www.ushalonbank.com   1.800.433.1751                                         April 2016 - Vol 2, Issue 51
                            
News
EPA to Issue New SNAP List - 2BTP Advances
California Continues Its Attack on HFCs
What's Wrong With This Story?
Another Dubai Tower Fire
Why are Super Yachts Catching Fire?
HFC Emissions from Fire Suppression Drop 8% over 2013
By the Numbers
Most Popular Stories from March 2016
Companies in the News
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vesselBreaking News: Multiple System Failures Caused Engine Room Fire Aboard Bulk Carrier
Source: ATSB

Halon System Fails to Fully Discharge - Room Ineffectively Sealed -  Maintenance Faulted

4/20/16

SAFETY4SEA

ATSB has issued report regarding a fire which started in the engine room of the bulk carrier Marigold, while it was loading a cargo of iron ore in Port Hedland, Western Australia. Firefighting by the ship's crew included activating the Halon gas fixed fire suppression system for the engine room. However, a full release of Halon gas did not occur, nor was the engine room effectively sealed. Consequently, the fire continued for about 12 hours until it burnt itself out.

The ATSB determined that the fire began on Marigold's number one generator after a fuel oil pipe fitting on it failed. The resulting spray of fuel oil likely contacted a hot surface on the generator and ignited. The deployment of the ship's Halon gas fixed fire suppression system was ineffective, as a full release of Halon gas did not occur and the engine room was not effectively sealed.

Click here to read the entire story.

Click here to read the entire report.
 

EPA to Issue New SNAP List - 2BTP Advances

CEA410 Pulled. Calls for Comments on HFC227 and HFC125.
 
The U.S. EPA issued a proposed rule that would list new alternatives under the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program and changes the current SNAP status of other alternatives.

The proposed rule is expected to be published in the Federal Register within 10 days.  
 
For fire protection, the rule lists 2bromo3,3,3trifluoropropene (2BTP) as acceptable as a total flooding agent for use in engine nacelles and auxiliary power units (APUs) on aircraft, and acceptable as a streaming agent for use in handheld extinguishers in aircraft.  EPA is reviewing additional potential fire suppression applications for 2-BTP, but is not taking action on those other uses in this proposed rule.
 
It also changes the SNAP status of  perfluorocarbons (PFC-410 and PFC-218) to unacceptable as of one year after publication of the rule.

Click here to read the rest of the information, review the revised EPA SNAP and the EPA SNAP Fact Sheet.

 

California Continues Its Attack on HFCs

April 2016

The Calfornia Air Resources Board (CARB) issued a Proposed Short Lived Climate Pollutants Strategy which includes possible controls on methane, black carbon and HFCs.

For HFCs, the strategy proposes the following emission reduction measures:
  • Financial incentive for low-GWP refrigeration early adoption - Intended to reduce potentially higher up-front costs of low-GWP refrigeration adoption.
  • HFC supply phasedown - ARB may pursue a California HFC supply phase down if an HFC amendment is not adopted under the Montreal Protocol in 2016.
  • Sales ban of very-high GWP refrigerants - Sale of refrigerants with 100-year GWPs of 2500 and greater would be prohibited from January 1, 2020. Reclaimed or recycled refrigerants would be exempt. Does not impact the sale of high-GWP HFCs for fire protection or other applications.
  • Prohibition on high-GWP refrigerants in new stationary systems - Prohibits the use of high-GWP refrigerants in new commercial, industrial and residential refrigeration and air conditioning equipment.
Read the rest of the information and see the presentation here.
 

What's Wrong With This Story?
FDNY and EMS are on scene after a unknown white discharge covered asphalt and cars in the parking lot of Costco Wholesale in New Springville. Steve White for the Staten Island Advance

4/6/16

By Shane DiMaio
SILive.com

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- FDNY and EMS workers responded to Costco in New Springville after a fire suppression liquid was discharged from the roof of the gas station at the wholesale store.

The substance released was Halon, a cleaning agent used to control fires at gas pumps, according to a spokesman for the FDNY. The spokesman said that no fire had been reported from the scene.

Five people who were affected by the Halon discharge refused medical attention, the spokesman added.

Click here to read the entire story.
 

Another Dubai Tower Fire

3/30/16

By Neil Wallington
Gulf Fire

The life-threatening problem of flammable external cladding panels on modern high rise tower blocks raised its ugly head again when fire broke out on a 30 storey residential tower in Ajman, UAE, at 2145 hrs on Monday 28 March 2016.

The fire originated in Tower Six of the Ajman One complex and quickly spread to affect two identical adjacent towers. Civil Defence fire crews from Ajman and nearby Sharjah tackled the fire whilst a full evacuation of residents took place.

The fires were finally contained in the early morning, although firefighters remained in attendance cooling the fire-damaged structure and the contents of many badly damaged apartments for many hours.

Click here to read the entire article.
 

Why are Super Yachts Catching Fire?

4/11/16

Bloomberg News

It started with a puff of smoke, seeping slowly into the clear and sunny St. Thomas air on a mid-March afternoon. "I went into a meeting, and when I came out, it was very on fire," recalled Ryan Nichols, who witnessed Positive Energy, a reportedly $2.5 million yacht, go up in flames.

The now-ironically named yacht was hauled off to sea to avoid damaging other vessels, which was the case when two multimillion-dollar yachts caught fire in the Abu Dhabi Marina Yacht Club in early March, taking six boats with them. Two months earlier, a fire damaged two superyachts at a marina in Marmaris, Turkey, and another superyacht, the 95-foot Queen Anna, burned in Fethiye, Turkey.

Click here to continue reading this article.
 

HFC Emissions from Fire Suppression Drop 8% over 2013

April 2016

20 Companies Participate

The Halon Alternative Research Corporation has released its report of the HFC Emissions Estimating Program (HEEP) data collection for the years 2002-2014.  HEEP is an important program for the fire protection industry and has been highlighted by the US Environmental Protection Agency in its ozone protection progress reports.  With the continued focus on HFCs and climate change, it is important to have accurate emissions data and to show leadership on the issue by the fire protection industry.

Click here to see the entire report.
 

By the Numbers

Special HEEP/HARC Edition

2
Percent of Greenhouse Gases in the atmosphere represented by HFCs
3
Percent of total HFC emissions contributed  by fire suppression gases
8
Percent decrease in Fire Suppression HFCs 2014 v 2013 according to HEEP survey
22
Number of reporting companies - all U.S. Based
2,900
Global Warming Potential of HFC227
11,700
Global Warming Potential of HFC 23
0.149
Million Metric Tons of Carbon Equivalent discharged into the atmosphere by 22 Fire Suppression Companies in 2014
103.9
Million Metric Tons of Carbon Equivalent discharged into the atmosphere by refrigeration and air conditioners


honeywellHoneywell Appoints New Pres, Sets Up Succession Plan
Honeywell CEO David Cote, above from last year, has overseen the growth of the company into a well-respected midsize industrial conglomerate. Photo: Bloomberg News

4/4/16

By Ted Mann
The Wall Street Journal

Executive changes come a month after Honeywell ended its $90 billion bid for United Technologies

Honeywell International Inc. promoted one of its executives to the newly created position of president and chief operating officer, establishing a front-runner to succeed Chief Executive Dave Cote, who has run the conglomerate since 2002.

Mr. Cote, who turns 64 years old in July, could retire as CEO as soon as next year when his current contract expires, according to a person familiar with the matter, though his plans could change.

The longtime Honeywell boss decided to promote one of his lieutenants to ensure a smooth succession process, this person said, after Honeywell failed to strike a deal to acquire rival United Technologies Inc. that would have required Mr. Cote to stay on longer.

Click here to finish reading this story.
 

dupontDuPont or Chemours - Who Gets Stuck With Clean Up Bill?
The Chemours building in downtown Wilmington, DE. (Photo: Kyle Grantham/The News Journal)

4/3/16

By Jeff Mordock
The News Journal

DuPont could have trouble getting money back from Chemours

DuPont is facing some 3,500 lawsuits and more than $1 billion in potential liability for improperly dumping the toxic chemical C8, used in the manufacturing of Teflon, at its Washington Works plant near Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Releasing the chemical through outflow pipes into the Ohio River, up the plant's industrial chimneys and at two unlined company landfills is blamed for widespread illnesses in the region.

Experts say the liability will do little to derail DuPont's proposed $130 billion merger with The Dow Chemical Co., but could have dire consequences for Chemours, the performance chemical company DuPont spun off last July - about six months after it left downtown Wilmington for the suburbs.

Read the full story here.
 

tycoTyco Moves Forward with Innovation Centers - Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv

4/1/16

By SSI Staff

New centers in the Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv will leverage the manufacturer's technology, expertise, and global services business.

CORK, Ireland - Tyco has opened innovation centers in the Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv, which the company said are aimed at "solving broader customer problems while championing startups in security, fire protection and smart connected technologies." More centers are planned to open in other locations later in the year.

"We're constantly looking for smarter solutions to customers' challenges, and increasingly those solutions go beyond a fire protection or security purpose to improve their overall operations and advance their core mission," says Tyco CTO Daryll Fogal. "Tyco's innovation centers will be at the heart of this drive, combining local vibrant startup cultures with Tyco's expertise and global business to spur growth through innovation.

Read the rest of the story by clicking here.
 

tycojciNew Fed Regs Should Not Scuttle Tyco-JCI Merger

4/8/16

By David Whiston, CFA, CPA, CFE
Morningstar

The deal makes strategic sense, and we're maintaining our fair value estimates.

On April 4, the U.S. Department of Treasury proposed a new framework designed to block tax inversion deals. This brings into question the merger between Johnson Controls and Tyco International announced in January. In a Tyco S-4 filing on April 5, the companies said they are reviewing the Treasury Department's proposal but will not make any statements regarding its possible impact until the review is completed. We think the merger will still take place, with JCI owning about 56% of the combined company. We are not changing our fair value estimate for either company.

Click here to continue reading this story.
 


utcUTC Aerospace Machinists Vote to Strike
During a public unveiling of an $8 Million lab at UTC Aerospace Systems Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy examines a conventionally built heat exchange unit that the lab will begin building with an additive system using Laser powder bed fusion. (Mark Mirko/Hartford Courant)

4/7/16

Hartford Courant

The deal makes strategic sense, and we're maintaining our fair value estimates.

On April 4, the U.S. Department of Treasury proposed a new framework designed to block tax inversion deals. This brings into question the merger between Johnson Controls and Tyco International announced in January. In a Tyco S-4 filing on April 5, the companies said they are reviewing the Treasury Department's proposal but will not make any statements regarding its possible impact until the review is completed. We think the merger will still take place, with JCI owning about 56% of the combined company. We are not changing our fair value estimate for either company.

Click here to read the entire story.
 

keystoneKeystone Fire Protection (PA) Acquires Marco

4/5/16

Daily Local News

Marco Inc., an Exton area-based fire sprinkler contracting company, has been purchased by KPI Holdings Inc., KPI President and CEO John M. Lawlor announced.

The company will be rebranded Marco Protection Systems LLC and will retain its current staff and headquarters in Exton, the companies said in an announcement.

KPI Holdings is also the owner and parent company of Keystone Fire Protection Co., another company specializing in the sale and service of life safety systems, with its corporate headquarters in North Wales.

Read the rest of this article here.
 

centuryCentury Fire Protection (GA) Acquired by First Service Corp.

4/6/16

By GlobalNewswire
Nasdaq

Broadens Service Capabilities with Addition of Leading Fire Protection and Safety Services Provider

TORONTO -- FirstService Corporation announced that it has acquired Century Fire Protection ("Century"), one of the largest full-service fire protection companies in the Southeastern United States. The acquisition adds an important service capability to FirstService's portfolio of essential property services. Scott Tutterow, Founder and CEO of Century, will continue to lead the operations and retain a minority stake alongside senior management. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Click here to finish reading this article.
 

jensenJensen-Hughes Acquires Aon (Formerly Schirmer Engineering)

4/5/16

Business Wire

Broadens Service Capabilities with Addition of Leading Fire Protection and Safety Services Provider

BALTIMORE -- Jensen Hughes, the global market leader in the fire protection engineering, fire code consulting and related life safety services industry, announced that it has completed the acquisition of Aon Fire Protection Engineering Corporation ("Aon FPE"). Formerly known as Schirmer Engineering, Aon FPE is one of the leading global providers of fire protection engineering, fire code consulting and security services to commercial, industrial and government facilities through 15 office locations in North America and a significant presence in the Middle East. Jensen Hughes is majority-owned by Gryphon Investors, a middle market private equity firm based in San Francisco, which purchased the Company in partnership with management in December 2015. Terms of this transaction were not disclosed.

Read the rest of the article here.
 

Most Popular Stories from March 2016 


   

 

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