CenturyLink leasing hydro-run server farm
CenturyLink is leasing a hydropowered server farm facility in Moses Lake, the company announced Wednesday.
The sustainability of hydropower drew CenturyLink to the facility, a news release said. What’s more, the site has a very low seismic rating, making it attractive for disaster recovery, the release said.
The 136,000-square-foot facility is owned by Server Farm Realty, a private company. It once was the command and control center for the Titan Missile Defense Program and was built to withstand a 10-megaton bomb, according to Server Farm Realty’s website.
Moses Lake’s high-desert climate also provides for naturally cooled air during many seasons, resulting in further energy savings, the website said.
The data center is starting with 8 megawatts of IT load and will ramp up to 30 megawatts.
Server Farm Realty said there is an adjacent 11 acres that offers the ability to build an additional 250,000-square-foot facility with 40 megawatts of IT load.
CenturyLink, a communications and IT services company, recently announced the use of fuel cells to power a multitenant data center in Southern California. The company said in its news release that the new projects are part of its commitment to environmental sustainability.
New labels coming for tenderized beef
WASHINGTON – The government will soon require labels on packages of beef tenderized by machines so shoppers know to cook it thoroughly.
The Agriculture Department said Wednesday the labels will be required starting in May 2016. Mechanically tenderized meat is poked with needles or blades to make it tender, a process that can transfer bacteria like E. coli or salmonella from the outside of the cut to the inside. Since many people eat cuts of beef that aren’t fully cooked in the center, that bacteria can pose a safety hazard.
The labels will say the meat has been “mechanically tenderized,” “blade tenderized” or “needle tenderized.” They also will include cooking instructions to ensure consumers cook the meat long enough.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there have been six outbreaks of illness linked to mechanically tenderized beef in the last 15 years.
Facebook improves pay, benefits for contractors
NEW YORK – Facebook is pushing for higher pay and improved benefits for the janitors, cooks and other workers who support its employees.
The world’s largest online social network is implementing a set of new standards for its U.S.-based contractors who do a “substantial amount of work” with Facebook.
Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer, announced the changes in a blog post late Tuesday. The new requirements include a minimum wage of $15 an hour, at least 15 paid days off per year, and for those who don’t receive paid parental leave, a $4,000 “new child benefit” for new parents.
Businesses in U.S. increase stockpiles
WASHINGTON – U.S. businesses increased their stockpiles slightly in March, as sales picked up for the first time since July.
The Commerce Department said Wednesday that business stockpiles rose 0.1 percent in March after a 0.2 percent gain in February. Sales rose 0.4 percent in March, ending seven straight months of declines or no gains. Over the past 12 months, sales have fallen 2.1 percent.