October 10, 2007 According to Daniel J. Meckstroth, Ph.D., Chief Economist for the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI, the August 2007 report shows that the August decline in manufacturing is a readjustment of production schedules following unsustainably strong production growth in the prior 2 months. Manufacturing production was revised up in June and July from 0.6% to 0.7% each month. Meckstroth also said that export demand is keeping factories' output expanding.

October 10, 2007 The MAPI paper, Cross-Border Regulations of Tax Shelters: The Implied Economic Substance Doctrine, describes judicial responses to cross-border tax shelters. The first part discusses the judiciary's response in Australia, Canada, the UK, and the U.S., while the second part describes the efforts of international organizations to curb tax shelters. A discussion of the potential for additional international regulation of tax shelters is presented in its conclusion.

October 10, 2007 John E. Shelk, President and CEO of the EPSA, announced the addition of Sharon Royka Theodore to EPSA's regulatory team as Director of Regulatory Affairs. Theodore served as manager of regulatory affairs at the NiSource, Inc. Washington, D.C. office for 8 years and also helped open the Washington, D.C. office for TransCanada Pipelines, representing the company before various federal agencies including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

October 10, 2007 The EPSA was advised today that the U.S. Supreme Court has granted review of Ninth Circuit court cases involving market-based rate authority and Mobile Sierra contract protection as supported by the EPSA. John E. Shelk said uncertainty created by the Ninth Circuit decisions could prove costly for consumers and suppliers alike. He also said that the EPSA looks forward to participating in the Supreme Court's consideration of the merits of the case.

October 10, 2007 EPSA member NRG Energy has filed an application with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to build 2 new nuclear generating units. According to John E. Shelk, the announcement is a major milestone not only for nuclear power, but for the strength of competitive electricity markets. The units proposed for the South Texas Project nuclear power station site will provide 2,700 megawatts of capacity, enough to provide power for more than 2 million homes.

October 9, 2007 The Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA), along with CropLife America and Natural Resources Defense Council, called Congressional passage of the Pesticide Registration Improvement Renewal Act (PRIA) a victory for cooperative public policy development. The act was originally passed in 2003 and provided $200 million to fund EPA Office of Pesticide Programs. The renewal legislation will extend the assessment of those fees in industry through 2012.

October 9, 2007 RIA's fall conference has been expanded to incorporate all industry segments: disaster restoration, environmental remediation, as well as sessions specifically for the NIRC Division. Scheduled for October 23-27, 2007, it will include 2 plant tours as well as sessions on the use of chemicals in restoration and hazards surrounding trauma scene clean up. Also offered is Project Management and Risk Assessment Considerations for Restoration and Environmental Contractors.

October 9, 2007 The BSA has released Understanding Linear Actuators, which addresses a technology increasingly used to bring new linear motion products to market. It covers the basic design and function of electrically driven actuators, focusing on primary differences in the support structure, the drive, and the linear bearing. These considerations drive the performance of the actuator, including the velocity, acceleration, load capacity, length, precision, accuracy, and reliability.

October 9, 2007 Patti Harman, RIA's Director of Communications and Editor-in-Chief of Cleaning & Restoration Magazine, was awarded the 2007 Apex Award for her feature article entitled: Preserving Priceless Documents Damaged by Katrina. The article visually described the process involved in rescuing and preserving three centuries worth of New Orleans' history in documents dating all the way back to the 1700s.

October 9, 2007 At the Congress Centre South in the Dusseldorf Fairgrounds, SPE Europe training courses offered will include Ways to Reduce Life Cycle Costs in Injection Moulding as well as 5 other seminars discussing plastic additives, fundamentals of thermoforming, mould making and mould design, injection moulding, and failure analysis and prevention. Improving Quality & Tool Efficiency in Injection Moulding, Gas Assist Injection, and Advances in Extrusion Technology conferences will also be held.

October 8, 2007 On Sept 26, USEPA issued final revisions to Lead and Copper Rule, making 7 regulatory changes in areas of sampling, monitoring, customer notification, public education, and lead-service-line testing and replacement. Rule requires state approval before public water systems can add new source of water or change treatment process - matters affecting optimized corrosion control - prior to implementation. Depending on state, rule adoption may take effect in 6 months or 2 years.

October 5, 2007 Addressing clean water funding rally held by Environment and Public Works Committee Chair and Water Infrastructure Network, ASCE urges Congress to renew federal investment in nation's vital water and wastewater infrastructure, or risk reversing public health, environmental, and economic gains of past 3 decades. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee must renew authority of State Revolving Loan Fund program and bring bill to full Senate before year end.

October 5, 2007 ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1 provides minimum requirements for energy-efficient design of buildings except low-rise residential buildings. Fourteen proposed addenda to standard are open for public comment. For example, under proposed addendum l, closed circuit cooling tower requirements to help reduce energy consumption would be added to standard. Addendum n extends variable air volume fan requirements for large single-zone units.

October 5, 2007 Next January, AWWA Board of Directors will select 1 of 3 candidates as Association's next president-elect. Candidates include Luis Aguiar of Florida Section, Pat Lachmaniuk of Ontario Section, and Craig Woolard of Alaska Section. All three share common view of AWWA as the primary component of their success in drinking water industry. President-elect will serve 1-year term, beginning in June 2008, and become AWWA president in June 2009.

October 5, 2007 Nilaksh Kothari, President of AWWA and Rodney Tart, President of NRWA signed Memo of Understanding affirming each association's common goals and declaring their intent to work closely together in the future. MOU states that common goals are to advance education, science and technology; to disseminate technical information and provide training assistance; to increase public understanding; to promote sound public policy, and to improve trust and confidence between AWWA and NRWA.

October 5, 2007 In September 2007, ANSI welcomed Financial Services Technology Consortium, Institute for Triple Helix Innovation, JS Construction and Building, LLC, Maryland Aviation Administration, MickyBay Limited, Polo Ralph Lauren, TraceSecurity, and Virelec Ltd. Constituency works together to strengthen competitiveness of businesses operating in global marketplace and to improve quality of life by developing, implementing, and promulgating voluntary consensus standards and conformance assessment systems.

October 5, 2007 On Oct 5, ANSI Caucus will feature Andrew Persily, Vice President of ASHRAE, who will discuss standards and future of built environment. Dr. Persily is a member of ASHRAE Board of Directors and Executive Committee and serves as vice chair of Technology Council. ASHRAE Fellow and group leader at NIST, Dr. Persily has received Distinguished Service Award as well as Standards Achievement Award.

October 5, 2007 ANSI has initiated 30-day letter ballot to appoint 11 Director-at-Large seats on Institute's Board of Directors. Candidates have been recommended to ANSI membership by nominating committee and are being considered for 3-year term commencing Jan 1, 2008. Designated voting representative of each full or basic member has been sent an e-mail containing electronic copy of official letter ballot. Responses are requested as soon as possible but no later than Nov 2, 2007.

October 5, 2007 Scheduled for Oct 20, 2007 to Dec 4, 2007, public comment period will focus on ASCE/SEI's second supplement to its ASCE 7-05 standard. Purpose of standard is to provide minimum load requirements for design of buildings and other structures that are subject to building code requirements. Supplement addresses changes to seismic design requirements for building and non-building structures.

October 4, 2007 OSHA is inviting the public to participate in its informal stakeholder meeting on Occupational Exposure to Diacetyl and Food Flavorings Containing Diacetyl. Being held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 17, 2007, at the Crowne Plaza Washington National Airport Hotel, the meeting will address uses of diacetyl, approaches used to assess exposure, available exposure data, controls utilized to minimize exposure including substitutes, and medical screening and surveillance.