Top Story

• Natural gas can help Mich. chemical industry, overall economy
  Michigan already has 28,000 people employed in the natural gas industry, with that number expected to double by 2035, writes Jim Standley, director of government relations for Linn Energy. One of the key beneficiaries is the state's chemical industry, which is the country's 12th-biggest, according to the American Chemistry Council. The Holland Sentinel (Mich.) (11/5)     

Export Due Diligence In Chemical Markets Abroad TOXIC SUBSTANCES EXPORT CONTROLS - As companies that sell or use chemicals expand internationally, their success can depend on compliance with regulatory regimes that prohibit the unlicensed export and reexport of chemicals and related items. This Bloomberg BNA Insight examines U.S. export restrictions. Download the free white paper now and get 7 days FREE access to Chemical Regulation Reporter.

• ACC: Problems with IRIS require industry's public comments
  Chemical assessments through the federal Integrated Risk Information System are being criticized for the extensiveness of public comments, but those are needed because of IRIS' flaws, the American Chemistry Council says. The Environmental Protection Agency's program has "persistent scientific problems," and "[w]e believe fixing these issues will help to better target and direct public comments and will likely speed up the issuance of final IRIS assessments," ACC said. Bloomberg BNA (subscription required) (11/5)     

• Read more from ACC on the importance of a clear and transparent risk-assessment process based in sound science      

• N.J. chemical facilities undamaged, but electricity slow to return
  Chemical producers in New Jersey did not sustain damage from superstorm Sandy, though some sites have had prolonged power outages. "The biggest issue is energy and electricity supply. ... The good news is that plants were shut safely before the storm and no one has reported any injuries or offsite impacts," said Elvin Montero of the Chemistry Council of New Jersey. Chemical Week (subscription required) (11/2)     

• Fracking is a key issue in N.Y. elections, experts say
  Hydraulic fracturing has become a crucial issue in New York as the election nears, particularly in regions where drilling would be performed, observers say. Pro-fracking group Joint Landowners Coalition of New York has issued endorsements for several candidates. "Electing pro-gas candidates at the local level will be crucial while we wait for our courts to determine the extent of local and state control over natural gas development," said Dan Fitzsimmons, head of the group. Centre Daily Times (State College, Pa.)/The Associated Press (11/2)     

• ACC: Plastics-recycling comments were done properly
  Changes to plastics-recycling information presented in California textbooks are not a reflection on the chemical industry's data, the American Chemistry Council said. "The American Chemistry Council and dozens of others provided written input. ... Even some of ACC's critics agree that we simply did what we and others were asked to do," said Steve Russell, ACC vice president for plastics. PlasticsNews.com (11/2)     

• Other News

• AkzoNobel targets Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe
  ICIS News (U.K.) (11/5)     

• Dow Chemical to scale back on alternative energy, Liveris says
  FuelFix.com (11/2)     

• Jobs a concern for chemists, engineers; ACC's CAB shows slow growth into 2013
  Chemical & Engineering News (11/5)     

• Milliken showcases sustainable packaging additives
  Milliken Chemical touted the sustainability of additives for packaging applications, including the Millad NX 8000 and Hyperform HPN-20E nucleator, at a recent trade event. "We're always thinking from a sustainable standpoint. We think about each component of the packaging value chain and work to take our sustainable story to the next level," said Heather Newland of Milliken's North American unit. PlasticsToday.com (11/2)     

• BASF opens Chinese dispersions facility
  BASF has opened a dispersions plant for styrene butadiene and styrene acrylic in Huizhou City, China. "We are well-positioned to support our customers' strong growth, in particular the packaging segment," said Heng Lin of BASF's Asia/Pacific unit. Chemical Week (subscription required) (11/2)     

• 3 coming trends in operational processes
  There are three areas that companies should pay attention to, writes Brad Power: Silos will continue to be broken down within companies and across borders; human-performed work will require more soft skills and will be influenced by Big Data; and all of this will happen more quickly. Harvard Business Review online/HBR Blog Network (10/30)     

• What you should know about innovation and how to achieve it
  One way to fuel new ideas is to expose yourself and your team to different industries and thought processes, Nicola Smith writes. You should also understand that risk and failure are part of the nature of innovation, she writes. "Encourage your team to take chances and give them a safe environment in which to experiment," she advises. iMedia Connection (10/28)     

• ACC Weekly Economic Report
  The economic reports this week were mostly positive. All eyes were on Friday's employment report (the last before the election), and while job growth was better than expected, the unemployment rate ticked up as the labor force grew faster than the number of employed people. In the manufacturing sector, the ISM index edged higher, suggesting that the manufacturing sector expanded at a higher rate. New orders continued to gain. Regionally, however, the results were mixed. Manufacturing in energy-rich Texas expanded, while in Chicago, manufacturing stalled.
  
  Stay informed. Subscribe to ACC's Weekly Economic Report.     

• ACC photo contest highlights energy savings from chemistry innovations
  Only two weeks remain for contestants to submit their photos to enter the American Chemistry Council's #Chemistry2Energy Photo Contest, with five of the final eight qualifiers having already become eligible for the $1,419 grand prize. That's how much the average U.S. household paid for electricity alone in 2010. The contest, part of ACC's energy and advocacy awareness campaign From Chemistry To Energy, calls on Americans to submit photos that demonstrate some of the steps they have taken to become more "energy efficient" in their daily lives, and to discuss the role chemistry may have played in making their efforts possible.
  
  Read the full contest rules for instructions on how to participate in ACC's #Chemistry2Energy Photo Contest.     

Top five news stories selected by ACC SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• Misinformation about flame retardants threatens safety, experts say (Chemical & Engineering News)

• ACC President and CEO Cal Dooley is named one of D.C.'s most influential (The Hill)

• What psychopaths and bosses have in common (CNNMoney/Fortune)

• Sandy shuts down chemical facilities, Marcellus rigs (ICIS News (U.K.))

• Dow Chemical to absorb about $1 billion charge in Q4 (Reuters)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Sponsored Poll

• What do you see as your most pressing gas need in the upcoming year?
  

Nitrogen for oxygen and moisture exclusion or pyrolysis.

Hydrogen or syngas.

Oxygen for peak shaving or oxidative enrichment.

Carbon dioxide or oxygen for water treatment.

Whoever is winning at the moment will always seem to be invincible." --George Orwell, British novelist and journalist