Most Clicked ACC SmartBrief Stories
1. Consumer Reports finds BPA in canned food
ACC SmartBrief | Nov 04, 2009
Consumer Reports says the 19 branded canned foods it tested for bisphenol A all contained the chemical. "Our studies show that the BPA is actually in the food itself," says Urvashi Rangan, director of technical policy for Consumer Reports magazine. In response, the American Chemistry Council's Steven Hentges told ABC News the level of exposure is "about a thousand times below safety standards set by government agencies around the world." A just-released study by the Environmental Protection Agency concluded low-dose maternal exposure to BPA had no significant developmental effects on laboratory rats. KTTV-TV (Los Angeles) (11/03) ChemicalWatch.com (subscription required) (11/04) ABC News (11/04)
2. 1862-2009: Plastic innovations through history
ACC SmartBrief | Nov 02, 2009
The word "plastic" came into wide use after the trade journal Plastics was launched in 1925, according to this National Public Radio graphic timeline on the history of the material. The timeline begins in 1862, when Alexander Parkes introduced the first plastic to the Great International Exposition in London and notes the advent of such innovations as Bakelite in 1907, polyvinyl chloride in 1922 and Teflon in 1938. National Public Radio (10/30)
3. Dooley: Senate emissions bill is "a step backwards"
ACC SmartBrief | Nov 03, 2009
American Chemistry Council chief executive Cal Dooley opened a press conference held Monday by the American Materials Manufacturing Alliance to discuss concerns with an emissions bill to be debated this week by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "We had hoped when this legislation moved to the Senate that we would see further accommodations that would assure that we could protect the high-paying manufacturing jobs that are part of our industry," said Dooley, who added the draft bill is "a step backwards." USGlass News Network, The (11/02)
4. Small chemical maker plans $5 million expansion
ACC SmartBrief | Nov 03, 2009
Equinox Chemicals is planning a $5 million expansion program, including an increase in its workforce, amid rising demand for its services. Despite the recession, the company says, many of its U.S. customers are opting to have their chemicals made domestically instead of overseas. WALB-TV (Albany, Ga.) (11/02)
5. Oil refiner to change business focus, eyes sale of chemicals unit
ACC SmartBrief | Nov 06, 2009
Sunoco, which has announced a third-quarter loss of $312 million, is working to offload its chemicals division and has acquired an ethanol facility in a bid to shift its focus over the next 10 years. The Philadelphia-based company, hit by low demand for oil-based fuels and chemicals, halted production at its Eagle Point oil refinery in Westville, N.J., this week, CEO Lynn Elsenhans said. Wall Street Journal, The (11/05)
6. Senate committee brushes off Republican boycott, passes climate bill
ACC SmartBrief | Nov 06, 2009
Democrats on the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee voted 11-1 to clear the climate measure, dismissing a boycott from Republican panel members. The move indicates that the U.S. will "do what it takes to advance this issue" ahead of a U.N. summit in Copenhagen, said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., the panel's chairwoman. Republicans opposed the action, saying the Environmental Protection Agency should have performed a comprehensive economic review of the bill. Reuters (11/05) Washington Post, The (11/06)
7. DuPont board appoints CEO as its chairwoman
ACC SmartBrief | Nov 02, 2009
DuPont announced that its board of directors appointed CEO Ellen Kullman as its chairwoman, effective Dec. 31. Kullman will take over for Charles Holliday, who is set to retire after 11 years in the position. Forbes (10/30)
8. ACC rebuts consumer magazine's assertion about BPA
ACC SmartBrief | Nov 03, 2009
Traces of bisphenol A were found in almost all canned foods tested by Consumer Reports magazine, and the levels of the chemical were comparable to those found to cause health problems in a number of animal studies. The American Chemistry Council, however, criticized the findings for being at odds with those from global regulatory agencies, including the European Food Safety Authority and Health Canada. Los Angeles Times (11/03) Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (11/02)
9. BASF affirms commitment to safety at S.C. site event
ACC SmartBrief | Nov 02, 2009
BASF recently organized an environmental, health, safety and security event at its chemical site in Seneca, S.C., with state and local officials and industry leaders attending the event. The company has made significant strides as it remains committed to securing the safety of its workers, "but you can also see our journey isn't over," the site manager said. Upstate Today (South Carolina) (10/30)
10. More challenges await climate-change measure in Senate
ACC SmartBrief | Nov 02, 2009
The Senate's climate-change legislation is expected to face more problems, as the measure has deeply divided Democrats and provoked opposition from key Republicans, dimming the prospects for its approval. This comes even as Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., supported the bill, which was co-written by Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. The senators are scheduled Wednesday to talk with Energy Secretary Steven Chu, White House climate adviser Carol Browner and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar for a possible compromise on the proposal. Washington Post, The (11/02)
Sign up for ACC SmartBrief
Companies in the news
- Chemical
- ClubLink Enterprises Ltd
- Iwatani International Corp
- Praxair Distribution Inc.
- Sinochem Corporation