Recently in Lead Category

California has approved the most stringent, environmentally-friendly building code in the United States that will apply to new commercial buildings, hospitals, schools, shopping malls and homes. The new code, called "CAL Green"  which won a unanimous vote by the California Building Standards Commission, will take effect in January 2011.

CAL Green codes require builders to install plumbing that cuts indoor water use, divert 50 percent of construction waste from landfills to recycling, use low-pollutant materials, and install separate water meters for different uses in nonresidential buildings.

CAL Green code also requires energy system inspections by local officials to ensure that heaters, air conditioners and other mechanical equipment in nonresidential buildings are working efficiently.

Property owners can also label their facilities as CAL Green compliant, once they pass state building inspection, without the additional cost of third-party certification programs. The mandatory CAL Green provisions will be inspected and verified by local and state building departments.

However, the regulations were opposed by several private organizations that offer construction rating systems, including the U.S. Green Building Council, which said it could result in confusion for builders, local governments and the public, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

More than 40 California cities have some form of green building ordinances.

"The code will help us meet our goals of curbing global warming and achieving 33 percent renewable energy by 2020 and promotes the development of more sustainable communities by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency in every new home, office building or public structure," stated Governor Schwarzenegger in a press release.

CAL Green from California Building Standards Commission: 

• California Building Standards Green Code
• SB1473 Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund
• Education & Outreach
• Green Building Standards Bulletin - BSB 08-02

Sensors, monitors and controllers are becoming major "micro-players" in the green and sustainability fields because what you can measure, you can control.  There are many opportunities in basic development and manufacturing of these micro-devices, as well as assembling them into high performance equipment and solutions.

Some of the opportunities that are developing in the sensors and micro-world of data gathering, processing and control include:

Automation & Process Control Opportunities
Industrial Automation; DCS; PLC; Special Machine Tools; Fluid Power - hydraulic and pneumatic power; Motors & Drives - Industrial Motors, Electric Drives, Mechanical Power; Process Control - Compressors; and Vacuum Pumps

Sensors Opportunities
Sensors, Industrial Gas Sensors, Infrared Sensors, AVV Sensors, Flow Sensors, Level Sensors, Temperature Sensors, Pressure Sensors, and Magnetic Sensors

Electronics Opportunities
Electronics; AutoID - Tracking Technologies, POS/ePayment Systems, Biometrics/Security Systems, Electronic Component, and Surface Mount Technology (SMT)

Semiconductors Opportunities
Semiconductors, Microcontrollers, Power Transistors, UWB and Zigbee Chipsets, Radio Frequency (RF) Semiconductors, and VLSI Design Services Markets

Lead Disclosure Required for Rental & Sale Properties

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has fined a Long Beach, Calif., property owner $7,952 for allegedly violating federal lead-based paint disclosure requirements at six rental properties.

During a routine inspection in 2005, the EPA discovered that the residential property owner  failed to disclose whether reports about lead-based paint or lead hazards existed for his apartment complex prior to tenants signing lease agreements which was in violation of the federally regulated Toxic Substances Control Act.

"This action confirms EPA's commitment to enforcing toxic substances regulations to protect families, especially children, from potential lead-based paint hazards," said Katherine Taylor, associate director of the EPA's Communities and Ecosystems Division for the Pacific Southwest region. "Childhood lead poisoning from exposure to lead-based paint chips or dust continues to be an environmental challenge. Without adequate information about lead hazards, tenants and home owners cannot protect themselves and their families from the significant risks that these hazards present."

Between July and December 2005, Williams owned and leased six residential rental units. Mr. Williams cooperated with the EPA to resolve the case.

Many homes built before 1978 have lead-based paint.

The federal government banned lead-based paint from housing in 1978. Children with high levels of lead in their bodies can suffer from damage to the brain and nervous system, behavior and learning problems, such as hyperactivity, slowed growth, or hearing problems.

Federal law requires that persons and entities who sell or rent housing built before 1978 must provide an EPA-approved lead hazard information pamphlet; include lead notification language in sales and rental forms; disclose any known lead-based paint hazards and provide reports to buyers or renters; allow a lead inspection or risk assessment by home buyers; and maintain records certifying compliance with applicable federal requirements for three years.

Lead hazards may be controlled through specific maintenance practices or eliminated through abatement. For additional information on lead in paint, dust and soil, see: http://www.epa.gov/lead/.