Short Takes – 12-13-24

The imperative of cybersecurity in manufacturing. SecurityBrief.com.au article. Pull quote: “The manufacturing sector's susceptibility to cyberattacks can be attributed to several factors. Globally, manufacturing operations often operate with a minimal cybersecurity budget and rely on outdated legacy systems with insufficient cybersecurity measures. Additionally, the industry's global nature means that critical facilities are sometimes located in regions with limited resources for cybersecurity, increasing their vulnerability.”

Certain Existing Chemicals; Request To Submit Unpublished Health and Safety Data Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Federal Register EPA final rule. Summary: “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is finalizing the Health and Safety Reporting Rule under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) to require manufacturers (including importers) of the sixteen chemical substances identified in this rulemaking to submit copies and lists of certain unpublished health and safety studies to EPA. Health and safety studies sought by this action will inform EPA actions in carrying out its responsibilities pursuant to TSCA, including prioritization, risk evaluation, and risk management.” Effective date: January 13^th, 2024.

National Priorities List. Federal Register EPA final rule. Summary: “The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (“CERCLA” or “the Act”), as amended, requires that the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (“NCP”) include a list of national priorities among the known releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants throughout the United States. The National Priorities List (“NPL”) constitutes this list. The NPL is intended primarily to guide the Environmental Protection Agency (“the EPA” or “the agency”) in determining which sites warrant further investigation. These further investigations will allow the EPA to assess the nature and extent of public health and environmental risks associated with the site and to determine what CERCLA-financed remedial action(s), if any, may be appropriate. This rule adds one site to the General Superfund section of the NPL.” Effective date: January 15^th, 2024.

Rocket Lab's secretive launch last month was a hypersonic test for the US military. Space.com article. Pull quote: “For a while, Rocket Lab remained mum about the Nov. 24 mission, which was just the second ever for the HASTE vehicle. But the California-based company broke its silence on Monday (Dec. 9), announcing that the suborbital mission successfully tested "hypersonic technology for the Department of Defense."”

LA County cats die after drinking raw milk, bird flu suspected. OCRegister.com article. Pull quote: ““The risk of H5 bird flu remains low in Los Angeles County, but this suspected case of the virus in a pet cat that consumed raw milk is a reminder that consuming raw dairy products can lead to severe illness in cats,” Barbara Ferrer, director of DPH, said in a statement. “To avoid the spread of disease, including H5 bird flu, we strongly encourage residents and their pets to avoid raw dairy and undercooked meat products, limit contact with sick or dead animals, report sick or dead birds and keep pets or poultry away from wild animals and birds.””

Spacecraft makes daring approach of metal object in Earth's orbit. Mashable.com article. Pull quote: “"ADRAS-J successfully maintained this position until an autonomous abort was triggered by the onboard collision avoidance system due to an unexpected relative attitude anomaly with the upper stage," the company said. "The spacecraft safely maneuvered away from the debris as designed before reaching the Capture Initiation Point. Astroscale Japan is currently investigating the cause of the abort."”