• Legislation signed into law this week by President Obama will provide tariff relief to U.S. chemical producers that import raw materials and intermediate products. “With 80 percent of specialty chemical manufacturers importing raw materials for which there is no domestic source, this bill is a huge deal,” said William E. Allmond IV, vice president of government and public relations at the Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates.
• The global thermal energy storage market will top $3 billion by 2023, according to a report published by Market Research Engine, “Global Thermal Energy Storage Market by Technology for Commercial and Industrial, Utilities, and Residential End Use Applications – Trends and Forecast 2016-2023.”
• Arsenal has unveiled new uniforms for the 2016-17 soccer season. The Puma jerseys feature ACTV Thermo-R technology. Strategically placed tape infused with microencapsulated phase change material absorbs excess heat and releases it back to the body when needed.
• Registration is open for the Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference June 14-16 in Portland, Ore. The theme for the 20th annual conference is "Advancing Sustainable Solutions by Design." Technical session topics include sustainable materials, chemical manufacturing processes, next-generation catalysis and chemical building blocks.
• Allen Yun, formerly director of strategic initiatives for OPTUM, is joining Pelican BioThermal as director of global services.
• A survey suggests that many U.S. companies will not meet OSHA's new hazard communication standards on time. The deadline for compliance is June 1.
• More than 8.1 million people worldwide are now employed by the renewable energy industry, up 5 percent from last year, the International Renewable Energy Agency says.
• The Environmental Protection Agency's chemical data reporting rule brings challenges and opportunities, writes James G. Votaw, a partner with the law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. The next CDR reports, covering chemical manufacture and import activities during the period 2012-2015, must be submitted to the EPA by Sept. 30.
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