We have recently learned that Udi’s Healthy Foods LLC, in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is voluntarily recalling certain lots of its 12-ounce bags of Udi’s Gluten Free Au Naturel Granola. Our records indicate that you have purchased one of the products listed in this recall through the Amazon.com website.

The recall involves certain lots of the 12-ounce bags of Udi’s Gluten Free Au Naturel Granola with UPC 6-98997-80615-8 and Best By 041913 12265 1.  The affected product comes in a 12-ounce, clear plastic bag marked with BEST BY 041913 12265 1 on back of the bag, underneath the Nutrition Facts panel.

The recall is limited to products with UPC 6-98997-80615-8 and Best By 041913 12265 1. It does not extend to any other Udi’s products or lot codes.

The affected product may contain undeclared almonds. People who are allergic to almonds run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

Customers with allergies to almonds who have purchased the affected product are advised to stop consuming the product and contact Udi’s Healthy Foods at 201-421-3970, Monday-Friday from 9AM to 4:30PM Eastern Time for more information.

You may also find additional details about the recall in the FDA bulletin at: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm332915.htm .

If you purchased this item someone else, please notify the recipient immediately and provide them with the information in the FDA bulletin concerning these safety issues.

We regret the inconvenience this recall has caused you but trust you will understand that the safety of our customers is our highest priority.

Domino’s Pizza seems to have taken one step forward and two steps back move in the eyes of many familiar with celiac disease with it’s new gluten free crust.

It is clear that many restaurant chains are now posting information regarding gluten and making sure their kitchens are “gluten free friendly”. What has many scratching their heads is why Domino’s would make the effort to produce a gluten free pizza and then not take the necessary steps to insure it stays gluten free before reaching you.

According to the company website, “Domino’s® pizza made with a Gluten Free Crust is prepared in a common kitchen with the risk of gluten exposure. The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness supports the availability of Domino’s® Gluten Free Crust but CANNOT recommend the pizza for customers with celiac disease. Customers with gluten sensitivities should exercise judgment in consuming this pizza.”

While commendable that they provide this information, the majority of the market selecting gluten free pizzas will be forced to get their pizzas elsewhere. Celiacs can not gamble with their health and risk cross contamination.

It’s like saying to people with nut allergies, we have a nut free product but it’s not safe because of all the nuts around. Okay? I’m not sure why you did that…Would you build a sailboat with no sails, a kite with no string, a music player with no speaker? All great things, but what’s the point?

Of concern to the celiac community is making sure those with the disease are cautioned about the cross-contamination issue and avoid Domino’s.

So will this new gluten free pizza crust help to generate profits? Time will tell…But, one thing’s for sure. They could have sold a lot more if the kitchen was gluten free friendly.

Discuss in the Forum Here

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 5, 2012
Contact:

Susan Stribling
Odwalla Inc.
404.676.4120

ODWALLA, INC. ISSUES NATIONWIDE ALLERGY ALERT ON
CHOCOLATE PROTEIN MONSTER BEVERAGE
Dinuba, CA —Odwalla, Inc. is recalling Odwalla Chocolate Protein Monster beverage in 12-oz and 32-oz bottles, with “enjoy by” dates prior to and including 23 MAY 2012, because of reports from consumers allergic to peanuts and/or tree nuts experiencing severe allergic reactions after consuming this beverage. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts and/or tree nuts may run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.

Odwalla Chocolate Protein Monster product that is being recalled includes all “enjoy by” dates prior to 23 MAY 2012 and the specific UPC codes listed below.

Odwalla Chocolate Protein Monster    12-oz bottles    UPC Code: 14054 13509
Odwalla Chocolate Protein Monster    32-oz bottles    UPC Code: 14054 13504
Odwalla Protein Monster “variety pack” (sold exclusively at Costco)

Ten 12-oz bottles, four of which are Odwalla Chocolate Protein Monster    UPC Code: 0 14054 26659 6
These Odwalla Chocolate Protein Monster beverages were distributed nationwide through retail food stores and on-premise foodservice establishments during the last seven weeks. The 12-oz bottles of Chocolate Protein Monster are also available in an Odwalla Protein Monster “variety pack” sold exclusively at Costco during this same timeframe. The variety pack is a 10-pack of 12-oz bottles of the different Protein Monster varieties, four bottles of which are Chocolate Protein Monster.

Chocolate Protein Monster is sold in 12-oz and 32-oz re-sealable plastic packaging and must be kept refrigerated. The beverage labels carry the brand name “Odwalla” and the descriptors “Chocolate Protein Soy and Dairy Protein Shake” and “Protein Monster.” Specific “enjoy by” dates can be found printed on the neck of the bottles.

To date, four consumers have contacted Odwalla to report allergic reactions after drinking the product. These four consumers are not known to be allergic to soy and milk but report being allergic to peanuts and/or tree nuts.

Odwalla has notified the FDA of these consumer reports and is working with FDA to investigate the cause of these allergic reactions. This beverage contains no peanut or tree nut ingredients, and the production facility where it is produced does not make any peanut-containing products. While we have found no evidence of peanuts or tree nuts in the product at this point, in an abundance of caution to safeguard consumers, Odwalla is recalling this product while continuing to investigate the cause of the reactions.

Consumers who are allergic to peanuts or peanuts and tree nuts and who have Odwalla Chocolate Protein Monster product with the specified “enjoy by” dates are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Odwalla at 1-800-639-2552, 9:00 am to 5:30 pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

Qualitest Pharmaceuticals today issued a voluntary nationwide  retail level recall of Butalbital, Acetaminophen, and Caffeine Tablets USP, 50mg/325mg/40mg, and Hydrocodone Bitartrate and Acetaminophen  Tablets, USP 7.5mg/500mg. This recall was initiated because an individual bottle of Butalbital, Acetaminophen, and Caffeine Tablets USP, 50mg/325mg/40mg, 500 count was found incorrectly labeled with a Hydrocodone Bitartrate and Acetaminophen  Tablets, USP 7.5mg/500mg, 1000 count label, printed with Lot Number C0590909B.  Lots C0390909A, C0400909A, C0410909A used the same stock inventory of labels as Lot C0590909B and are potentially impacted.

Because the recalled bottles may contain incorrect tablets, patients may unintentionally take butalbital and caffeine instead of hydrocodone (acetaminophen is in both preparations.) Unintentional administration of butalbital could result in symptoms such as sedation, lightheadedness, dizziness, and nausea. Additionally, patients with an allergy to butalbital could experience a hypersensitivity reaction.  Side effects due to caffeine are less likely, due to the small amounts in this formulation; however, those individuals with sensitivity to caffeine may experience symptoms such as tremors, irritability, and difficulty sleeping. Patients who were receiving hydrocodone for chronic pain might experience worsening pain and withdrawal symptoms as a result of this substitution.  No injuries have been reported to date.

The recall includes the following products:

• Butalbital, Acetaminophen, and Caffeine Tablets, USP, 50mg/325mg/40mg, NDC 0603-2544-28 500 count, Lot Numbers C0390909A, C0400909A, C0410909A, C0590909B
• Hydrocodone Bitartrate and Acetaminophen Tablets, USP 7.5mg / 500mg, NDC 0603-3882-32, 1000 count, Lot Numbers C0390909A, C0400909A, C0410909A, C0590909B

This voluntary recall is being made with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

These lots were distributed between November 13, 2009 and April 9, 2010 to wholesale and retail pharmacies nationwide (including Puerto Rico).  Lot numbers can be found on the side of the manufacturer’s bottle.  Butalbital, Acetaminophen, and Caffeine Tablets are (approximately 11.0 mm in diameter), white round-shaped tablets, debossed (2544) on one side, and debossed (V) on the reverse side; Hydrocodone Bitartrate and Acetaminophen Tablets are  (approximately 16.5  mm in length), white with green specs, round, capsule shaped, scored tablets, debossed (3594) and (V) on one side and plain on the reverse side. All patients who have filled prescriptions of Hydrocodone Bitartrate and Acetaninophen manufactured by Qualitest, are asked to double check the identity of their tablets.

Qualitest is notifying all customers who may have received affected product and arranging for the return of any affected product.

Consumers and patients with questions may contact Qualitest at 1-800-444-4011 for more information, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8AM and 5PM CST.

Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the manufacturer or to FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either on line, by regular mail, or by fax.

• Online: www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm
• Regular Mail: use postage-paid, pre-addressed Form FDA 3500 available at: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm. Mail to address on the pre-addressed form.
• Fax: 1-800-FDA-0178

Reports of adverse reactions or quality problems can also be reported to Qualitest at

1-800-444-4011; Monday through Friday between the hours of 8AM and 5PM CST.

The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) today announced it has joined a growing collaboration of professional organizations in the program, “HAE: Learn About It, Talk About It.”  This peer-to-peer clinician education program facilitates education and dialogue among several disciplines and specialties that see patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE), a rare, and potentially fatal swelling disorder, to improve accurate diagnosis and appropriate management of the disease.

“The rate of misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis for HAE is still alarmingly high, and the AANP is proud to bring this program to our members during the 26th Annual Conference to provide the education that may help improve care for HAE patients,” said Mary Jo Goolsby, EdD, MSN, NP-C, CAE, FAANP, Director of Research & Education at AANP.  ”The launch of our partnership this week highlights the importance of HAE, in recognition of the critical role NPs can play in improving time to diagnosis and appropriate management and demonstrating our commitment to working with other specialties to improve care for patients.”

HAE affects about at least 6,000 people in the United States and is characterized by recurrent, unpredictable, debilitating, and potentially life-threatening attacks of swelling that can occur almost anywhere in the body, including the larynx, abdomen, face, extremities and urogenital tract.   About 68 percent of people with HAE are initially misdiagnosed, and for some patients, it has taken up to 20 years to receive an accurate diagnosis.  Patients with HAE can experience up to 100 days of incapacitation per year, which can make it difficult to hold down a job, excel in school, or participate in daily activities, and about a third of patients have undergone unnecessary surgery.

“As a nurse practitioner in an allergy specialty practice, I know that rare diseases like hereditary angioedema may be overlooked when evaluating the causes and clinical presentation of swelling symptoms.  It’s important for clinicians to know that HAE attacks do not respond to drugs used to treat other forms of urticaria and swelling such as antihistamines, epinephrine and corticosteroids, and if left untreated, the disease can be fatal,” said Kathryn Blair, PhD, FNP-BC, AANP program advisor, nurse Practitioner at the Williams Storms Allergy Clinic Colorado Springs Colorado and Professor and option NP coordinator at the University of Colorado- Colorado Springs.  ”An accurate and timely diagnosis is more important than ever because it can put patients on the path to appropriate management faster.”

“HAE: Learn About It, Talk About It,” which launched in May 2010 as a joint effort of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) and the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute, has since grown into a collaboration amongst the ACAAI, the AGA, the World Allergy Organization (WAO), the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), and the Society of Emergency Medicine Physician Assistants (SEMPA).  The program is supported by ViroPharma Incorporated.

Nurse practitioners can learn more about HAE at booth 3117 at the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners 26th Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV, June 21-26.

About HAE: Learn About It, Talk About It

“HAE: Learn About It, Talk About It” is a clinician education program aimed at uniting disparate specialties that see patients with HAE to improve patient care through increased awareness and education, more timely diagnosis, and appropriate disease management.   The core component of this program is an informational and interactive Website – www. LetsTalkHAE.com – which provides health care providers with the tools they need to more readily diagnose symptoms and properly manage HAE.

The Website features targeted content for various specialties that may see patients presenting with HAE symptoms, as well as several educational resources, including a podcast series, iPhone application, archived Webinar, videos from HAE-treating clinicians and case studies.  LetsTalkHAE.com also features a tool where clinicians can find a local HAE-treating allergist/immunologist or can register as an HAE-treating allergist/immunologist.  For more information, visit www.LetsTalkHAE.com.

According to a national survey of more than 38,000 families, 8 percent of children in the United States suffer from a food allergy –  a considerably higher number than reported in previous studies.  In addition to estimating that 5.9 million children under age 18 now have a food allergy, the new study, published in the July issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, found that nearly 39 percent of the youngsters surveyed had a severe or life-threatening allergy, and that more than 30 percent had multiple food allergies.  Consistent with previous research, the study, funded by the Food Allergy Initiative (FAI), reported that children with a tree nut or peanut allergy tend to have the most severe reactions.

“This is the largest study ever conducted on the prevalence of food allergy in U.S. children and it differs from previous studies in important ways,” said the principal investigator, Ruchi S. Gupta, M.D., MPH, a pediatrician at Children’s Memorial Hospital and assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “Our goal was to paint a comprehensive picture of childhood food allergy in America.  We began by surveying a representative sample of children in the U.S. and collected extensive information on each and every food allergy reported – including date of onset, method of diagnosis, and reaction history.”  Data on race and ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and geographic region were also collected.

“This study confirms what so many families already know: food allergy is a large and growing public health problem,” said Mary Jane Marchisotto, executive director, FAI. “In 2008, the Centers for Disease Control estimated that food allergies affected 1 in 25 children; now it’s 1 in 13.  That translates into 2 children in every classroom.  It is especially disturbing to see how many of these children have multiple food allergies and have already experienced life-threatening reactions.  From previous research, we know that food-allergic reactions send an adult or child to the emergency room every three minutes—every six minutes for potentially fatal reactions.  Every day, we hear from families who are struggling with the emotional,  physical, and economic impact of food allergies.  That’s why FAI is committed to accelerating the pace of clinical trials that will lead to new therapies and, ultimately, a cure.”

For more information, please visit www.faiusa.org/PrevalenceStudy2011.

About Food Allergies
Food allergies affect approximately 12 million Americans.  Eight foods are responsible for 90 percent of all reactions:  peanut, tree nut, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat.  Although food allergies appear to be on the rise in developed countries worldwide, researchers do not yet know the reason why.  One common theory is the hygiene hypothesis, which posits that excessive hygiene is responsible for the increase of allergies and other immune-mediated diseases.  The theory suggests that since we are no longer exposed to many bacteria, viruses and parasites, our immune system targets harmless substances, such as food proteins, instead.  There is no cure for food allergies, and no medication can prevent anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening reaction.  Strict avoidance of problem foods remains the only way to prevent a reaction.

SOURCE Food Allergy Initiative

Phadia, the worldwide leader of in vitro allergy diagnostics, is pleased to contribute to the largest cross-sectional allergy study ever conducted through the use of its ImmunoCAP(R) Specific IgE blood test, the market leading in vitro allergy diagnostic test.

The landmark study by Quest Diagnostics, the world’s leading provider of diagnostic testing, information, and services, includes test results from over 2 million patients. The Health Trends Report(TM) confirms the “allergy march” in which early childhood food allergies heighten the risk for development of additional and more severe allergy-related conditions, including asthma, later in life. In addition, the report shows that patients with asthma are 20% more likely to have an allergic component to their condition. This confirms that allergy testing and exposure reduction to a patient’s specific allergic triggers are critically important steps to take for patients with asthma.

The study found that about half of patients tested (5 in 9) did not show sensitization to at least one of 11 common allergens evaluated. While the investigators hypothesize that some of these patients had an allergy to an allergen not evaluated in the study, they also theorize that a large number may have presented to their physician with allergy-like symptoms caused by a non-allergy medical condition. The importance of identifying and ruling out an allergy is important in order to improve quality of life for many patients.

David Esposito, President and General Manager of Phadia US, says, “We commend Quest Diagnostics on their leadership role in spotlighting the impact of allergies in our nation. This data enables us to work together to support health care reform initiatives that call for better patient care at reduced costs. With full knowledge of their allergies and armed with an allergy or asthma action plan, patients can reduce unscheduled doctors’ office and emergency room visits, lessen the need for medications including costly inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting beta agonist combination medications, and minimize sick days that cause missed school or work. Our hope is that this data is used by payers and policy makers to support and embrace the NIH Guidelines that recommend allergy testing for all patients with persistent asthma.”

The study was based on 14 million de-identified test results. Each test result identified sensitization to one or more of 11 common allergens: five foods (egg white, milk, peanut, soybean and wheat), common ragweed, mold and two types of house dust mites as well as cats and dogs.

Phadia will utilize data from the Quest Health Trends Report to expand and extend the use of the ImmunoCAP Specific IgE blood test to support a guidelines-based approach to diagnosing and managing allergic diseases. Phadia and Quest Diagnostics have partnered to improve the diagnosis and assessment of allergic disease for over two decades.

The full Allergies Across America Health Trends Report by Quest Diagnostics was recently released. For more information please visit: http://www.questdiagnostic.com

About Phadia

Children’s hospitals can reduce higher patient occupancy rates most often experienced during weekdays by scheduling more patients to be admitted on days with lighter schedules, according to a study published by researchers from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and other pediatric institutions.

The study, which appears today in the Journal of Hospital Medicine, evaluated inpatient information from 39 children’s hospitals during 2007 and found high midweek occupancy and substantial unused weekend capacity. Hospitals can use a “smoothing” approach to reduce peaks and troughs in census over the course of the week in order to  protect patients from crowded conditions, the study found.

Hospitals typically have uneven patient volume over days of the week. High occupancy levels, often referred to as “crowding,” may compromise patient safety and access to care. Meanwhile, low levels are often considered inefficient.  In the study of 39 children’s hospitals, weekday occupancy ranged between 71 percent and 108 percent while weekends had occupancy of 66 percent to 94 percent. Smoothing involves spreading the week’s volume of patients more evenly.

“Children’s hospitals have substantial unused capacity that could be used to smooth occupancy,” said study leader Evan Fieldston, M.D., M.B.A., M.S.H.P., a pediatric researcher at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “The concept is to proactively control the entry of patients, to achieve more even levels of occupancy instead of peaks and troughs.”

The researchers used 2007 data obtained from the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS), a national administrative database that contains information from 39 freestanding children’s hospitals. The researchers retroactively calculated each hospitals’ average occupancy for the week and created a formula to alleviate times when patient census peaks.

About 15 percent to 30 percent of patient visits are scheduled weeks or months in advance, and most often on weekdays. Only about 12 percent of scheduled admissions occurred during the weekends. The study forecast a reduction in weekly occupancy of more than 6 percent by smoothing out admissions. To achieve this, an average of about 7 patients per week would have to be scheduled on a different day, the study authors said.

Smoothing does not necessarily require weekend admissions. For example, patients could enter on a Friday with an anticipated discharge of Monday, the authors said. Further studies should look at child, family and staff preferences for scheduling admissions around school and work, as well as local circumstances that vary at each hospital.

Other study authors are Susmita Pati, M.D., M.P.H. and Samir S. Shah, M.D., M.S.C.E,  of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Matthew Hall, Ph.D., of the Child Health Corporation of America in Shawnee Mission, Kansas; Marion R. Sills, M.D., M.P.H., of Children’s Hospital in Aurora, Colorado; Anthony D. Slonim, M.D., Dr.P.H., of the Carilion Clinic Children’s Hospital in Roanoke, Virginia; Angela L. Myers, M.D., M.P.H., of Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri; and Courtney Cannon, M.B.A., of Children’s Hospital Boston.

Dr. Fieldston received support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Clinical Scholars program. Dr. Sills received support from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Dr. Shah received support from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation under its Physician Faculty Scholar Program.

Full citations: Fieldston ES, Hall M, Shah SS, Hain PD, Sills MR, Slonim AD, Myers AL, Cannon C, Pati S; Addressing Inpatient Crowding by Smoothing Occupancy at Children’s Hospitals; Journal of Hospital Medicine, 2011, DOI: 10.1002/jhm.904

Early results from the largest cross-sectional national allergy study ever conducted, to be released later this week, suggest that allergies have increased in America, but that most of the increase was due to two environmental allergens, ragweed and mold. The study, based on nearly 14 million test results from more than 2 million patient visits, is believed to be the largest to suggest that increased prevalence of the two allergens, which have been associated with climate change, are largely responsible for an increase in allergies in the United States.

The Quest Diagnostics Health Trends™ Report, Allergies Across America™, from Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), evaluates results of ImmunoCAP® specific Immunoglobulin E (IgE) blood testing to 11 common allergens, including common ragweed and mold, two house dust mites, cats and dogs, and five foods. A high IgE sensitization level for a specific allergen tested is highly suggestive of an allergy, although physicians also evaluate symptoms, medical history and other factors in order to clinically diagnose an allergy.

In the study, sensitization rates to common ragweed and mold increased the most of the 11 common allergens evaluated over a four-year period. Sensitization to common ragweed grew 15% nationally while mold grew 12%. By comparison, sensitization to the 11 allergens combined increased 5.8%.

“We believe this is the first large national study to show that the growing prevalence of allergies, suggested by other studies, is largely due to increases in environment-based allergens previously associated with climate change,” said Stanley J. Naides, M.D., medical director, immunology, Quest Diagnostics. “Given concerns about a warming climate, additional research is needed to confirm these findings and assess the possible implications for public health.”

About 10% to 20% of Americans are sensitive to ragweed. Increased exposure to ragweed has been shown to increase an individual’s risk of developing a ragweed allergy or of experiencing more severe allergy symptoms. Research has shown that a warming climate, by promoting longer blooming seasons, may increase both the abundance of certain environmental allergens, including ragweed, in the environment and length of the year during which people are exposed. A study published in March 2011 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences determined that the ragweed season was nearly a month longer in 2009 than it was in 1995 in certain northern areas of North America, possibly as a result of climate change.  Mold, as a precipitation-affected aeroallergen, may also increase in prevalence with a warmer climate.

The Quest Diagnostics study also ranked the 30 most populous metropolitan areas (“cities”) in the United States for IgE sensitization to ragweed. In the “30 Worst Big Cities for Ragweed” ranking, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Kansas City, Riverside-San Bernardino in California, and Dallas showed the highest rates of ragweed sensitization, while Miami, San Francisco, Portland, Tampa, and San Diego showed the lowest. Those cities at the high end of the ranking showing sensitization levels nearly three times higher than those at the low end.

On a regional basis, ragweed sensitization was highest in the Southwest, Great Lakes, and Mountain and Plains States. The investigators theorized that the differences in ragweed sensitization regionally and in the most populous cities may in part be due to longer and more intense ragweed pollen seasons, but they also underscored that the reasons behind these difference are unclear and deserve additional study.

“Considering that the ragweed season traditionally begins in August, Americans suffering from ragweed allergies should expect a very long summer,” said Dr. Naides. “These individuals as well as those with other allergies or asthma should take proactive measures to reduce their exposure to ragweed over the next several months.”

United Steelworkers (USW) said today that it has taken the first step toward filing a lawsuit against OMNOVA Solutions, Inc. by providing notice of intent to file in United States Federal District Court. Parties joining in the USW suit are The Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ), and the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL).

The suit would fall under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986 for what appears to be insufficient reporting of the storage and release of toxic chemicals to the environment from the company’s Performance Chemicals Facility in Chester, S.C.  Product focus at this facility consists of chemicals for floor care, graphic arts, coatings, adhesives, tape, construction, paper and textiles.

In a letter sent today by USW, CHEJ and BREDL to fulfill the 60-day notice requirement to perfect jurisdiction to bring the citizen suit, the groups allege that the company failed to accurately complete and submit required Toxic Chemical Release Forms for 2008 and 2009 to report releases of Potassium Permanganate and Toluene Diisocyanate. The groups also allege that the company failed to report their 2008 releases of Isopropyl Alcohol. Under the law, OMNOVA could be subject to civil penalties up to $32,500 per violation, per day with liabilities that ultimately could reach millions of dollars.

“We have found that employers who disrespect workers often treat the environment with the same contempt,” said USW Special Counsel Lynn Agee. “Until OMNOVA starts obeying our laws and respecting workers, we’ll continue in our efforts to bring the company to justice.”

“The League’s members in the Carolinas are united in support of this action,” stated Louis Zeller, Legal Director, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League. “We cannot allow companies to ignore toxic chemical reporting; it’s our right to know.”

While all three chemicals can irritate the nose and throat, health warnings advise that Toluene Diisocyanate may cause cancer, lung irritation and an asthma-like allergy.  Potassium Permanganate may decrease fertility and affect the liver and kidneys.

The Chester facility is one of six OMNOVA plants that stores large volumes of extremely hazardous chemicals in quantities that EPA deems a potential public risk and subject to Risk Management Planning.

“Community members and workers have the need as well as the right to know about hazardous chemicals used and released by OMNOVA,” said Lois Marie Gibbs, Executive Director of the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ).  “Corporations like OMNOVA need to come clean and fully inform the public and workers about toxic chemicals stored at their facilities and released into communities.”