As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Action Plan, the agency announced on June 22 that it is issuing a final rule giving it the authority to review an expansive list of products containing PFAS before these products could be manufactured, sold or imported in the U.S. This action, issued under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), means that EPA is prohibiting companies from manufacturing, processing or importing products containing certain long-chain PFAS, which persist in the environment and can cause adverse health effects, without prior EPA review and approval. As part of the agency’s review, EPA could place restrictions on these products to protect public health.

“As EPA marks the fourth anniversary of amendments to TSCA, this new rule gives the Trump administration a powerful new tool to protect public health,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler says. “The regulation can stop products containing PFAS from entering or reentering the marketplace without our explicit permission. EPA is committed to aggressively addressing these chemicals of concern under the PFAS Action Plan.” 

This final rule strengthens the regulation of PFAS by requiring notice and EPA review before the use of long-chain PFAS that have been phased out in the U.S. could begin again. Additionally, products containing certain long-chain PFAS as a surface coating and carpet containing perfluoroalkyl sulfonate chemical substances can no longer be imported into the U.S. without EPA review.

This action means that products like ski wax, carpet, furniture, electronics and household appliances that could contain certain PFAS chemicals cannot be manufactured, imported, produced or sold in the U.S. unless EPA reviews and approves the use or puts in place the necessary restrictions to address any unreasonable risks.

According to the EPA, this action also levels the playing field for companies that have already voluntarily phased out the use of long-chain PFAS chemicals under EPA’s PFOA Stewardship Program by preventing new uses of these phased out chemicals. Before this action, the use of these PFAS could have commenced without EPA approval.

More information on the final rule is available online.

The Trump administration has cleared a long-stalled railroad bridge project in New Jersey to advance toward construction and pledged $766.6 million in grant funding for the work, reports Politico.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao approved the start of the engineering phase for the $1.87 billion Portal North, a replacement span for the two-track, swing-style Portal Bridge that had become a major bottleneck on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) said.

According to Politico, the FTA was in the process of notifying NJ Transit, the project sponsor, and others involved in the undertaking on June 19.

“FTA will continue to work with New Jersey Transit (NJT) as it progresses toward full completion of the requirements in law, needed to receive a” full-funding agreement, an FTA spokesperson said in a statement.

The existing Portal Bridge, which is 110 years old and carries about 450 Amtrak and NJT trains over the Hackensack River daily, had become a source of severe delays for trains running into and out of Manhattan. The bridge would often become stuck in the open position, cutting off the busiest rail corridor in America.

The replacement project had been held up in recent years as President Donald Trump delayed the Gateway Program, a $30 billion capital plan that includes the bridge and construction of a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River. The hold on the program was said to be linked to the president’s animosity for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a major booster of the initiative.

Murphy and his aides had lobbied the FTA — and Trump directly — to weigh the merits of the bridge projects on its own. The president, after having dinner with Murphy at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, last week tweeted that he would support the Portal Bridge.

LBX Company LLC, Lexington, Kentucky, has announced the addition of Bejac Corp. as the dealer for Link-Belt hydraulic excavators, scrap and material handlers and parts in the Las Vegas area.

The new Bejac branch is located at 3838 Octagon Road, North Las Vegas, Nevada, and features service bays, warehousing, a wash rack and a secure paved yard. The location will serve the Clark, Lincoln and southern half of Nye counties. Equipment can be purchased or rented and there is an on-site service for maintenance and repairs.

Bejac Corp., Placentia, California, has been a Link-Belt excavator dealer since 1993.

“Bejac has been a long-time partner of LBX and we are excited to grow alongside them in the greater Las Vegas market,” says Chris Wise, distribution development manager, LBX Company. “They have the right product expertise and a high commitment to customer service which aligns perfectly with our company values.”

More information on the new Link-Belt Excavator, parts or service can be found here.

Mecalac, Annecy, France, an international manufacturer of compact construction equipment for urban sites, has introduced its line of crawler skid excavators— the newly updated MCR Series comprised of the 6MCR, 8MCR and 10MCR. According to Mecalac, its line of compact skid excavators offers superior speed, productivity and compact operation over traditional miniexcavators. A compact footprint brings Mecalac’s end-user-focused design to new applications and industries for increased safety, sustainability and efficiency.

 

“One of the main goals of every Mecalac design is reducing congestion on the job site by providing one machine that can take the place of several,” says Peter Bigwood, general manager for Mecalac North America. “The MCR Series is truly multifunctional, acting as a skid steer, excavator or rough terrain forklift, depending on the attachment. We designed the new MCR series to go faster than anything else its size because we know time is of the essence on every job site. But speed is only part of the equation when it comes to efficiency, so we added an unparalleled range of motion with the patented three-part Mecalac boom system, allowing operators to do more from a single position. Together these capabilities produce truly game-changing versatility.”

The new MCR Series features a hydrostatic transmission and drive motors with a dedicated pump allowing for travel speeds up to 6.2 miles.

According to Mecalac, its patented quick coupler, CONNECT, allows operators to quickly transition between attachments — such as pallet forks or digging buckets — without leaving the cab, decreasing downtime between tasks and increasing overall productivity. Additionally Mecalac says, once the pins are engaged, CONNECT guarantees zero risk of dropping a bucket.

Using a range of attachments, contractors can easily do the job of several machines with a single unit, freeing up resources and space without sacrificing efficiency. With a skid bucket attachment, contractors can move up to 0.98 cubic yard of material at top speed or rest the bucket against the blade for applications such as grading and ground leveling.

MCR units combine Mecalac’s three-part arm, which can be tucked in, and rotating ability to ensure the company’s signature 360-degree compactness. The company claims the extended range of movement increases flexibility and reach while minimizing unnecessary movement, allowing operators to do more from a single position or within confined spaces.

Learn more about Mecalac’s full line of equipment at www.mecalac.com.