SAN FRANCISCO, December 1, 2010 (Water Tech) — EPA fines city landfill more than $300,000 for improper PCB management

WASHINGTON, December 2, 2010 (Water Tech) — CDC: Lead contamination may be widespread in Washington, D.C.

DES MOINES, IOWA, December 3, 2010 (Water Tech) — Tests reveal high nitrate levels in Iowa town’s drinking water

WASHINGTON, December 3, 2010 (Water Tech) — Residential homebuilder fined $925,000 for stormwater violations in 21 states

LAS VEGAS, December 8, 2010 (Water Tech) — Multi-Pure International celebrates 40 years in business

EPA fines city landfill more than $300,000 for improper PCB management

SAN FRANCISCO, December 1, 2010 (Water Tech) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fined Chemical Waste Management Inc. (CWM) more than $300,000 for failure to properly manage PCBs at its Kettleman Hills Hazardous Waste Landfill in Kings County, Calif., according to a press release.

EPA regulations and facility specific permit requirements require that PCBs are properly tracked, stored and disposed.

During a series of 2010 inspections, EPA investigators found that CWM improperly managed PCBs at the facility, the release stated.

“Companies charged with safely disposing of society’s most toxic materials need to rigorously follow the protective laws established to secure both the public safety and public trust,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA regional administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Violations of federal environmental laws at the Kettleman hazardous waste facility are unacceptable.”

Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure Drinking Water Systems have been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53 to reduce PCB.

CDC: Lead contamination may be widespread in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, December 2, 2010 (Water Tech) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report yesterday warning that the water in nearly 15,000 homes in Washington, D.C. may be contaminated with lead, The Washington Post reported.

The homes in question were part of a $93 million effort by the city to replace thousands of lead pipes, the article stated.

CDC stated that homeowners who had pipes only partially replaced may have worsened the problem, according to the report.

“Partial lead service line replacements don’t always work and in fact can cause sometimes more harm than good,” said George Hawkins, general manager of D.C. Water. “We thought it was a good idea until the data started showed that it wasn’t.”

Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure Drinking Water Systems have been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53 to reduce Lead.

Tests reveal high nitrate levels in Iowa town’s drinking water

DES MOINES, IOWA, December 3, 2010 (Water Tech) — The eastern Iowa town of Dixon discovered high levels of nitrates in its drinking water during routine testing on Thursday, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Due to the serious health risks associated with nitrates, city officials have urged residents with infants to use bottled water until the issue is resolved, the article stated.

The city is working with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to determine the source of the nitrates, according to the story.

Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure’s MP750 Plus RO has been certified by NSF International, under Standard 58, to reduce Nitrate/Nitrite.

Residential homebuilder fined $925,000 for stormwater violations in 21 states

WASHINGTON, December 3, 2010 (Water Tech) — Beazer Homes USA Inc., a national residential homebuilder, has agreed to pay a $925,000 civil penalty to resolve alleged Clean Water Act violations at its construction sites in 21 states, according to a press release. As part of the settlement, Beazer will also implement a company-wide stormwater program to improve compliance with stormwater runoff requirements at current and future construction sites around the country, the release stated.

“Contaminated stormwater puts children and families at risk as it may carry pollutants, including sediment, debris and pesticides that contribute to water quality problems. These pollutants affect our nation’s rivers, lakes and sources of drinking water,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance and Assurance. “Today’s settlement will help protect public health and the environment by requiring Beazer to meet the requirements of our nation’s environmental laws and improve its oversight of its construction facilities.”

Multi-Pure International celebrates 40 years in business

LAS VEGAS, December 8, 2010 (Water Tech) — Multi-Pure International, a manufacturer and distributor of solid carbon block filters and drinking water treatment devices, announced that it is celebrating its 40th anniversary, according to a press release.

Multi-Pure was founded on Dec. 7, 1970 as a marketing company, selling point-of-use drinking water systems door-to-door in the Los Angeles area.

By the mid 1970s, the company had developed the carbon block filter, and was actively manufacturing for its own Multi-Pure brand as well as the OEM market, the release stated. In 1982, Multi-Pure opened a network marketing program, which is still active, with thousands of successful independent distributors across the country.

Today Multi-Pure and its manufacturing subsidiary, Carbon Block Technology, are located in Las Vegas, with an additional manufacturing subsidiary, CB Tech Shanghai, located in China, according to the release.