In This Issue

Do Not Compromise Your Warehouse Lien

Food Safety Legislation Approved

OSHA Speaking at Assembly of Committees

Insurance Strategies for Companies in Distress

Advertise in Cold Connection

Cold Storage Industry News

Food Industry News

Government News

When Maines Paper & Food Service, Inc., needed a partner to achieve higher service levels, profitability and efficiency, it chose Raymond. Read how Raymond goes above and beyond by clicking here.

This is the fourth in a series of articles addressing why public warehouse operators should not compromise their warehouse lien rights. In this article, we will discuss what public warehouse operators can do to protect their rights to recover transportation charges under their general warehouse lien. Future articles will address, among other things, how to avoid compromising the warehouse lien and how to enforce warehouse lien rights.  Read full article.

The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health met on 10 June to consider H.R. 2749, the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009. The Subcommittee approved the legislation and the version approved by the subcommittee included several improvements over the previous draft. One key success was the decreasing of the annual registration fee for food facilities from $1000 per year to $500 per year per facility. The new version also caps the amount that any one owner can pay in registration fees at $175,000. The fees generated by the new program will support FDA’s food safety efforts and the revised language requires the ability for public comment on the expenditure of the funds raised. The language was modified to provide additional accommodations for small businesses as they transition into the new program.

Concerns remain with some provisions in the legislation, including the new inspection regime. The bill includes an aggressive risk-based inspection schedule that would require FDA to inspect “high risk facilities” every 6-18 months, “low risk facilities” every 18 months to 3 years and “facilities which hold food” every 3-4 years. There has been much criticism that even with the funds raised from the registration fees; FDA would not be able to meet this schedule. Another controversial provision would authorize FDA to assess civil penalties of up to $500,000 per offense for violations of the law, even if the violations were unintentional and no harm was caused. Concerns have been raised that this new authority is excessive.

These issues, and others, will continue to be discussed among the committee members in anticipation of full committee consideration of the bill. Chairman Waxman indicated his desire to hold a full committee mark-up of the bill on Wednesday, 17 June. Text of the language approved by the subcommittee can be found here. Other information about the legislation and the committee’s actions can be found here or at the GCCA Government Affairs website.

Understanding and complying with ammonia Process Safety Management (PSM) regulations continues to be a major issue for our industry. To keep you up to speed on recent developments on ammonia related regulations, Jim Lay, Safety Engineer for OSHA’s Process and Safety Management division, has been invited to speak at the 2009 GCCA Assembly of Committees. Lay will present at the Refrigeration and Energy Committee, taking place Sunday, 26 July 1:30-4:30 PM. He will review developments in ammonia regulation and PSM as well as discuss proactive steps members can take to facilitate compliance and avoid fines. Attendees participating in the Refrigeration and Energy Committee can also expect vibrant peer-to-peer dialogue on best practices in the areas of refrigeration technology.

This is one of dozens of presentations scheduled during the 2009 GCCA Assembly of Committees, 25-28 July at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, DC, USA. Learn more about Assembly of Committees and register today.

View the Lockton Spring NewsLink for 2009. Included in this issue: “What’s next for the Insurance Market?”, “New Federal Law Mandates Health Plan Parity for Mental Health”, “Substance Abuse Treatment” and more. Call your IARW Insurance Services Team for assistance or to answer questions. Contact Connie Phipps at cphipps@lockton.com or by calling +1 816 960 9946.

Would you like to have your message in the inbox of every IARW warehouse member? By placing an ad in Cold Connection, that is exactly what you are going to get! To learn more about how you can instantaneously reach over 3,500 of the industry’s top decisions makers, contact James Rogers at +1 703-373-4300 or jrogers@gcca.org. Space is limited, submit your Insertion Order Form today to secure your spot.

Central Storage & Warehouse Company will open its newly constructed Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA public refrigerated warehouse.  See full story from Refrigerated Transporter.

United States Cold Storage has begun a nationwide implementation of new Psion Teklogix’ ruggedized mobile devices in over 30 sites.  See full release.

The Vieux Carre Commission voted 6-0 to oppose construction of a USD $40 million cold-storage warehouse on the Mississippi River at the Port of New Orleans, USA.  See full story from The Times-Picayune.

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