Ariz. wood pallet fire stokes safety debate

Ariz. wood pallet fire stokes safety debate    A large U.S. plastic pallet pool operator wants Capitol Hill lawmakers to strengthen the fire safety requirements for handlers of wood pallets.
   Bob Moore, chairman and chief executive officer of Intelligent Global Systems (iGPS), made his remarks on Friday after a large wood pallet fire occurred in Southwest Phoenix two days earlier.
   On Wednesday, about 100 firefighters battled a two-alarm fire at the Hernandez Pallet Co. The blaze was fanned by winds up to 40 mph, the Arizona Republic reported.
   It was the second large wood pallet fire in Arizona in less than a year, following the Western Pallet fire in Glendale, Ariz., on July 17, 2009. Nearly 150 firefighters were called up to battle the blaze.

Moore

   Moore said there have been more than 15 major wood pallet fires across the country during the 12 months.
   'They threaten lives, destroy property and cost millions in taxpayer dollars to contain,' he said. 'It's high time the wooden pallet industry is held to the same strict fire safety standards as pallets made of safer materials.'
   The battle over safety between plastic and wood pallet providers has heated up in recent years. Since its start in March 2006, iGPS has quickly become one of the largest plastic pallet producers and renters to major food, beverage and consumer goods shippers in the United States.
   'Plastic pallets adhere to the strictest federal standards possible for fire safety,' Moore said. 'It simply does not make sense that wood pallets, which are highly flammable and can produce toxic smoke from the chemicals they absorb, are not held to equal standards.'
   iGPS's pallets are fused with the chemical fire retardant decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE) to ensure they meet various fire safety regulations.
   However, this chemical is not without its own environmental and human health risks. The National Wooden Pallet and Container Association noted that several studies, including those conducted by the American Chemical Society and the federal government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, warn that fire retardant chemicals are increasingly showing up in the nation’s water supply.
   The International Association of Fire Fighters and its associates have also expressed concerns about inhalation risks to firefighters exposed to decaBDE in smoke.
   In December 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said chemical companies Albermarle, Chemtura and ICL Industrial Products have voluntarily committed to end production, importation, and sale of decaBDE for most uses in the United States by Dec. 31, 2012, and to end all uses by the end of 2013.
   'Extensive testing by independent laboratories has documented that the DecaBDE encapsulated in the resin of iGPS pallets does not migrate to packaging stored on iGPS pallets; nor does it migrate to food products within that packaging,' Moore said at the time of the EPA's announcement. 'Customers can continue to utilize iGPS pallets with complete confidence.'
   DecaBDE is one of the world's most widely used flame retardants. It is used in consumer electronics, wiring, building materials and commercial furniture, textiles and carpeting. 'It is a highly effective flame retardant credited with saving thousands of lives,' Moore said. ' Chris Gillis