Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Chemicals in Commerce Act under review - but what is it?

New legislation in committee that will affect ALL of the chemical industry:
The subcommittee for Environment and the Economy in the US House of Representatives is holding a hearing today regarding an updated draft of the Chemicals in Commerce Act (CICA). CICA, introduced by Illinois representative and committee chairman John Shimkus, is intended to replace and improve upon the outdated Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) from 1976.

What is it? 
According to the current draft of the bill, which can be found here, “The purpose of this Act is to promote uniform protection to human health and the environment through regulating chemical substances in commerce while minimizing undue burdens on commerce.”

The bill intends to standardize regulations for chemicals, sorting them into “low priority” or “high priority” categories. Low priority chemicals are “not likely to pose an unreasonable risk of harm to human health or the environment” and will be subject to little or no regulation. High priority chemicals will be assessed by the EPA, who may require information from the manufacturers or testing. The EPA can then determine what regulatory action to take regarding those chemicals.

The Good 
According to the February 27 Discussion Draft, the Act will benefit public health and the environment while stimulating the economy and creating “countless American jobs.”

The Bad
However, the bill faces some strong opposition. The Center for Environmental Health opposes it strongly, stating that it lessens the EPA’s regulatory power toward dangerous chemicals and allows chemical companies to conceal information about the chemicals they produce and sell. The Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition also released a document critiquing CICA for weakening the EPA’s regulatory power and allowing potentially dangerous chemicals into the marketplace with little testing or assessment.

What's Next?
The bill is still under review, though, so many of these details could change in the coming months. Red-Line will be watching CICA’s development closely, so follow our blog, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay updated! In the meantime, check out the sources provided below to see both sides of the issue:

Monday, April 21, 2014

The Inside Scoop on Red-Line

On this blog, we spend a lot of time talking about our facility, capabilities, and processes. But what about us, as people? Red-Line isn't some anonymous, mechanized corporation - we're a family-owned business that takes care of our customers and employees. Here's an inside look at what Red-Line employees say they like about the company:




"I like the casual atmosphere, and I like that it's a Christian, family-based company." - Sam (Administrative Assistant since 2011)





"The close-knit employees, family atmosphere, and the challenge of working with chemicals and customers every day." - Denise (Administrative, Logistics, and Lab Coordinator since 1996)








"The family atmosphere." "They really take care of their employees." - Blake (Chemical Operator) and Ray (Maintenance Coordinator)






"It keeps me busy and sharp at my age. I wake up at 6am every day ready to get up." - Maggie (Owner and President)








"They've been so friendly and welcoming since day 1. I'm always happy to talk to everyone here." - Sam II (Marketing Intern)

Red-Line - friendly, family-focused, and eager to work for you. So come on over! We'd love to meet you.






Monday, April 14, 2014

One Tank, Two Tank, Little Tank, Huge Tank - We've got them all at Red-Line!

We enjoy variety at Red-Line, from starting partnerships with new customers to producing new formulas for our old friends. We work with lubricants, surfactants, rubber additives, textile membranes, and plenty of other chemicals, AND we can produce any of it in a tiny pilot batch or fill a tank truck. Needless to say, we are proud to provide that level of versatility for our customers.



Our #1 tool in providing this versatility is our tanks. We have 17 mixing and storage tanks at our facility in Rock Hill, SC, from a 5 gallon Jaygo mixer to the 8,000 gallon insulated mixer tank we have outside, and everything in between.







To learn more about our tanks, capabilities, and facility, contact us to get more info or schedule a tour - we'd be happy to see you!