Morgan Advanced Materials Eliminates the
Use of TCE
|
|
In this three-minute video, Process Engineer Matt Markow of Morgan Advanced Materials describes how the company eliminated the use of TCE. |
|
Morgan Advanced Materials of New Bedford, a manufacturer of ceramic feedthroughs for medical and aerospace industries, eliminated the use of TCE used in a vapor degreaser. The company received a TURI grant to purchase a water-based cleaning system and also used TURI Lab services to test the effectiveness of various solutions to remove wax from parts.
|
|
TURI Awards Grants to Companies, Community Groups and Academia |
|
The Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) awarded $151,000 in grants to companies, community groups, small businesses and academia to reduce the use of hazardous solvents, harmful cleaning and disinfection agents and pesticides.
More than half of the grant projects will raise awareness of cleaning and disinfecting products that can cause, or make worse, asthma and other respiratory diseases that increase the severity of COVID-19. The goal of the projects is to encourage schools, small businesses, house cleaners, janitors, essential workers and vulnerable populations to use safer products and methods.
Congratulations to the following organizations:
|
|
Projects about Safer Cleaners and Disinfectants
- Family Martial Arts Center of Leominster and Fitchburg
- The Clean Water Fund of Boston (with partners MassCOSH, the Resilient Sisterhood Project, Vida Verde Women’s Co-op of the Brazilian Women’s Group and the American Federation of Teachers/Massachusetts Chapter)
- Brazilian Women's Group of Brighton
- Informed Green Solutions of Deerfield
- Silent Spring Institute of Newton
Projects about Safer Solvents for Manufacturing and Dry Cleaning
- Assistant Professor Wan-Ting (Grace) Chen of Plastics Engineering at UMass Lowell is partnering with Johnson Matthey of North Andover and Devens.
- Steel Art Company, Inc. of Norwood
- Grove Hall Cleaners of Dorchester
Project about Pesticide Reduction
- Wellspring Harvest Corporation of Springfield
|
|
New TURA Data Online Tool Spotlights Toxics Use in Massachusetts |
|
TURI is pleased to announced the newly designed Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) Data online tool. Simply click on a chemical, company or town to view charts that make it easy to understand toxic chemical use in Massachusetts.
The TURA Data online tool pulls data reported to MassDEP by more than 400 companies that otherwise use more than 10,000 lbs., or manufacturer or process over 25,000 lbs., of a listed chemical, and use over 1,000 lbs. of a higher hazard substance per year.
Whether you are a manager, worker, community organizer or legislator, you will find the data useful. This "right to know" information provides insights into comparable usage amounts and trends in companies and communities.
|
|
Continuing Education Virtual Conference |
|
|
|
Registration is open for the virtual Continuing Education Conference on Tuesday, Oct. 27 and Thursday, Nov. 5. Learn more.
|
|
In lieu of the regular in-person conference, we are offering four 90-minute online sessions which, if you attend all, will provide 12 TUR Planner CE credits. In addition, you'll have opportunities at Noon to network and hear an update from the TURA program agencies. The session topics are:
- Safer Cleaning and Disinfecting for Massachusetts Businesses
- Using the New TURA Data Site
- Successful TUR Implementation Stories
- Economics Evaluations 102
|
|
New Case Studies: Companies Save Money, Reduce Toxics |
|
|
|
Morgan Advanced Materials, New Bedford |
Morgan eliminated the use of TCE by investing in a new aqueous cleaning system.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Umicore Electrical Materials USA, Inc., Attleboro |
Umicore identified and purchased a new vacuum degreaser that's used with a
new, safer cleaning solvent blend.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fat Moon Mushrooms, Chelmsford |
Working with the TURI Lab, Fat Moon Mushrooms found a safer alternative to bleach to remove mold and bacteria from the growing area.
|
|
|
|
Call for Information on Carbon Nanotubes and Carbon Nanofibers, and Quaternary Ammonium Compounds |
|
The TURA Program has received a petition to list carbon nanotubes (both single-walled and multi-walled) and carbon nanofibers. The TURA Science Advisory Board (SAB) is beginning the process of reviewing these substances and is seeking additional information from stakeholders. For more information about nanomaterials, see TURI’s Nanomaterials Fact Sheet.
The SAB has also initiated a review of quaternary ammonium compounds, which are active ingredients in many disinfectant products, in addition to many other uses. TURI is gathering information and welcomes scientific information contributed by stakeholders.
|
|
Farewell to Felice Kincannon |
|
Felice Kincannon's last day at TURI is this Friday, Oct. 2nd. She's taking a well-earned retirement. We appreciate all she has done keeping TURI’s information and communications work on track and wish her the best. |
|
Reminder: TURI staff are available via email, phone or Zoom to talk about TUR planning, training, research, grants, lab testing plans or other issues.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
