FAA fails to monitor, regulate cabin air quality
According to a study by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the failure of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in monitoring and regulating air quality in the aircraft cabin has raised questions about potentially serious consequences to passenger health. The NAS completed an airline air-quality study in 1986 and presented the FAA with recommendations for monitoring and regulating cabin air quality. The FAA failed to independently implement all but one of the programs the NAS recommended. “This study reveals a conspiracy of ignorance between the FAA and the airlines to ensure that we never really know how severe a public health risk cabin air poses,” says Patricia Friend, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants, AFL-CIO. “The jurisdiction of monitoring and regulating cabin air must be taken out of the hands of the FAA.” AFA supports the NAS in its call for monitoring carbon monoxide and ozone in the aircraft cabin. —SF

ATMI, Nissan Chemical enter manufacturing agreement
ATMI Japan K. K., a subsidiary of ATMI Inc., and Nissan Chemical Industries Ltd. have signed an agreement granting Nissan Chemical an exclusive right to manufacture, distribute and sell certain of ATMI's wafer cleaning chemicals in Japan. The two companies have cooperated for three years to introduce ATMI photolithography residue remover and wafer cleaning chemicals to Japanese semiconductor and micro-electromechanical systems device manufacturers. Qualification of the first phase of Nissan Chemical's manufacturing plant in Toyama is complete; the plant is expected to be fully operational in September 2002. —SF

Arbill offers online catalog
Arbill Glove and Safety Products is offering an online catalog at www.arbill.com. The catalog features more than 4300 products that protect people from hazards in the workplace, ranging from safety glasses and hand protection to steel-toe boots. Each product is displayed with a color photo, description, shipping quantity, catalog price, OSHA and ANSI regulations that the product satisfies and the ability to add to the shopping cart and order a specific quantity. —SF

SACHEM Inc. acquires Laporte Performance Chemicals B.V.
SACHEM Inc. has acquired Laporte Performance Chemicals B.V. (LPC) from Degussa AG. The addition of the LPC personnel and facility provides an opportunity to implement new technologies and extend existing product lines into new markets. —SF