The NEWH Sustainable Hospitality Committee brings back the popular Green Voice Conversations for a third year, to be held during the May 2014 HDExpo in Las Vegas, featuring a combination of panel discussions and 1-on-1 interviews.

Shawano, WI -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/18/2014 -- The NEWH Sustainable Hospitality Committee announces the return of the extremely popular Green Voice™ Conversations during the upcoming HDExpo in Las Vegas, May 14-15-16, 2014 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center. The live sessions will feature a combination of 1-on-1 interviews in The Social Hub booth #1955 during show hours open to all show attendees and a CEU-accredited panel discussion in the HD conference meeting rooms for paid conference pass holders.

Green Voice is now in it’s 3rd year, continuing to grow in scope and popularity each year. This year’s sessions headline 8 industry experts actively involved in sustainable practices across many facets of hospitality, lodging, dining, and business. Presenters, moderators, and speakers will lead the audience through 5 fascinating conversations covering sustainable principles and practices that impact the hospitality industry from a unique range of perspectives.

“The NEWH Sustainable Hospitality Committee has been addressing sustainability for a very long time and our Green Voice programs are one of the ways we get to share this with the expanded hospitality community,” states David Mahood of Olive Hospitality Consulting. Mr. Mahood – one of the early members of the NEWH Sustainable Hospitality committee - is an interviewer and will moderate the panel during Green Voice.

Wed, May 14, 2014 events:
11:30AM @ The Social Hub, booth #1955:  “The Far Ranging Impact of the Food We Serve in our Restaurants. What you Need to Know.”

Helen Reed of HL Reed Design & SEElogix interviewing Susan Wolfla Executive Chef of Mandalay Bay Resort

12 Noon@ The Social Hub, booth #1955: NEWH Sustainable Design Competition Student Scholarship Award Presentations

1:00PM@ The Social Hub, booth #1955:  “Large Companies don’t have to have Large Environmental Footprints: MGM Resorts’ Ongoing Commitment to Organic Design and Development.” Glenn Hasek of Green Lodging News interviewing Todd Megrath Dir. Sustainability Strategies at MGM Resorts-

Thurs, May 15, 2014 events
11:00 AM @ The Social Hub, booth #1955: “The Vision of Fred Stitt: How the Award Winning Educator and Architect in the Field of Ecological Design Sees the World.” David Mahood of Olive Hospitality interviewing Fred Stitt, Founder of San Francisco Institute of Architecture

1:30PM @ Conference Center Meeting Rooms: “Rendering Nature: How Organic Design impacts the Hospitality Industry from Soil, Food, and Waste to Architecture and Development.” David Mahood of Olive Hospitality Consulting moderating a roundtable panel discussion with Tom Herlihy of Worm Power, Fred A. Stitt of San Francisco Institute of Architecture, Todd Megrath of MGM Resorts, and Susan Wolfla of Mandalay Bay Resort (qualifies for .1 CEU or 1.0 LU and requires a paid conference pass for entry)

3:30PM @ The Social Hub, booth #1955:  “A Million Worms, Organic Waste, Perfect Soil. The Incredible Story of Worm Power.” Dina Belon-Sayre of Mindclick Global interviewing Tom Herlihy, CEO, Worm Power

All live interviews will be at The Social Hub booth #1955 during show hours and are open to all registered attendees and exhibitors to join in the audience at no extra charge. The roundtable panel discussion is part of the conference seminar pass and will be held in the conference breakout rooms and qualifies for .1 CEU or 1.0 LU. To register for the conference and show go to www.HDexpo.com, for more info on NEWH Green Voice™ presentations go to www.NEWH.org/Sustainability/Green-Voice-Events/ or on facebook at facebook.com/pages/NEWH-Sustainable-Hospitality/142978265731918

About NEWH (http://www.NEWH.org)
NEWH-The Hospitality Industry Network, founded in 1985, is an international non-profit organization with 18 chapters and 5 regional groups of volunteer industry professionals who raise funds and grant scholarships to college students studying design, architecture, purchasing, and management focused on the lodging and restaurant markets. NEWH is the premiere industry networking organization whose volunteers have granted more than $3 million in scholarships over 25 years by networking at local, regional, and international architecture, design, and hospitality events.

For more information contact:

Adrienne Pumphrey
NEWH Director of Sustainable Hospitality
adrienne@atmospherehospitalitymanagement.com, 303.522.7004

Dina Belon
NEWH VP of Sustainable Hospitality
dbelon@mindclicksgm.com, 407.345.4438

Andy Schaidler
NEWH Sustainable Committee - Public Relations
andy@pursol.com, 414.431.3687

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/back-by-popular-demand-newh-sustainable-green-voice-returns-to-hdexpo-2014-463614.htm

The International Dark-Sky Association recognizes the Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park and is pleased to acknowledge the work of Mayland Community College (MCC) for protecting the dark sky.

Tucson, AZ -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/24/2014 -- The Appalachian Mountains of have stood as silent witnesses to the uninterrupted rain of starlight for nearly a half-billion years, but artificial light now threatens this nightly show. In honor of notable local efforts to preserve the natural nighttime landscape of North Carolina, the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) announced today it has designated the first International Dark Sky Park in the southeastern United States.

In recognizing the Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park, IDA is pleased to acknowledge the work of Mayland Community College (MCC) in preserving a threatened dark-sky location while advancing its educational mission and vision of bringing the experience of primeval night to locals and visitors alike.

“While it is one of the smaller parks in our program, we expect Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park to make a big splash as a Silver-tier International Dark-Sky Park,” said IDA Executive Director Bob Parks.

The Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park is situated six miles west of Spruce Pine, North Carolina, in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The six-acre (2.4-hectare) site, surrounded by rugged mountain terrain and the Pisgah National Forest, is owned by Yancey County (NC) and managed by MCC. It is co-located with the EnergyXchange, a project in which methane waste gas emitted by an old landfill heats horticultural greenhouses and artists’ studios.

Jon Wilmesherr, MCC Director of Learning Resources Center and Distance Education who led the effort to secure the IDA award, is optimistic that the Star Park will serve as a model for land management by colleges and universities. “I hope other educational institutions will consider the benefits of sponsoring an IDA star park, where the demonstration of lighting conservation can lead visitors to a better understanding of the urgent need for the preservation of the natural night sky,” Wilmesherr said.

A Park of Many Firsts
While each dark sky site recognized by IDA offers its own particular set of features, Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park has several characteristics that are unique among the 29 worldwide International Dark Sky Places. It is the first:
- located in the southeastern United States;
- operating under an institution of higher learning; and
- having outdoor lighting consisting entirely of fully-shielded, low-color-temperature light emitting diode (LED) fixtures upon receiving IDA recognition.

Given administrative oversight by a single organization and the few artificial lights already at the EnergyXchange, converting all of the site’s fixtures to dark-sky-friendly LED was straightforward and cost effective. MCC hopes the Star Park will be a regional leader in the implementation of such novel, energy-efficient lighting technologies at public facilities.

The Blue Ridge Astronomy Group (BRAG), a local amateur astronomy society, was instrumental in supporting MCC’s application to the Dark Sky Places Program. According to Bob Hampton, BRAG President, “Our Star Park will begin life as an isolated oasis of darkness mostly surrounded by a desert of light pollution, but our efforts will help that oasis to grow and expand – to push back against the sky glow.”

“We have an incredible opportunity to be an example to others who might go home and take another look at the lighting and light pollution where they live, and realize that it doesn’t need to be that way,” Hampton said.

New Life for an Old Site
The EnergyXchange is among the pioneers of waste gas utilization on small, rural landfills, and is one of the nation’s model energy recovery projects. It captures an amount of carbon in the form of methane gas equivalent to planting 14,000 acres (5,666 hectares) of trees or taking 21,000 cars off North Carolina roads each year according to Environmental Protection Agency estimates. Its presence has transformed the disused landfill, built atop a former mica mine, into a local center of activity for artists and agriculturalists alike. The latest rebirth of the site focuses on a different natural resource: dark night skies.

Identifying the Star Park for potential IDA recognition began soon after MCC assumed management of the site in 2013. MCC, ranked among the top community colleges in the United States, plans to situate an observatory on the property featuring a state-of-the-art 34-inch (0.87-meter) telescope dedicated to educational and public outreach activities. The Samuel L. Phillips Family Foundation, a local nonprofit organization, provided funding for fabrication of the telescope’s main mirror.

Dr. John Boyd, President of MCC, anticipates significant benefits to the community from locating the telescope under the dark skies at Blue Ridge Star Park. “This entirely public observatory will offer evening and late night viewing through the largest public telescope in the southeast,” Boyd said. “Our observing programs will provide an interesting, affordable, and educational family outing for the people of western North Carolina and the region.”

MCC will partner with BRAG to offer dedicated on-site programming for quarterly dark sky events, as well as to implement a long-term plan to monitor the quality of the night sky over the Star Park for years to come.

About the IDA Dark Sky Places Program
IDA established the International Dark Sky Places conservation program in 2001 to recognize excellent stewardship of the night sky. Designations are based on stringent outdoor lighting standards and innovative community outreach. Since the program began, six Communities, 15 parks and eight reserves have received International Dark Sky designations. For more information about the International Dark Sky Places Program, visit http://darksky.org/night-sky-conservation/dark-sky-places.

About IDA
The International Dark Sky Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Tucson, Arizona, advocates for the protection of the nighttime environment and dark night skies by educating policymakers and the public on the subject of night sky conservation and by promoting environmentally responsible outdoor lighting. More information about IDA and its mission may be found at http://www.darksky.org.

Media Inquiries:
International Dark-Sky Association
- Dr. John Barentine (Dark Sky Places Program Manager) john@darksky.org; +1 520 293 3198

Mayland Community College
- Mr. Jon Wilmesherr (Director of Learning Resources Center and Distance Education) jwilmesherr@mayland.edu; +1 828 766 1360

Images
- A Quonset hut used as an artist studio at the EnergyXchange http://bit.ly/1h6Z19x
- The summer Milky Way above Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park http://bit.ly/1h6ZiJz
(Both images, credit: Todd Bush)

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/first-international-dark-sky-park-in-the-southeast-us-designated-466554.htm

Abingdon, VA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/25/2014 -- As warehouses and supermarkets often possess an excess of bottled and canned beverages, much of the cases have a potential to expire before arriving on the floor. Selling expired drinks can lead to a variety of illnesses and corporate backlash when a problem ensues. To avoid this problem altogether and free up shelf space in the warehouse for new beverage shipments, MXI Environmental Services, LLC is pleased to announce they are now offering their services for beverage destruction this March. The process involves the use of a transportation fleet to deliver the unsaleable beverages to their Materials Recovery Facility where the professionals recover all elements of the bottle or can, and reuse them in ways that benefit the environment.

Whether a supermarket or liquor store, MXI Environmental Services, LLC is able to recycle spirits, wine, beer, energy drinks, or flavorings. Those who are in the alcohol business can get started with a simple phone call. In a way that protects the brand image, liquids will be turned into renewable fuels, and packages will be recycled at their facility. Whether stored in cardboard, aluminum, or by the glass bottle, MXI professionals will take care of all recycling needs for full destruction. This saves businesses from the cost of landfill disposals.

When utilizing the services of MXI Environmental Services, LLC to dispose of excess waste, industries see many advantages. Aside from creating renewable energy and producing solid benefits, customers will save on warehousing costs, as well as shipping, handling and repackaging. Recycling is beneficial to the environment, and with MXI Environmental Services, LLC, clients are ensured their excess alcohol is destructed in a way that guarantees reusability and comes at a reasonable cost. With the ability to recover both federal and state taxes, there’s no easier route to take than recycling through MXI.

Reducing dependence on imported oil, MXI offers customers the opportunity to truly go green in their recycling efforts. In addition to alcohols and beverages, the professionals will take care of pharmaceutical waste disposal, industrial products, aerosols, and fragrances. For more information about their recycling services, or to inquire about their process, please call 877-693-6907 or visit their website today.

About MXI Environmental Services, LLC
MXI Environmental Services, LLC based out of Abingdon, VA, offers ethyl alcohol recycling, full beverage destruction, hazardous waste disposal, and more across the country. The company follows a green process that is not only cost-effective for their clients, but this process allows MXI to reuse everything they recover.

For more information on the company, please visit http://www.ethanolrecycling.com/.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/mxi-environmental-services-llc-now-offering-their-services-for-beverage-destruction-this-march-467265.htm

Teton Village, WY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/26/2014 -- Renowned medical and public health experts, released a letter urging Senator Roslyn Baker to reconsider her stance on a senate bill calling for cell phones sold in Hawaii to come with a prominent health warning. Earlier this month, Senator Josh Green of Kona, Ka‘u introduced the Senate Bill titled SB 2571, a measure calling for cell phones sold in Hawaii to come with a prominent health warning -- similar to what smokers see on the sides of cigarette packages to warn them of danger.

Senator Green, a physician who chairs the Health Committee, said he introduced the bill because he thinks consumers need to be directed to radiation warnings already listed within the device. The original version of Senate Bill SB 2571 would have required the label to read, “This device emits electromagnetic radiation, exposure to which may cause brain cancer. Users, especially children and pregnant women, should keep this device away from the head and body.” Green said he took the language from the warning within his iPhone. He said he is open to the size of the label being reduced. In its current form, Senate Bill SB 2571 would require cellphones sold in Hawaii to contain a warning label covering nearly a third of the back of the device.

"We call on Senator Baker to allow a full public hearing on this bill. Democracy rests on the freely given consent of the governed. How can people consent to information that is buried inside manuals or phones about how to use these devices more safely? People have a right to know how to use technology safely. Senator Baker should honor that right,” said Dr. Devra Davis, Founder of the Environmental health Trust, who joins her peers in the open letter to Senator Baker.

Senate Bill SB 2571 has already passed out of the Senate Health Committee and could be heard next by the Consumer Protection Committee in the next 30 days. The group has published a public letter to Senator Baker to consider the studies that back up evidence of cell phone safety.

The letter in its entirety:

The Honorable Senator Rosalyn Baker

February 23, 2014

Dear Senator Baker,

We commend the Senate Committee on Health for having passed SB2571. Recent scientific research conducted affirms the wisdom of this legislation. Therefore, in the interest of the citizens of Hawaii please allow this bill to be heard and hopefully passed. We are not only concerned about brain tumors, but also as phones are currently carried today (in pockets while on) we are concerned about damage to fetuses, female reproductive organs and damage to sperm.

Please consider recently published scientific information:

January, 2014: New International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) document on the Electromagnetic Spectrum released: detailed 1-page visual with reference to cell phone exposure as a possible human carcinogen acknowledged by the National Cancer Institute. http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Publications/Review2014-Radiation-Fatiha.pdf

April, 2013: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization issued its Monograph that addresses whether cellular telephone RF EMF radiation presents a risk of cancer to users. The IARC re-affirmed its official classification that cellular radiation is a Group 2B carcinogen along with lead, automobile exhaust, and other toxic substances including DDT, heptachlor, and styrene and they have now released their 480 page Monograph that provides the details of the basis of the classification in this the most significant health report on mobile phone radiation ever published. The Monograph concludes that:

“Due to closer proximity of the phone to the brain of children compared with adults, the average exposure from use of the same mobile phone is higher by a factor of 2 in a child’s brain and higher by a factor of 10 in the bone marrow of the skull (p. 408),

“Positive associations have been observed between exposure to radiofrequency radiation from wireless phones and glioma and acoustic neuroma. (p. 421),

“Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields are possibly carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2B)

Other recent sources:

1. A new study by breast cancer surgeons found a link to unusual breast tumors in young women who keep cell phones in their bras and have no genetic markers for the disease; http://www.hindawi.com/crim/medicine/2013/354682/

2. A December, 2011 study from the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California found statistically significant annual increases in frontal and temporal lobe grade IV brain cancers (glioblastoma multiforme) from 1992 to 2006. Those are the areas of the brain closest to where the cell phone is typically held. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878875011006863

3. In October, 2013 the Italian Supreme Court ruled in favor of a worker who developed a tumor in the head due to long-term use of mobile phones on the job. Importantly, the ruling underscored discrepancies between the low evidence of risk found by industry-funded studies and the higher evidence of risk found by independent studies. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/19/us-italy-phones-idUSBRE89I0V320121019

4. Environmental and Human Health Inc. “Cell Phones: Technology, Exposures, Health Effects” http://www.ehhi.org/reports/cellphones/

5. On July 12, 2012 the American Academy of Pediatrics sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urging the FCC to open a formal inquiry into radiation standards for cell phones and other wireless products adding “The FCC has not assessed the standards for cell phone radiation since 1996 and that “children are… disproportionately impacted by all environmental exposures, including cell phone radiation”. http://wifiinschools.com/uploads/3/0/4/2/3042232/american_academy_of_pediatrics_letter_asking_for_government_review_of_levels.pdf

The state of Hawaii faces potential major liability costs for employees that may be diagnosed with a brain tumor who use cell phones as part of their work. Also, with the pending epidemic of brain cancers and other diseases attributed to wireless radiation, this will have an impact on public health care costs in Hawaii. It is estimated that a single case of initial treatment of one brain tumor averages $500,000.

It is also relevant to note that on February 26, 2013 Verizon Communications Inc. reported the following liability risk in its Annual Report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission,

“…our wireless business also faces personal injury and consumer class action lawsuits relating to the alleged health effects of wireless phones or radio frequency transmitters, and class action lawsuits that challenge marketing practices and disclosures relating to alleged adverse health effects of handheld wireless phones. We may incur significant expenses in defending these lawsuits. In addition we may be required to pay significant awards or settlements.”

In the light of the evidence above we impress upon you to allow SB2571 to be heard toward the goal of informing consumers as to safer use of this ubiquitous device. People deserve the right to know about safety information currently embedded within the phones or printed in small type in pamphlets few read. We do not advocate against this valuable technology. We want users to be informed at point of sale how to use the device as intelligently and safely as possible. We applaud your efforts to ensure consumer protection by promoting this basic right.

Very truly yours,

Stanton A. Glantz, PhD, Professor, Department of Medicine, American Legacy Foundation Distinguished Professor in Tobacco Control and Director, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

Devra Lee Davis, PhD, MPH, Founder and President of Environmental Health Trust. Presidential Appointee.

David O. Carpenter, MD, Director, Institute for Health and the Environment, University at Albany

Morando Soffritte, MD, Professor and Scientific Director Ramazzini Institute, Bologna, Italy and General Secretary Collegium Ramazzii, Bologna, Italy

Anthony B. Miller, MD; former dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Toronto; Professor Emeritus of Epidemiology, and IARC expert advisor

Annie Sasco, MD, MOH, ScM, DrPh, Director of Research Epidemiology for Cancer Prevention Inserm (French NIH) , Bordeaux University France, former IARC Unit Chief, and former Acting Chief, WHO program for Cancer Control

Dariusz Leszcynski, PhD, IARC expert advisor

Elihu Richter, MD, Hadassah Medical Center, School of Public Health, Israel

Yael Stein, MD, Hadassah Medical Center, School of Public Health, Israel

Prof. Nesrin Seyhan , Medical faculty of Gazi University, Founding Chair, Biophysics Dept., Founding Director, GNRK Center, Panel Member, NATO STO HFM, Scientific Secretariat Member, ICEMS, Advisory Committee, WHO EMF.

Prof. Dr. Suleyman Kaplan, Editor of Journal of Experimental and Clinical Medicine,President of Turkish Society for stereology,Board member of Journal Chemical Neuroanatomy (Elsevier),Director of Health Sciences Institute

Ondokuz May?s University,Head of Department of Histology and Embryology Ondokuz May?s University, Turkey

Dr. Igor Beliae, Cancer Research Institute at Slovak Academy of Science, Slovak Republic

Nancy Alderman, President, Environment and Human Health, Inc.

Ellen Marks, Director, California Brain Tumor Association

Cynthia Franklin, Director, Consumer for Safer Phones

About Environmental Health Trust
Environmental Health Trust (EHT) educates individuals, health professionals and communities about controllable environmental health risks and policy changes needed to reduce those risks. A lead author of the Intergovernmental panel on climate change awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, EHT President and Founder, Dr. Devra Davis has authored a number of popular books, including National Book Award Finalist, When Smoke Ran Like Water, a National Book Award Finalist, The Secret History of the War on Cancer, and Disconnect—the truth about cell phone radiation, which was awarded the Nautilus silver medal award for investigative reporting. The foundation’s website is the go-to place for clear, science-based information to prevent environmentally based disease and promote health, and will have portals for the general public, children and health professionals. For more information or to get involved in the numerous special projects spearheaded by EHT, please visit http://www.ehtrust.org and find EHT on Facebook.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/consider-the-scientific-evidence-on-cell-phone-safety-say-renowned-medical-and-public-health-experts-in-an-open-letter-to-senator-rosalyn-baker-467462.htm

Just for Kids!

San Francisco, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/27/2014 -- Cool the Earth’s Climate Action Program today launched its 2014 enrollment campaign. The free, ready-to-roll, climate action program educates K-8 students and their families about climate change, inspiring them to take simple actions to reduce their carbon footprint at home, at school, and in their communities. Parents or teacher volunteers run the program for each school.

Cool the Earth uses positive messages and makes it fun and easy to implement with rewarding results. Based on the “trickle up,” theory, where children learn and then are empowered to lead their families in behavior changes at home and in their communities, the 6-week program creates real change.

According to a 2013 Stanford University study, through the CTE program, families took more personal actions to reduce their carbon footprint, considered the environment when making purchases, and 38% went on to take civic action. Trickle up meets trickle down.

Developed with busy parents and teachers in mind, the ready-to-roll toolbox includes all of the program materials and collateral they need to easily get started:

- Kick-Off Assembly: This spirit-filled event is where it all begins!
- Timeline and Action Calendar
- Action Coupons: Take an action, turn in a coupon, and get a reward.
- Action Goal Banner: See how all those actions add up to make a big difference.
- Program Enhancements: Further ways to engage students and inspire action.

Cool the Earth’s Climate Action program highlights pragmatic solutions to address climate change that leave kids and parents feeling empowered and inspired. Since 2007 Cool the Earth has worked alongside over a quarter million children from almost 500 schools to save over 2 million pounds of carbon.

“We are so excited to kick-off the 2014 program,” said Carleen Cullen, Cool the Earth founder and executive director. “Worry about climate runs deep, yet action is still shallow. I know some people who can help change this and they weigh about 60 pounds, stand only 3 feet tall, and are missing some teeth! Who better than kids to show their parents how to begin? Little is huge.”

“The CTE program went really well, ” said parent Heidi Rhymes from Petaluma, CA. “Parents who considered themselves pretty green were deeply challenged by their kids (particularly the younger ones) to do even better – turn off lights, bike to school, pick up trash, etc. I was impressed with the positive feedback we got throughout the program from the kids, families and the administrators.”

The Climate Action Program is inspiring kids and families across the country to take positive steps to help slow climate change. When you bring together families, hope, and action, the result is big change, and it begins at home.

About Cool the Earth
Cool the Earth is a nonprofit environmental organization that has worked with over one quarter million kids and their parents. Launched in 2007 by Marin County parents, Carleen and Jeff Cullen, who were inspired to take action after seeing the documentary film An Inconvenient Truth.

Visit us at http://www.cooltheearth.org, or on Facebook, or Twitter @CooltheEarth.

More on the Cool the Earth’s program can be found here: http://www.cooltheearth.org/our-program/

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/cool-the-earth-kicks-off-2014-climate-program-enrollment-campaign-468765.htm

Teton Village, WY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/05/2014 -- Renowned medical and public health experts released an open letter to Maine officials highlighting key scientific evidence for legislators to reconsider a stance on a senate bill calling for a label on cell phones to be plainly visible on the outside of the product packaging alerting customers to the safety notifications.

Introduced by Rep. Andrea Boland (D-ME), this bill provides that a retailer may not sell at retail in this state a cellular telephone unless the cellular telephone and its packaging bear a warning label relating to the potential health effects associated with nonthermal effects of cellular telephone radiation. It requires the manufacturer of the cellular telephone to provide the warning labels to the retailer at no cost to the retailer. The bill also requires that any safety notification supplied by a cellular telephone manufacturer must have the language of the safety notification plainly visible on the outside of the product package or, if using a label, the label must be plainly visible on the outside of the package. This bill also requires the retailer to provide an information bulletin to the purchaser of a cellular telephone informing the purchaser of potential health risks associated with the use of cellular telephones. A violation of this provision is a violation of the Maine Unfair Trade Practices Act.

The letter in its entirety:

The Honorable Representative Andrea Boland
House Democratic Office
2 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333

Dear Representative Boland,

We commend you and the State legislators of Maine for ongoing work towards passing LD1013. Recent scientific research conducted affirms the wisdom of this legislation. Therefore, in the interest of the citizens of Maine please allow this bill to be heard and hopefully passed. We are not only concerned about brain tumors, but also as phones are currently carried today (in pockets while on) we are concerned about damage to fetuses, female reproductive organs and damage to sperm.

Please consider recently published scientific information:

January, 2014: New International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) document on the Electromagnetic Spectrum released: detailed 1-page visual with reference to cell phone exposure as a possible human carcinogen acknowledged by the National Cancer Institute. http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Publications/Review2014-Radiation-Fatiha.pdf

April, 2013: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization issued its Monograph that addresses whether cellular telephone RF EMF radiation presents a risk of cancer to users. The IARC re-affirmed its official classification that cellular radiation is a Group 2B carcinogen along with lead, automobile exhaust, and other toxic substances including DDT, heptachlor, and styrene and they have now released their 480 page Monograph that provides the details of the basis of the classification in this the most significant health report on mobile phone radiation ever published. The Monograph concludes that:

“Due to closer proximity of the phone to the brain of children compared with adults, the average exposure from use of the same mobile phone is higher by a factor of 2 in a child’s brain and higher by a factor of 10 in the bone marrow of the skull (p. 408),

“Positive associations have been observed between exposure to radiofrequency radiation from wireless phones and glioma and acoustic neuroma. (p. 421),

“Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields are possibly carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2B)

Other recent sources:

1. A new study by breast cancer surgeons found a link to unusual breast tumors in young women who keep cell phones in their bras and have no genetic markers for the disease; http://www.hindawi.com/crim/medicine/2013/354682/

2. A December, 2011 study from the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California found statistically significant annual increases in frontal and temporal lobe grade IV brain cancers (glioblastoma multiforme) from 1992 to 2006. Those are the areas of the brain closest to where the cell phone is typically held. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878875011006863

3. In October, 2013 the Italian Supreme Court ruled in favor of a worker who developed a tumor in the head due to long-term use of mobile phones on the job. Importantly, the ruling underscored discrepancies between the low evidence of risk found by industry-funded studies and the higher evidence of risk found by independent studies. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/19/us-italy-phones-idUSBRE89I0V320121019

4. Environmental and Human Health Inc. “Cell Phones: Technology, Exposures, Health Effects”http://www.ehhi.org/reports/cellphones/

5. On July 12, 2012 the American Academy of Pediatrics sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urging the FCC to open a formal inquiry into radiation standards for cell phones and other wireless products adding “The FCC has not assessed the standards for cell phone radiation since 1996 and that “children are… disproportionately impacted by all environmental exposures, including cell phone radiation”.http://wifiinschools.com/uploads/3/0/4/2/3042232/american_academy_of_pediatrics_letter_asking_for_government_review_of_levels.pdf

The state of Maine faces potential major liability costs for employees that may be diagnosed with a brain tumor who use cell phones as part of their work. Also, with the pending epidemic of brain cancers and other diseases attributed to wireless radiation, this will have an impact on public health care costs in Maine. It is estimated that a single case of initial treatment of one brain tumor averages $500,000.

It is also relevant to note that on February 26, 2013 Verizon Communications Inc. reported the following liability risk in its Annual Report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission,

“…our wireless business also faces personal injury and consumer class action lawsuits relating to the alleged health effects of wireless phones or radio frequency transmitters, and class action lawsuits that challenge marketing practices and disclosures relating to alleged adverse health effects of handheld wireless phones. We may incur significant expenses in defending these lawsuits. In addition we may be required to pay significant awards or settlements.”

In the light of the evidence above we impress upon you to allow SB2571 to be heard toward the goal of informing consumers as to safer use of this ubiquitous device. People deserve the right to know about safety information currently embedded within the phones or printed in small type in pamphlets few read. We do not advocate against this valuable technology. We want users to be informed at point of sale how to use the device as intelligently and safely as possible. We applaud your efforts to ensure consumer protection by promoting this basic right.

Very truly yours,

Stanton A. Glantz, PhD, Professor, Department of Medicine, American Legacy Foundation Distinguished Professor in Tobacco Control and Director, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

Devra Lee Davis, PhD, MPH, Founder and President of Environmental Health Trust. Presidential Appointee.

David O. Carpenter, MD, Director, Institute for Health and the Environment, University at Albany

Morando Soffritti, MD, Professor and Scientific Director Ramazzini Institute, Bologna, Italy and General Secretary Collegium Ramazzii, Bologna, Italy

Anthony B. Miller, MD; former dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Toronto; Professor Emeritus of Epidemiology, and IARC expert advisor

Annie Sasco, MD, MOH, ScM, DrPh, Director of Research Epidemiology for Cancer Prevention Inserm (French NIH) , Bordeaux University France, former IARC Unit Chief, and former Acting Chief, WHO program for Cancer Control

Dariusz Leszcynski, PhD, IARC expert advisor

Elihu Richter, MD, Hadassah Medical Center, School of Public Health, Israel

Yael Stein, MD, Hadassah Medical Center, School of Public Health, Israel

Prof. Nesrin Seyhan , Medical faculty of Gazi University, Founding Chair, Biophysics Dept., Founding Director, GNRK Center, Panel Member, NATO STO HFM, Scientific Secretariat Member, ICEMS,Advisory Committee, WHO EMF.

Prof. Dr. Suleyman Kaplan, Editor of Journal of Experimental and Clinical Medicine,President of Turkish Society for stereology,Board member of Journal Chemical Neuroanatomy (Elsevier),Director of Health Sciences Institute

Ondokuz May?s University,Head of Department of Histology and Embryology Ondokuz May?s University, Turkey

Dr. Igor Beliaev, Cancer Research Institute at Slovak Academy of Science, Slovak Republic

Nancy Alderman, President, Environment and Human Health, Inc.

Ellen Marks, Director, California Brain Tumor Association

Cynthia Franklin, Director, Consumers for Safe Cell Phones

About Environmental Health Trust
Environmental Health Trust (EHT) educates individuals, health professionals and communities about controllable environmental health risks and policy changes needed to reduce those risks. A lead author of the Intergovernmental panel on climate change awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, EHT President and Founder, Dr. Devra Davis has authored a number of popular books, including National Book Award Finalist, When Smoke Ran Like Water, a National Book Award Finalist, The Secret History of the War on Cancer, and Disconnect—the truth about cell phone radiation, which was awarded the Nautilus silver medal award for investigative reporting. The foundation’s website is the go-to place for clear, science-based information to prevent environmentally based disease and promote health, and will have portals for the general public, children and health professionals. For more information or to get involved in the numerous special projects spearheaded by EHT, please visit http://www.ehtrust.org and find EHT on Facebook.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/open-letter-from-experts-urges-officials-to-support-the-wireless-information-act-in-maine-471366.htm

Nashville, TN -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/06/2014 -- With the spring season on the horizon, many individuals are gearing up to get their lawns prepared for the hot and humid months ahead. The grass on the lawn needs something to feed on, or it will dry out and make the lawn look completely dead. It is important to start the season off right to maintain a glowing green grass throughout the summer. This March, as homeowners are ready to put the winter season behind them, Southern Irrigation is pleased to announce they will now be offering their services for irrigation system startups in the greater Nashville, TN, area.

When needing assistance for an irrigation system startup in Nashville, the lawn care professionals at Southern Irrigation will conduct a thorough analysis of the lawn. After a grueling winter, many properties are faced with a variety of damages to their irrigation. This is the time when the experts identify any problems the winter has caused to the system, and if there are any underlying causes for concern with the system’s operation. This can be due to frozen pipes, improper installation, or a backflow in the system. During the startup process, the experts will communicate with their customers the work that needs to be done to ensure an efficiently operating system. Once the property is deemed to have no irregularities or the system has been repaired, the irrigation and sprinkler systems will be calibrated for complete customer satisfaction.

Before the work is completed, the professionals will make sure everything is working properly, and the layout of the sprinkler system startup in Nashville treats the entire lawn. They will add any rotors or sprinkler heads, if necessary. If problems occur with the lawn’s irrigation throughout the length of the summer, Southern Irrigation will be available to provide routine maintenance and repairs for their valued clientele. To hear more about their lawn care services, or to inquire about spring startups for optimal performance in the coming months, please contact 615-266-4509 or visit their website today.

About Southern Irrigation
Founded in 2005, Southern Irrigation has grown into a company that is heavily relied on by its neighbors and the surrounding community. Going through a reinvention phase in 2011, Southern Irrigation has been able to dominate the irrigation and landscape lighting industry. Greater Nashville Tennessee and surrounding areas have been positively impacted by the team at Southern Irrigation. Southern Irrigation continues to expand its territory today.

For more information on commercial and residential irrigation and landscape lighting systems, please visit http://www.southern-irrigation-tn.com/.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/southern-irrigation-now-offering-their-services-for-startups-this-spring-season-472404.htm

Philadelphia, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/11/2014 -- Though the months have changed, snow continues to be forecasted in the Philadelphia area. Having to wait for the parking lot and sidewalk to be cleared in order to open for the day, businesses are getting tired of the snow. Striving for the top response time to all locations in the area, DMC Property Maintenance, Inc. in announcing their continued snow removal services into the month of March. In the event of a snow or ice storm, the professional Philadelphia snow removal company will arrive at the location in a timely manner to provide a safe entrance for employees, clients, and customers alike.

For the convenience of their valued clientele, individuals are able to track the trucks, receiving an email or text message at the precise moment a truck arrives at their property. This service allows DMC Property Maintenance, Inc. to stand alone in their snow and ice management services, giving customers the knowledge of when the trucks complete the job in the luxury of their home. Removal packages can be customized, and as the winter season is coming to an end, the company is available for a one-time removal to handle the situation. Not only will they plow the area with advanced equipment, the drivers will shovel walkways, ramps, and hard to reach areas so every inch of the property is clear of snow. Additionally, the parking lots and entrances will be deiced to avoid any slip and fall injuries.

When needing snow management in Philadelphia as the winter season comes to an end, there’s no company more trustworthy than DMC Property Maintenance, Inc. Every couple of inches, drivers will clear the area, waiting until the skies have cleared before the job is considered complete. Don’t let March be a hassle for snow removal, call the trusted maintenance service at 215-387-1247 when the forecast calls for snowfall.

About DMC Property Maintenance, Inc.
As a provider of snow and ice management, DMC Property Maintenance, Inc. offers services for commercial clients. Seasoned with over 16 years in business serving Philadelphia and surrounding areas. DMC Property Maintenance, Inc. offers budget-friendly and completely customizable service packages at fixed, flat rate pricing. Because of its many years of service, and long history of complete client satisfaction, the company has become the preferred provider for many of the nation’s largest retailers. As an exterior services resource, DMC Property Maintenance, Inc. provides a full suite of services for all your snow removal needs. The office is located at 7116 State Road, Philadelphia, Pa 19135.

For more information on the services DMC provides, please visit http://www.dmcpm.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/dmc-property-maintenance-inc-continuing-snow-removal-services-into-march-474700.htm

Abingdon, VA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/12/2014 -- Beverage retailers are always looking for a way to increase their number of consumers. To achieve this and be successful in their business endeavors, distributors must make sure all products in stock are sellable. If beverage cases are damaged or expired, there can be tremendous backlash if they hit store shelves. As many suppliers and importers of alcoholic beverages annually attend the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America Convention, this is the perfect chance to learn about recycling in economically friendly ways that reduce carbon footprint and corporate liability. As a leading company for wine & spirits recycling, MXI Environmental Services, LLC is proud to announce they will be exhibiting at the WSWA Show at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas from April 7 through April 10.

The convention allows beverage distributors to grow their brands in the marketplace of the United States. They’ll have the opportunity to attend exhibits, tastings, presentations, forums, and various activities around the convention center. MXI Environmental Services, LLC has reserved booth No. 502 where they will educate attendees and exhibitors alike on how distributors and retailers can benefit from turning liquid products into solid benefits. Not only will attendees learn they’ll save money by recovering state and federal taxes, but get a grasp of how the full destruction process works.

With recycling becoming an ever important process for the environment, MXI clients can be assured their alcoholic beverages are being destructed through a process guaranteeing reusability. They’ll separate the materials from cardboard, aluminum, or glass, and recover the waste water to help create renewable fuels. All this will be on display at the WSWA Convention where interested parties can get a first-hand look at the process.

Those who attend will be able to speak with professionals from the leading national supplier of ethanol recycling and beverage destruction. If wishing to talk further with the beverage, pharmaceutical, industrial, and cosmetic recycling specialists to learn more about their beneficial process that protects brand image, be sure to visit booth No. 502 at the 71st Annual WSWA Convention or visit their website today.

About MXI Environmental Services, LLC
MXI Environmental Services, LLC based out of Abingdon, VA, offers ethyl alcohol recycling, full beverage destruction, hazardous waste disposal, and more across the country. The company follows a green process that is not only cost-effective for their clients, but this process allows MXI to reuse everything they recover.

For more information on the company, please visit http://www.ethanolrecycling.com/.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/mxi-environmental-services-llc-announces-exhibition-at-wswa-show-in-las-vegas-this-april-475228.htm

Abingdon, VA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/12/2014 -- When homeowners and farmers use pesticides around their property, it is important to get rid of the waste in an environmentally friendly and economically efficient manner. As many communities are making an extra effort to go green and take care of the environment, there are various avenues to take that ensure hazardous materials are handled and disposed properly. This March, MXI, Inc. is pleased to announce they are taking part in agricultural pesticide collection events in Delaware, Tennessee, Alabama and Pennsylvania. With their high quality equipment, the company has a proven track record for safe and secure disposals of pesticides—both hazardous and non-hazardous.

Working with a number of states throughout the country, they are contracted for collection at both farm to farm and single site points. There is an extensive process that goes into the proper disposal of pesticides. As one of the leading hazardous waste removal companies in the country, MXI, Inc. will take care of all aspects of the incineration, from transportation to segregation to their ultimate disposal. Their full-service includes collection and packaging materials for a proper manifest. Once the trucks have collected the pesticides, they will transport them with one of their fleet trucks to their Materials Recovery Facility. Those who hold an event can sign up for incineration directly after the event or at the MRF after materials have been separated.

For communities and neighborhoods who would like to hold a collection, this can be done in conjunction with a household hazardous waste collection. This way, when homeowners are in possession of unusable paints, solvents, sprays, or wastewater, they can be sure to get rid of these products in a safe way to create renewable energy and reduce their carbon footprint. For every manifest that is recorded and collected, MXI, Inc. will provide their clients with certificates of destruction for complete satisfaction. To hear more about their dedicated service, or to set up a collection event for the community, be sure to contact the professionals at 1-800-809-9530.

About MXI Environmental Services, LLC
Founded in 1960, MXI Environmental Services, LLC has been transporting, separating, and reusing waste material at their state-of-the-art Materials Recovery Facility in Abingdon, VA. With locations all across the country—Abingdon; Langhorne, PA; Fontana, CA; and Sumter, SC—they use their own transportation to ensure the safe and secure delivery of unsalable products and waste. By recycling the waste, they are able to provide renewable energy to the products they service.

For more information about their services, please visit http://www.mxiinc.com/.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/mxi-inc-announces-agricultural-pesticide-collection-events-this-march-475398.htm

Barbara Toll is going to photograph hammerhead sharks in Marathon, FL as part of an underwater photography book about eastern US sea life & diving.

Matawan, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/12/2014 -- This hammerhead project is part of a larger project to photograph the sea life and SCUBA dive sites along the east coast of the US. Barbara Toll is working on diving and photographing some of the most popular dive sites from Boston to the Florida Keys. Barbara particularly likes to photograph large marine life, such as sharks and barracuda. She would like to turn these photographs into a book of photographs about the beauty of this part of the ocean. Barbara plans to revisit each of the dive sites from this book in the future to see how the images at these sites have changed over time.

The images that captured during this hammerhead project will be of sharks. Barbara will spend multiple days diving and photographing with a company that has a high success rate for attracting these sharks. She will also try to spend some time photographing on nearby reefs because this is the last set of photos she will take for the book from the southern most part of the U.S. Barbara has a few more sites that she plans to photograph this year. The book is planned to be published in December.

The money raised from Kickstarter campaign will be used to drive to the location, charter the boat, and cover related expenses. It will also, of course, be used to print and ship the images to supporters.

This project will only be funded if at least$2,200 is pledged by Sat, Mar 29 2014 8:38 AM +05:30.

Kickstarter Page: http://kck.st/1fnX18F

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/barbara-toll-seeks-kickstarter-funding-for-her-photography-project-hammerhead-475407.htm

Tullytown, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/14/2014 -- After a long and grueling winter, the ground has frozen over, and underground tanks may be malfunctioning. This can be due to frozen pipes, downed power lines, or sludge buildup from condensation in the tank. Depending on the age of the oil tank, experts could find it to be on its last legs. As many families and homes rely on their oil tanks for heat and hot water, Professional Tank & Environmental is announcing their services for oil tank installations and removals this spring season.

With the amount of snow the greater Philadelphia area has experienced this winter, the tank can be seriously damaged. When needing an oil tank removal in Philadelphia, the professionals make sure to remove all petroleum from the tank before it is removed to prevent any unwanted accidents. They have the proper permits and equipment for the project, marking utilities and using plywood to protect the surrounding property for their client’s.

To get the area ready for a new installation, a soil bed is created on level ground to place the new tank. Soil will be placed around the tank once implemented into the ground, and the professionals will grade it for settlement. The grading, after a thorough soil analysis, ensures there are no leaks that cause further problems for the oil tank replacement near Chester County.

Professional Tank & Environmental is an authorized company of ProGuard, a program where customers agree to a protective service. This way, if the tank is examined before removal, and has more problems than one might think, customers are protected from additional costs associated with the tank. For the convenience of their clients, they are available to take a request for all repair and replacement needs around the clock, seven days a week. To inquire about pricing, or to schedule an appointment with a professional technician, please call 215-720-1964 or visit their website today.

About Professional Tank & Environmental
Professional Tank & Environmental is family owned and operated, providing over 30 years of experience in the oil heating industry. They serve both residential and commercial property owners in the greater Philadelphia area. They pride themselves on operating in-house, not contracting any of their work. This allows customers to trust they are getting the personalized service they deserve. Commonly, Professional Tank & Environmental works with insurance companies, heating supply businesses, and real estate agencies. The crew strives to provide the very best installation, tank removal and oil heating services.

To learn more, please visit http://www.professionaltank.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/professional-tank-environmental-offering-oil-tank-removals-and-installations-this-spring-476305.htm

Teton Village, WY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/17/2014 -- By a 2-1 majority, this week the Maine House of Representatives passed the Wireless Information Act sponsored by Representative Andrea Boland. Despite opposition from Maine Attorney General Janet Mills who sided with industry’s argument that the law was unconstitutional, this Act provides that manufacturers must make available to the public legible information regarding exposure to radiofrequency radiation from cell phones. Currently that information is seldom seen by consumers, although it is required in Israel, France, India and many other technologically sophisticated nations.

Supporting the constitutionality of the law, acclaimed Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig, Roy L. Furman professor of Law and Leadership, and Director of Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, framed 0 opposition to the proposed law by the Maine Attorney General as an indication of the powerful role that money plays in politics today.

“To those who say it is unconstitutional,” Lessig said he would help the Legislature protect the right to know about wireless information. Further he noted that should the State decline to defend against any industry legal challenge, he is committed to do so pro bono, all the way to the Supreme Court. His offer was welcomed by Representative Boland who’s been working on this bill since 2010.

Ms. Boland added, “I am deeply grateful to Prof. Lessig and to all those who have worked to see that Mainers have the right to know what’s buried in fine print in phones today. I applaud my colleagues for voting to protect the rights of our citizens to make informed decisions about cell phone safety.”

The Wireless Information Act requires that any manufacturer&aposs information relating to radio-frequency exposure must be plainly visible on the outside of the cell phone&aposs product packaging or the packaging must contain a label with the following warning for all cell phones sold in the state that have manufacturer&aposs safety warnings:

"RF EXPOSURE: To find information relating to radio-frequency exposure, refer to information supplied by the manufacturer" and language directing consumers to the page or pages of the owner&aposs manual or other insert or location where the radio-frequency exposure guidelines or instructions or general information may be found."

Lessig, a constitutional law expert, concludes that the law is constitutionally protected and that arguments to the contrary amount to industry constitute strong-arming of government.

In Lessig’s words, “The State of Maine should have the right to exercise its sovereign authority to protect the citizens of Maine from a risk that the vast majority are completely unaware of -- without fear of bullying by multinational corporations.”

In a San Francisco case last year, the judge upheld the right of local officials to protect public health and safety and directed the City of San Francisco to reword its proposed cell phone fact sheet for retailers to distribute to consumers. In his decision, Judge Alsup said: “Nothing in the federal statutes or FCC regulations bars local disclosure requirements like those now required in San Francisco.”

Ellen K. Marks, with the California Brain Tumor Association and formerly with Environmental Health Trust, Lloyd Morgan and Devra Davis of Environmental Health Trust have worked with a number of groups to support this legislation for the past four years, including Dr. Joel Moskowitz, Director of the University of California, Berkeley Center for Family and Community Health, the American Association for Cell Phone Safety, the Bioiniative Report, Electromagnetic Health and others. The grassroots effort to urge precautionary policies on cell phones is a centerpiece of Davis’ award-winning Nautilus Silver medal winning book, Disconnect—the truth about cell phone radiation.

About Environmental Health Trust
Environmental Health Trust (EHT) educates individuals, health professionals and communities about controllable environmental health risks and policy changes needed to reduce those risks. A lead author of the Intergovernmental panel on climate change awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, EHT President and Founder, Dr. Devra Davis has authored a number of popular books, including National Book Award Finalist, When Smoke Ran Like Water, a National Book Award Finalist, The Secret History of the War on Cancer, and Disconnect - the truth about cell phone radiation, which was awarded the Nautilus silver medal award for investigative reporting. The foundation&aposs website is the go-to place for clear, science-based information to prevent environmentally based disease and promote health, and will have portals for the general public, children and health professionals. For more information or to get involved in the numerous special projects spearheaded by EHT, please visit http://www.ehtrust.org and find EHT on Facebook.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/as-goes-maine-so-goes-the-nation-maine-legislature-passes-first-in-the-nation-state-wide-law-requiring-cellphone-makers-to-tell-the-public-about-radio-frequency-radiation-476341.htm

Maple Grove, MN -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/19/2014 -- Worldlandforms.com, an online portal providing vital information about the landforms around the world, enables its visitors to gather composite volcano information from its site.

Worldlandforms.com lets people know about the various types of landforms on the Earth. Explaining landforms, one of the spokespersons at the organization stated, “A landform is the formation of rock and dirt found on Earth’s surface which can be larger than a continent or smaller than a pond. In geological science, landforms are defined as the features that make up the earth’s surface.”

He continues, “They comprise a geomorphological unit. Oceanic water body interface like oceans, seas, bays, peninsulas, gulfs, etc. are also referred to as landforms. Landforms are grouped by physical characteristic like elevation, slope, orientation, etc. They are also classified by rock exposure, soil type, formation, etc.”

Talking more about landforms, he added, “The highest order of landforms is oceans or continents. They are created by a lot of factors like plate tectonics, erosion, deposition, wind etc. Biological factors sometimes influence them. For example, coral and algae form the coral reef which is a natural process, so coral reefs are also called landforms.”

Some of the examples of landforms included on this site are: bays, spatter cones, waterfalls, archipelagos, mountains, valleys, continents, gulfs, lakes and many more. David Olmstead, a veteran researcher and owner of this portal, frequently posts his written landform blogs and posts on this site. Enthusiasts can also browse through the social media pages available on various social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and many more, to get recent information posted by the online portal.

About Worldlandforms.com
Worldlandforms.com is a leading portal that provides information about different types of landforms. The portal has been created with an aim to provide people with authentic information about these landforms. The portal has social media pages on various social media channels. The main motto of the portal is helping people discover the landforms of the world.

To learn more, please visit http://www.worldlandforms.com/.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/worldlandformscom-provides-composite-volcano-information-478647.htm

Winter Park, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/20/2014 -- Handex Industrial Services (HIS), a division of Handex Consulting & Remediation (HCR), LLC and a leading provider of Sludge Dewatering Services for oil refineries located in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, announced today that it was awarded a chemical sludge dewatering contract for approximately $750,000.

The project is for an environmental engineering and consulting firm conducting hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas from the Marcellus Shale Formation in east central Ohio. HIS employees will work 24 hours per day to reduce the existing sludge inventory for the first month of the contract. HIS anticipates dewatering on site for a total of six months to two years.

Chemical sludge produced by treatment of flowback wastewater, a by-product of hydraulic fracturing, requires dewatering with HCR&aposs mobile low pressure plate and frame filter presses before being trucked off site for disposal. Dewatering minimizes the weight of waste trucked off site by 70%-80% and maximizes the volume of water for recycling, which in turn provides the producer with significant savings.

HIS processes more than 40 million gallons of sludge annually, and is fully equipped and prepared to support ancillary mobile wastewater treatment facilities for hydraulic fracturing operations in the Northeast. HIS is excited to be actively involved in this growing industry that is at the scientific forefront of oil and gas production.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/handex-industrial-services-his-of-handex-consulting-remediation-llc-hcr-awarded-chemical-sludge-dewatering-project-valued-at-750000-479111.htm

IDA has designated Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument as part of its International Dark Sky Places Program. The new International Dark Sky Place is also known as “Parashant International Night Sky Province.”

Tucson, AZ -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/21/2014 -- The remote, wild character of rural northwest Arizona has long drawn dedicated adventurers who value protection of the area’s abundant natural resources. Lately, dark night skies have earned a place among these precious assets worthy of preservation. In recognition of exceptional efforts to this end, the International Dark Sky Association announced today that it has designated Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument as part of its International Dark Sky Places Program. The new International Dark Sky Place is also known as “Parashant International Night Sky Province.” A public event to celebrate the designation will be held April 26 at Dixie State University in St. George, Utah.

“Parashant has outstanding Gold-tier night skies—some of the best in the southwest. Their new designation marks them as an environmental leader in moving to preserve the Monument’s starry skies for generations to come,” said IDA Executive Director Bob Parks.

Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, established in 2000, consists of 1.05 million acres (42,000 ha) of land on the “Arizona Strip,” the portion of Arizona lying north of the Colorado River. The Monument is bounded to the south by the Grand Canyon and on the west by the Arizona-Nevada border. At the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Mojave Desert and Great Basin, it is among the most isolated of the federally managed land units in the contiguous 48 states.

Parashant represents an area of over a million acres with no paved roads, limited structures, four Wilderness areas and pristine night skies. “Solitude and wilderness have always been associated with Parashant and these characteristics exemplify our night skies,” said Eathan McIntyre, Physical Science Specialist at Parashant and leader of the effort to secure an IDA designation

First Such Award for the US Bureau Of Land Management
The National Park Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management manage the administration of Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument jointly. While the NPS counts four other of its properties among IDA International Dark Sky Parks, the IDA recognition of Parashant is a first for lands within the BLM portfolio.

NPS Director Jonathan Jarvis characterized today’s award as the result of a “beautiful partnership” with BLM. He hopes that IDA’s recognition of Parashant will attract other BLM sites on the Colorado Plateau to join in educating communities and protecting night skies. “The night sky is something you can restore. It’s not gone, it’s still there and all we have to do is pay attention to our lighting,” Jarvis said.

A Look At The Past, A Vision Of The Future
The human presence in Parashant extends back as far as the Paleoindians who arrived in the Arizona Strip near the end of the last Ice Age nearly 13,000 years ago. Remnants of formerly extensive Puebloan (Anasazi) and Southern Paiute cultures are found on the Monument. Mining activities, timber cutting, and settlement by farmers and ranchers began by the 1870s and continued into the early twentieth century. Parashant’s extreme remoteness discouraged all but the hardiest of settlers, which helped protect its skies from brightening after the advent of electric lighting.

Members of the Pauite tribes living near Parashant value the unspoiled quality of the Monument lands, including its remarkably dark night skies. In voicing his support for the effort leading to today’s award, Manuel M. Savala, chairperson of the Kaibab Paiute Tribe, explained why dark skies are significant to his constituents. “Any effort that can help conserve our dark night skies and to protect a place where one can clearly look toward the stars and planets will benefit our younger generations, our visitors, and the tribal community at large.”

Dark skies advocates hope to capitalize on today’s announcement and carry the momentum forward toward the protection of additional lands in the region. Interagency cooperation is seen as key to the success of this effort.

“Parashant International Night Sky Province embodies the collaboration between multiple agencies and landowners that will lead to the continued success of the Colorado Plateau Dark Sky Cooperative,” said Nathan Ament, Coordinator of the Colorado Plateau Dark Sky Cooperative, an NPS-sponsored collaboration dedicated to the preservation of dark night skies on federal lands in the Four Corners area. “It represents NPS and BLM&aposs dedication to leading the way in protecting natural darkness as a precious resource on the Colorado Plateau,” Ament explained.

Parashant joins other IDA Dark Sky Places already designated on the Colorado Plateau, including Flagstaff, AZ; Natural Bridges National Monument, UT; and Chaco Canyon National Historical Park, NM. Efforts are now underway at nearby Grand Canyon National Park to seek a similar IDA designation. Officials at Parashant and the Grand Canyon envision a future in which community partnerships, public education, and voluntary efforts to place sensible controls on outdoor lighting lead to more dark skies conservation along the nearly 300-mile-long Colorado River corridor in northern Arizona.

About the IDA Dark Sky Places Program
IDA established the International Dark Sky Places conservation program in 2001 to recognize excellent stewardship of the night sky. Designations are based on stringent outdoor lighting standards and innovative community outreach. Since the program began, six communities, 16 parks and eight reserves have received International Dark Sky Place designations. For more information about the International Dark Sky Places Program, visit http://darksky.org/night-sky-conservation/dark-sky-places.

About IDA
The International Dark Sky Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Tucson, Arizona, advocates for the protection of the nighttime environment and dark night skies by educating policymakers and the public about night sky conservation and promoting environmentally responsible outdoor lighting. More information about IDA and its mission may be found at http://www.darksky.org.

Media Inquiries:
International Dark-Sky Association
- Dr. John Barentine (Dark Sky Places Program Manager) john@darksky.org;
+1 520 293 3198

National Park Service
- Mr. Scott Sticha (Chief of Interpretation and Partnerships, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument) scott_sticha@nps.gov; +1 435 688 3377

Bureau of Land Management
- Ms. Rachel Tueller (Public Affairs Specialist) rtueller@blm.gov; +1 435 688 3303

Images
- A composite of the last-quarter Moon set against a starry sky above Parashant. http://bit.ly/1bSKob2
- The “Big Dipper” rising over Parashant. http://bit.ly/1bSKuiM (Credit for both images: Nicholas Glover)
- Graphic/Poster by Tyler Nordgren: http://bit.ly/1imeWBx (Credit: ©Tyler Nordgren, http://www.tylernordgren.com/)

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/the-international-dark-sky-association-awards-dark-sky-status-to-grand-canyon-parashant-national-monument-480567.htm

Over 300,000 cannot drink or bathe in tap water

San Francisco, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/24/2014 -- There was a real concern for the several hundred-thousand individuals who were left without clean water in West Virginia. Water remained unclean for the third day in a row after a chemical spill at a water facility. Executives stated that it could be days before uncontaminated water would be flowing throughout the local pipes once again.

According to experts, the water sample test results must remain consistently exhibiting that chemical&aposs present within the water are below 1-parts per million. Such a level is the recommend level based on the federal agency&aposs own numbers, and is the mark to be held before residents can turn on their taps once again.

The company in charge stated that residents within the nine countries were to not drink the water in their taps. They were also advised not to take baths or wash dishes in the water as well. The reason was that a foaming agent used to process coal had seeped into the Elk River.

300,000 individuals are not forced to only use the water for flushing the toilet. Thirty-two individuals sought medical treatment at hospitals after experiencing nausea and vomiting after ingesting water.

"This incident continues to impact the people of West Virginia - our goal is to find out what happened to allow a leak of such magnitude to occur and to ensure that the proper safeguards are in place to prevent a similar incident from occurring," Chemical Safety Board chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso said in a news release.

According to the company nearly 7,500 gallons “escaped” the storage tank and contaminated the area, according to Micahel Dorsey, who works as Chief of the State Department of Environmental Protection&aposs Homeland Security and Emergency Response.

The actual tally of chemical that made it&aposs way into the river is not known, but officials do not believe waterways downstream will be significantly affected due to dilution.

The company has since issued an apology on its own behalf.

"We&aposd like to start by sincerely apologizing to the people in the affected counties of West Virginia," company President Gary Southern said. "Our friends and our neighbors, this incident is extremely unfortunate, unanticipated and we are very, very sorry for the disruptions to everybody&aposs daily life this incident has caused."

About Restoration1ofTampa.com
Restoration 1 of Tampa (http://restoration1oftampa.com/component/content/article/28-other-misc/152-water-damage-in-palm-harbor-fl) provides quality water-removal, fire damage, mold removal, and storm response services in the Tampa, Florida and Palm Harbor areas. Visit the website today to learn more about Palm harbor water removal restoration.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/water-contamination-forces-many-to-avoid-water-use-440973.htm

Icy weather conditions and burst pipes caused flood in the streets of Chicago

San Francisco, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/24/2014 -- With the icy weather and frozen conditions that covered Chicago over the weekend, frozen pipes were the likely cause of a sprinkler system bursting. The result of which was damaged businesses and a slippery street that was a hazard to the neighborhood.

A leak within a fire system was said to be the likely cause as the Pulaski Road was covered with water, which then froze. Firefighters had to wade through knee-deep ice-water in order to get to the cause of the leak.

The building&aposs sprinkler system was said to have burst near 11 pm and water was sent pouring into the street, according to the fire authority. Those at the scene were wading in the water in order to get to the genesis of the leak, according to managing deputy commissioner of the Department of Water Management, Bill Bresnahan.

The fire department fixed the leak and used salt spreaders to treat the ice that had forced, according to police. The sprinkler system burst at the Columbia Sportswear as well, according to Bresnahan. Gain, salt-spreaders were used at the scene.

Each of the leaks was said to have been caused by the severity of the icy weather. The National Weather Service had reported that temperatures fell to 6 below zero within the Chicago area that night.

Currently, there is no tally of the damage done to either business due to the flooding.

About Restoration1ofTampa.com
Restoration 1 of Tampa (http://www.restoration1oftampa.com/) provides quality water-removal, fire damage, mold removal, and storm response services in the Tampa, Florida area. Visit the website today to learn more about New port richey water removal.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/large-flux-in-temperature-causes-broken-water-lines-440982.htm

Dozens of busted pipes keep restoration crews busy

San Francisco, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/24/2014 -- While the experience of a slight warm-up in the Minnesota area was a welcome experience for many, it also came with a price. Certainly the above-zero temperatures was a positive sight for many, but the escape from the deep freeze also brought bursting water main pipes across the area.

When temperatures reached over 30 degrees from the previous negative-20, the fluctuation caused pipes to burst quite easily. Experts on the issue noted that the extremely low temperatures drove frost deep into the pipes, causing them to shift out of position. This put pressure on the now elderly water lines. The freezing also caused cracks in the pipes, which then allowed water to flow from them once water began to thaw.

“It’s just kind of inevitable,” said Josh Werner of Valley-Rich Co., the company that repaired a break Saturday in Wayzata.

The unfortunate break had hundreds detoured as there was a 7-hour cleanup necessary along Lake Minnetonka. Crews worked to fix cracked iron pipe sections and connected a water main onto another roadway.

It’s been a real busy last 10 days,” said Mike Olmstead, who is the Hennepin County senior engineer technician.

The city and its crews scrambled all week to fix pipes across the metro area. Burst pipes forced continual headaches for official and maintenance crews. Restoration workers dealt with the flooding at River Park Lofts and have been called dozens of homes and businesses.

“Over the last week, it’s just been crazy,” manager Richard Larson said. “Once it starts warming up, it gets busy. We’ve had crews basically working 24 hours a day.”

More breaks were noted in Wayzata, again thanks to the fluctuating temperatures. The area is now looking to undergo reconstruction at a larger scale than simple replacement as the stretch appears to be in intensive need. The most recent break left 12 homes without water for hours, but thankfully damaged no homes.

About Restoration1ofTampa.com
Restoration 1 of Tampa (http://restoration1oftampa.com/component/content/article/28-other-misc/157-water-damage-in-st-petersburg-fl) provides quality water-removal, fire damage, mold removal, and storm response services in the Tampa, Florida and St. Petersburg area. Visit the website today to learn more about St petersburg Water restoration.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/minnesota-deals-with-water-main-breaks-440990.htm

Tree service in Newtown, CT begins local online marketing campaign

Newtown, CT -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/27/2014 -- Connecticut Tree Doctor Inc., a tree service, maintenance and care company serving Newtown, CT, has formed a marketing partnership with BizIQ, a firm specializing in small business web optimization.

In partnering with BizIQ, Connecticut Tree Doctor Inc. is seeking to appeal to local area customers by optimizing its online presence to rank in Google’s local search results. BizIQ will assist the company in rebuilding its website for a more cohesive online browsing experience, optimizing content to entice better local search results and providing a constant source of recurring information through its blog.

Through its newly optimized web presence, Connecticut Tree Doctor Inc. is seeking to cater to the needs of those customers with a need for high quality, encompassing tree care, along with peripheral services, such as tree removal, decay detection, safety evaluation, pruning, stump grinding, brush clearing, chipper service and more.

“We provide tree service that’s thorough and encompassing, for residential and commercial customers that are truly invested in their arboreal needs,” said Steve Carmichael, Owner of Connecticut Tree Doctor Inc. “Today, many of our customers are seeking these services online, which has fueled our drive to expand our highly regarded service onto the Internet in an easily discoverable way. BizIQ is helping us to achieve continued exposure and enhance our reach to our local area customers.”

With nearly 35 years of veteran arboreal experience, Connecticut Tree Doctor Inc. is highly regarded for its vast scope of tree services and other foliage caretaking options. With a licensed Arborist always on site, the company aims to serve commercial and residential tree owners in any capacity, ensuring the healthy growth and sustainability of each property that it services.

About Connecticut Tree Doctor Inc.
Connecticut Tree Doctor Inc. specializes in tree removal, pruning, decay detection, stump grinding, tree and soil injections, as well as safety evaluations. As a member of the Connecticut Tree Protective Association and the National Arborist Association, the company strives to uphold the highest levels of quality and expertise, to better serve its customers.

To learn more about Connecticut Tree Doctor Inc., its services or to inquire about its capabilities, please visit the company’s website at http://treeservicenewtownct.com/.

To learn more about BizIQ, its expertise regarding local search engine optimization or to view its extensive list of service options, please visit http://www.ebiziq.com/.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/connecticut-tree-doctor-inc-partners-with-biziq-483202.htm