Wednesday, 19 Mar 2003

War and Peas

War abroad could hit home in the nation's chemical factories and food-processing plants, the General Accounting Office warned yesterday. The GAO said the lack of federal authority over such facilities makes it impossible to know whether they are sufficiently prepared for potential terrorist attacks. The office recommended that the U.S. EPA and the Department of Homeland Security take joint responsibility for ensuring the safety of chemical plants, while the departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture oversee food-processing plants. Since Sept. 11, 2001, agricultural experts and others have been haunted by the possibility of intentional contamination of the nation's food supply, for example with bacteria such as salmonella or E. coli. The nation's 15,000 chemical and petroleum plants, many of them located near populated areas, are also a worrisome weakness. In response to the report, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge asked the Coast Guard step up patrols near some important chemical facilities, and some state agriculture officials have begun warning farmers to keep a careful watch over their fields.

Burden of Proof

Scientists call the accumulation of chemicals within a person's body his or her "body burden." For the average U.S. citizen, that burden consists of almost 90 chemicals, including pesticides, phthalates, herbicides, pest repellents, and disinfectants, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But no one really understands what that means for our health, because toxicologists don't currently know how to evaluate the dangers of interactions among different chemicals, or of low levels of toxic exposure over long periods of time. Writer Elizabeth Sawin takes a look at the state of our body burden, only on the Grist Magazine website.

Grilling Me Softly

As spring comes to the Northern Hemisphere, people all over are hauling out the yard furniture and shlepping barbeques out of basements. Everyone loves a cookout -- but in Houston, Tex., the massive popularity of barbequing is contributing to the city's notorious air pollution. Scientists at Rice University have found that tiny particles of polyunsaturated fatty acids from barbequing meat are "a somewhat important source" of organic particulate matter in the Houston-area atmosphere. The particles can lead to respiratory disease and heart troubles. Matthew Fraser, the lead author of the study, said he thought many other cities would have the same problem -- although he acknowledged that "Houston does have a reputation for being the barbeque capital of Texas."

Kentucky Green Gas

Kentucky is soon to get its first-ever methane power plants, which will rely on gases given off by landfills to generate electricity. The plan represents a landmark energy development for the famously coal-dependent state. The three plants will cost $4 million each and generate a total of 10 megawatts of power from the gases given off by decaying trash. Currently, those gases escape into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. By converting them to usable energy, the state will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The change comes at a price, though, since methane-based electricity is more expensive than juice from a conventional coal-fired power plant. The additional cost will be passed on to customers who choose to purchase green electricity.

Greenie Get Your Gun

"Gun-toting" is not a phrase frequently used to modify "environmentalist," but that could change if Vermont approves a measure to grant police powers to investigators with the state's Agency of Natural Resources. The measure, currently being considered by the Vermont senate, would allow investigators to serve subpoenas and legal notices, access criminal records and law enforcement radio systems, apply for and enforce search warrants, carry firearms, and make arrests. The proposal's backers say it would make environmental enforcement safer and protect investigators during conflicts with hostile landowners. Currently, environmental investigators are trained in criminal law and self-defense, and many carry collapsible batons. Chief Environmental Enforcement Officer Herbert Conly said the measure wasn't about "changing how we conduct ourselves or approach the job at all," but simply "one more tool in the toolbox to be increasing efficiency and enhancing officer safety.