ meetings-during state of emerg by remote communications
A3862	Prof or occup lic-expedite individuals during state of emerg or pub health emerg
A3864	Notaries public-authorizes to perform notarial acts remotely
A3865	Food, retail stores-limits return of items
ACR165	DHS apply for federal waivers-facilitate/increase access to SNAP benefits
AJR158	Broadband access-urge FCC to secure for those affected by COVID-19
S432	Workers comp coverage-revises for injuries to volunteer and prof pub safety memb
S687	Hunger-Free Students’ Bill of Rights Act-school meal info be provided to parents
S993	Non-teaching staff-submit to binding arbitration for a disciplinary action
S1982	Ballots-provide county clerks w/an addl. week + 1 day if date falls on a holiday
S1990	Government office, unsalaried-allows member of Bd of Public Utilities to serve
S2273	SEHBP-provide plans for public education employees and certain retirees
S2275	Food banks, grants;$15M
S2276	Foreclosure & tenant evictions-concerns prohibition during certain emergency
S2281	School meal provision during epidemic-req school district provide during closure
S2282	Bridging the Digital Divide in Schools Grant Program-establishes
S2283	Coronavirus disease 2019-req. health insurance & Medicaid coverage for testing
S2284	Grants-authorize EDA to make during periods of emergency declared by Governor
S2285	Paid leave, local gov employees-provide w/out utilizing accumulated leave, cert
S2286	Coronavirus 2019-authorize all licensed health facilities & labs to test
S2287	Public health emergencies-require food access info be displayed on websites
S2288	Cash payments to Work First NJ recipients-issue supplemental, cert circumstances
S2289	Telemedicine & telehealth-establish requirements to use to respond to COVID-19
S2290	Corp. hold shareholders’ meetings-during state of emerg by remote communications
S2291	Food, retail stores-limits return of items
S2292	180-day school year requirement-permits use of virtual or remote instruction
S2293	Temp Lost Wage Unemployment Prog-allow claim for lost wages, coronavirus 2019
S2294	Public meetings during period of emergency-allows to conduct by electronic means
S2295	County & municipal budgets-extend deadlines for adoption, certain circumstances
S2296	State government business & session-conduct outside Trenton, period of emergency
S2297	Healthcare & residential facility sanitation, coronavirus 2019;$10M
S2298	Prof or occup lic-expedite individuals during state of emerg or pub health emerg
S2299	Notaries public-authorizes to perform notarial acts remotely
S2300	Income tax or CBT-extends time to file if federal gov extends filing or due date
S2301	Infectious disease, time off work-concerns
S2302	Government record availability during emergency-modifies deadline
S2303	Public school districts-concerns subcontracting agreements
SCR65	Earth Day-commemorates 50th anniversary
SCR109	DHS apply for federal waivers-facilitate/increase access to SNAP benefits
SJR77	Broadband access-urge FCC to secure for those affected by COVID-19

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BPA and babies: Controversial chemical and substitutes pollute the womb

Photo credit: Picsea/Unsplash Mar 18, 2020

Babies are being exposed to “totally unacceptable concentrations”

Lynne Peeples reports for Environmental Health News

Bisphenol A and its substitute chemicals—pervasive in food and beverage containers, canned goods and store receipts—are showing up in mothers’ wombs at “unexpectedly high levels,” according to a new study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

The study builds on previous evidence that BPA and its common replacement BPS can pass through a mother’s placenta and is the first to show the same for a range of other replacements, suggesting that fetuses are being exposed to a cocktail of chemicals linked to behavioral and reproductive disorders, among other health problems.

“We are very clearly seeing these compounds going straight to the baby at totally unacceptable concentrations,” Terrence Collins, a green chemist at Carnegie Mellon University, who was not involved in the study, told EHN.

The study, published in March, looked for 15 different bisphenols—including a BPA, BPS and other popular substitutes—in 60 pairs of maternal plasma, cord plasma and placenta samples from pregnant women in South China. Four bisphenols were frequently detected in all three samples: BPA, BPS, BPAF and BPE.

BPSIP, a relatively new compound commonly used in thermal paper for store receipts, appeared at high levels in all maternal plasma samples. The researchers note that BPSIP “exhibits a similar estrogenic potency and greater reproductive toxicity than BPA.”

“This is another shriek from nature, ‘Stop throwing BPA, or things like it, at me,'” added Collins.

The study is concerning as BPA is a known endocrine disruptor, meaning it is capable of scrambling hormone signals, and has been linked to cancer, diabetes and infertility. In-utero BPA exposure has been shown to derail the normal growth of the brain and other organs and manifest later in life as early puberty or an increase in anxiety-related behaviors or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Some replacements have been tied to similar issues including obesity and reproductive problems. The new study linked BPAF concentrations in cord plasma with both premature birth and low birth weight.

Most BPA replacements are created by tweaking the BPA molecule to form similar compounds. As a result, most pose similar health concerns. A 2017 study found that six substitutes used in products promoted as BPA-free had as much, if not more, of an estrogen-mimicking effect on human breast cancer cells as BPA.

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