EPA announces plans to regulate coal ash: Agency proposals would address risks of unsafe coal ash disposal, while supporting safe forms of beneficial use. This action will ensure for the first time that protective controls, such as liners and groundwater monitoring, are in place at new landfills to protect groundwater and human health. Existing surface impoundments will also require liners, with strong incentives to close the impoundments and transition to safer landfills, which store coal ash in dry form. More...
GMA and USIFI united in March for Lobby Days in Washington, D.C.--Meetings covered key congressional offices and trade officials. More...
Geosynthetic Manufacturers Association (GMA) actively identifies assesses, analyzes, and acts upon market growth opportunities and issues that affect its member companies. The activities of the association are proactive in nature and centered on five areas: Government Lobbying, Business development, Education, Geoynthetics industry promotion and Industry relations. Learn more about GMA.
Professional Awning Manufacturers Consumer Awareness Campaign - Awnings Today. This campaign is entering year 4 and involves outreach to online and print media to promote the benefits of home awnings. A recent PAMA sponsored study has shown that awnings placed on or near a home can reduce energy consumption for cooling by 25% or more in some climates, which directly reduces the impact of global warming from greenhouse gas emissions.* In addition, awnings protect families from harmful UV rays and provide an excellent solution to create beautiful outdoor living spaces. For additional information about the campaign visit www.awningstoday.com or www.designwithawnings.com. To be a part of this campaign, visit the PAMA member site.
The Ensuing Worker Safety Act - A House Bill proposes to change the relationship between state and federal run safety programs In the final week of March, the Ensuing Worker Safety Act (H.R. 4864) was introduced by Rep. Dina Titus from Nevada's Third District. The bill seeks to keep state OSHA plans "as effective as federal standards and enforcement." More specifically, it seeks to revise federal OSHA's either-or response if it finds a state plan "underperforming." Under the current law, states can either create and manage their own safety and health programs or fall under federal safety standards. If they choose the former, they have to certify that their programs are "at least as effective as federal OSHA." However, if they are found by OSHA to be inadequate, then OSHA has two choices: do nothing or terminate the program and control state safety, which eliminates state autonomy and increases the cost for the federal government. To correct this limiting, black-or-white response, the Ensuing Worker Safety Act would enable OSHA to:
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"Identify a problem with a state plan and compel a remedy without beginning the process for withdrawing approval."
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Establish OSHA's "concurrent enforcement authority while a state plan is remedying deficiencies."
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Keep federal OSHA accountable in its role to provide "strong oversight and guidance to state plans."
The Ensuing Worker Safety Act comes on the heels of the tragic worker deaths in Southern Nevada, which "highlighted the need to ensure that state OSHA plans are doing their job of protecting workers." Jan Schieffer, Managing Director, Tent Rental Division of IFAI, www.tentexperts.org - +1 651 225 6944 or 800 636 5065.
United States Industrial Fabrics Institute (USIFI) - Our mission is to build a strong coalition of US fiber, fabric, and end product manufacturers and to serve member company interests both domestically and internationally. USIFI has joined the Fair Currency Coalition which is an alliance to industry, agriculture, and worker organizations that support production in and export from the U.S. by seeking an end to the practice of currency misalignment by any trading partner. Visit www.usifi.com for details on recent legislation efforts.
IMPORTANT LINKS TO GOVERNMENT SITES
Federal Government
Federal Government Agencies and Resources
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Library of Congress (your source to find names and addresses of your Senators, Representatives, and committees)
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U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Recovery Act
More Financial Support for U.S. Exporters - In fiscal year 2009, Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) authorized $21 billion in support of U.S. exports, 50% more than the previous year. Under the Obama Administration, Ex-Im has further increased its authorizations to $10 billion in the first quarter of this fiscal year alone, three times the amount it did in the first quarter last year. Ex-Im projects that this pace of expansion will continue and ultimately double Ex-Im’s trade finance capacity within five years. Additionally, as part of the National Export Initiative, Ex-Im is expanding its efforts to work with small business by creating a new facility to provide up to $2 billion a year in trade finance to small and medium-sized enterprises. More...
European Union
Associations
Standards & Code Organizations
Statistics
Green/Sustainability
HOW TO ADVOCATE FOR YOUR COMPANY OR INDUSTRY:
Who to Contact:
Your Members of Congress were elected to represent you, let them know what you think. Contacting House and Senate leaders during the build-up to an important vote can be extremely effective. The President's office also keeps track of communications on current issues. You may not get a personal response, particularly if your e-mail, phone call or letter is one of hundreds on the same topic, but be certain your message will be heard, loud and clear.
How to Contact Your Legislator:
Technology provides a range of opportunities to make our voices heard. Particularly when time is of the essence, e-mail, faxes and telephone calls are effective - nearly instant - communicators. Bear in mind that an opinion on current legislation receives more attention than general observations. In general, for all types of communication, be as specific as possible. Keep it brief. Identify your subject clearly, give the name and bill number of the legislation you are concerned about. Be reasonable; don't ask for the impossible or engage in threats. Ask that your legislators state their positions on the issue; you are entitled to know.
Call your Members of Congress at their offices in Washington, DC or at their state offices. You can also call your Senators or Representatives by dialing 1-202-224-3121 (U.S. Capitol Switchboard) and asking for the Member by name. Although you most likely will end up talking to a staffer and not the Member, your call - your voice - will be heard.
Write on letterhead and be sure to sign your name. Put your return address on your letter. Envelopes get thrown away.
Meet with your legislators and question them at public events. Keep questions short and to the point. Make sure your question is specific: "Will you vote for S. 1219?"* or "Will you make a public pledge to support this campaign reform effort?"
*In the above example, S. 1219 would mean Senate bill number number 1219. Often there is a similar bill in the House of Representatives. An example might be HR. 1429.
When to Lobby:
At some point you may want to personally lobby your Representative, Senators, the House and Senate leaders or the President. There are special times in the legislative process when your letters and calls can be especially productive.
1. When a bill is introduced and assigned to a committee, you can contact your legislators to request that they cosponsor the bill. Obviously, the more cosponsors a bill has, the more likely it is to gain support and move through the legislative process.
2. If the bill is bottled up in committee and appears unlikely to ever emerge, you might contact your Members of Congress and urge them to get the bill moving.
3. In the Senate, a minority of Senators can stop passage of a bill by launching a filibuster, essentially an endless debate. Many campaign finance efforts over the years have fallen victim to Senate filibusters. The votes of 60 Senators are needed to end a filibuster and allow action on a bill. You might contact your Senators and urge them to fight obstructionist filibusters blocking action on important legislation.
4. When legislation is about to come up on the floor of the House or Senate, you could contact your legislators and urge support for the position you advocate.
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