Synergist - June/July 2010

The TRI is a public database containing information on toxic chemical releases and waste management activity reported annually by federal facilities and certain industries. TRI was established in 1986 and contains information on approximately 650 chemicals and chemical groups from almost 22,000 industrial facilities in the U.S.

For further information on TRI, visit www.epa.gov/tri.

EPA Opens Chemical Information Database

EPA recently released ToxRefDB, a database that allows the public to search, compare and download thousands of toxicity testing results on a range of chemicals. Users can query specific chemicals and obtain all available data on public hazards, exposures and risk assessments, as well as subsequent, unpublished toxicity information.

ToxRefDB is part of the Aggregated Computational Toxicology Resource (ACToR), an online database that gathers information on several environmentally related chemicals from approximately 500 public sources. ToxRefDB also connects users to ToxCast, another EPA database that helps the public understand and evaluate chemical hazards and exposures.

To access ToxRefDB, visit http://actor.epa.gov/toxrefdb/faces/ Home.jsp.

NIOSH Revamps Lead Exposure Prevention Web Page

In May, NIOSH redesigned and updated its Web page on work-related lead exposure prevention. The redesign includes links to sections for workers, employers, researchers and those involved in the public health industry. Additional links lead to resources for lead safety training and medical guidelines, publications regarding workplace lead exposure, and other relevant sites.

To view the NIOSH lead web page, visit www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lead.

New Memorial Honors Workers

On April 28, the National Labor College in Silver Spring, Md., unveiled a memorial commemorating workers who lost their lives while on the job. Two hundred rail workers, miners and post office employees were among those whose names were etched into bricks at The National Workers Memorial.

Family members, friends and colleagues of the fallen workers gathered on the National Labor College campus to witness the unveiling and to honor those killed at their workplaces. The rally was attended by OSHA Assistant Secretary David Michaels and United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) President Cecil