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Yes, They Can
Under pressure from Big Canned Tuna, FDA lax in mercury regulation |
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04 Sep 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 12:59 PM on 04 Sep 2008 Under strong pressure from Big Canned Tuna, the Food and Drug Administration is crazily lax in regulating mercury in tuna. Among many examples: In 2000, a draft advisory to pregnant women listed canned tuna as a product highly contaminated with mercury; after FDA officials met with the three largest tuna companies, the final advisory left tuna off the list. When the FDA's fish mercu ... |
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| Topics: food, Food and Drug Administration, green living, health, mercury, news, regulation, toxics (all these topics) |
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http://www.grist.org/news/2008/09/03/bpa/index.html
National Toxicology Program still concerned about BPA |
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03 Sep 2008 |
News |
| "Some" of All Fears National Toxicology Program still concerned about BPA Posted at 4:58 PM on 03 Sep 2008 The National Toxicology Program begs to differ with the Food and Drug Administration's recent conclusion that common chemical bisphenol A is safe at currently regulated levels. In a report released Wednesday, the NTP notes "some concern" that BPA can affect children's brains and reproductive systems. The agency made the same conclusion in a draft report in April, which ... |
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| Topics: green living, health, news, parenting, toxics (all these topics) |
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Between a Bush and a Workplace
Bush admin proposes rule that could delay workplace toxics standards |
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02 Sep 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 6:20 AM on 02 Sep 2008 Last week, the Bush administration published a proposed rule that would add an extra step to the process of creating federal standards for toxics and other hazardous substances in the workplace. The rule, which was reportedly rushed so it could take effect before President Bush leaves office, has been widely criticized by unions and other worker advocates as an un ... |
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| Topics: business, news, politics, toxics, United States (all these topics) |
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Frack and Ruin
Nasty chemicals used in oil and gas drilling go largely unregulated |
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21 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 10:42 AM on 21 Aug 2008 Toxic chemicals pumped underground to break up seams of rock and increase oil and gas production have a fun nickname: fracking fluids, short for fracturing. (Go on, say it: frack!) But the fun stops there. Fracking fluids go largely unregulated, despite millions of gallons of use and hundreds of reported spills each year. Thanks to proprietary trade laws, energy companies don't ha ... |
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| Topics: Colorado, energy, news, oil and gas drilling, regulation, toxics (all these topics) |
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Sip 'n' Skip
California won't ban BPA in baby bottles, sippy cups |
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19 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 12:58 PM on 19 Aug 2008 With 22 legislators abstaining, the California Assembly voted 31-27 Monday not to ban chemical bisphenol A in baby products. BPA is one of those things you'd like to keep out of your kid; the bill would have banned it from bottles, sippy cups, and other containers for tots. Legislators also voted 36-33 (with 11 abstentions) against a bill that would have banned equally icky chemical PFOA from food ... |
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| Topics: California, food, green living, health, legislation, news, parenting, politics, state politics, toxics (all these topics) |
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BPA: A-OK?
Common chemical in food containers not a health threat, says FDA |
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18 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 7:15 AM on 18 Aug 2008 Food containers made with common chemical bisphenol A pose no health threat, according to a draft assessment by the Food and Drug Administration. More than 100 government- and university-funded studies have linked BPA to cancer, diabetes, behavioral disorders, and reproductive problems, and an April report from the National Toxicology Program declared there was "some concern" a ... |
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| Topics: food, Food and Drug Administration, green living, health, news, toxics (all these topics) |
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LUST for Glory
Leaking underground storage tanks make fun acronym, pose health threat |
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13 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 1:35 PM on 13 Aug 2008 Hundreds of underground fuel tanks owned by the federal government could be leaking hazardous materials into drinking water, according to an Associated Press investigation. Of particular concern are steel tanks buried in the Cold War era, which are highly likely to have rusted and be leaking. One million gallons of water can be contaminated by just 1 gallon of fuel, posing heal ... |
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| Topics: energy, news, toxics, water pollution (all these topics) |
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You Ghana Deal With That?
Toxin-laden e-waste dumped in West Africa |
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06 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 5:22 PM on 06 Aug 2008 European Union laws prohibiting the export of hazardous materials aren't keeping shipments of electronic waste out of West Africa, according to a new Greenpeace report. Traders obtain e-waste in the E.U. and ship it off "under the false label of 'second-hand goods,'" says the report, adding, "Sending old electronic equipment to developing countries is often hailed as 'bridging the ... |
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| Topics: business, e-waste, Ghana, Greenpeace, news, tech, toxics, waste (all these topics) |
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The Life of Py
Common, EPA-OK'd insecticides causing health problems |
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01 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 3:57 PM on 01 Aug 2008 More than a quarter of all significant pesticide-related health problems reported to the U.S. EPA in 2007 involved a class of insecticides deemed safe by the agency, says a new report from the Center for Public Integrity. Naturally occurring pyrethrins and their synthetic counterpart, pyrethroids, have been touted as safe alternatives to nasty organophosphates. In the past decade, they have inc ... |
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| Topics: green living, health, news, toxics, US EPA (all these topics) |
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Turf's Up
Artificial turf found not harmful to children |
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30 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 4:47 PM on 30 Jul 2008 Artificial field turf does not expose young children to harmful levels of lead, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission concluded Wednesday. "Our message is: go out and play," says a CPSC spokesperson. Because it's durable, easy to maintain, and doesn't require pesticides, synthetic turf has increasingly replaced grass fields across the U.S. Manufacturers insist that the lead that gives the gr ... |
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| Topics: green living, news, sports, toxics (all these topics) |
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Are You Just Toying With Us?
Congress agrees on product-safety bill banning phthalates, lowering lead in toys |
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29 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 7:21 AM on 29 Jul 2008 The U.S. House and Senate have agreed to a compromise product-safety bill that would ban phthalates from children's toys, lower toy lead levels, and require third-party safety testing before toys are put on the market. In 2007, some 45 million toys were recalled for high lead levels and other safety defects, and the resulting parental and consumer outrag ... |
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| Topics: health, legislation, news, toxics, United States (all these topics) |
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Dig Yourself Out of That Hole
Feds lambasted for neglecting cleanup of abandoned mines |
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28 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 4:00 PM on 28 Jul 2008 Thousands of abandoned mines across the U.S. West pose hazards to the public, according to a strongly worded audit from the Interior Department inspector general. The Bureau of Land Management's mine program "has been undermined, neglected, and marginalized," says the report, and many easily accessible mines have "dangerously dilapidated structures, serious envi ... |
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| Topics: Arizona, Bureau of Land Management, California, Department of Interior, mining, Nevada, news, toxics (all these topics) |
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Possible 'Cide Effects
EPA to ban pesticide carbofuran from food in U.S. |
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25 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 7:12 AM on 25 Jul 2008 In an unexpected move, the U.S. EPA announced Thursday that it will act to ban the pesticide carbofuran from food in the United States before next year's growing season. The EPA said the pesticide can cause "nausea, dizziness, confusion, and -- at very high exposures -- respiratory paralysis and death"; the pesticide has also killed millions of birds and other wildlife. Carbofura ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, news, toxics, United States, US EPA (all these topics) |
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Who Needs a Microwave?
Your granite countertop may emit radon and radiation |
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24 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 11:02 AM on 24 Jul 2008 Heads up, yuppies: Must-have granite countertops may emit worrisome levels of radon and radiation. While granite is known to contain radioactive uranium, which emits radon gas as it decays, the vast majority of countertops emit far less radiation than what we're constantly exposed to from outer space and the earth's crust. But as demand for granite countertops soars and vendors expand th ... |
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| Topics: green living, health, news, toxics (all these topics) |
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It's Us Against Chem
Feds rush to weaken workplace safety rules on toxics before term ends |
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23 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 9:10 AM on 23 Jul 2008 The Bush administration is trying to push through a new workplace safety rule to weaken workers' protections against toxic chemicals before Bush's term ends, according to The Washington Post. The rule, which has not been made public, would mandate a reevaluation of the methods used to measure risks to workers from toxic exposure in the workplace. The rule would also requir ... |
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| Topics: business, news, politics, toxics, United States (all these topics) |
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Flak and Tan
Most sunscreens ineffective or pose a health risk, says group |
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22 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 1:12 PM on 22 Jul 2008 Some 85 percent of 952 sunscreens tested are ineffective or contain potentially harmful chemicals, says this year's annual sunscreen review by the Environmental Working Group. Of 144 sunscreen products distributed by the top three leading brands -- Coppertone, Banana Boat, and Neutrogena -- only one meets EWG's criteria for safety and efficacy. The group raises especial alarm about common ... |
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| Topics: green living, green products, health, news, toxics (all these topics) |
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It's Elementary, My Dear ... Watts On!
French downplay years-old uranium leak at nuclear plant |
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21 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 6:50 AM on 21 Jul 2008 A uranium leak was discovered on Friday in an underground pipe at a nuclear fuel plant in France. Authorities said the leak was probably a few years old, but insisted it really isn't all that bad since groundwater apparently wasn't contaminated and the uranium leak was relatively small. However, the reassurances were not quite as comforting to the public as they might ... |
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| Topics: France, news, nuclear power, toxics (all these topics) |
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Fumigant and Far Between
EPA cracks down on the pesticides on your peppers |
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11 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 12:35 PM on 11 Jul 2008 The U.S. EPA plans to tighten restrictions on five nasty soil fumigants that keep pests away from strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, and peppers. The proposed mitigation measures include buffer zones, warning signs, air-quality monitoring, management and outreach plans, emergency-response training, and provision of breathing masks for farmworkers. The rules would apply to five sca ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, food, news, toxics, US EPA (all these topics) |
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Something to 'Hyde
Companies knew about high formaldehyde levels in FEMA trailers, Dems say |
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10 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 8:03 AM on 10 Jul 2008 Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said RV trailer manufacturers knew that the trailers they sold to the government had excessively high levels of formaldehyde but didn't disclose the information for fear of bad press. The trailers, which were used to house hurricane victims on the Gulf Coast, have been a touchy subject at FEMA ever since occ ... |
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| Topics: business, news, politics, toxics, United States (all these topics) |
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Hitting the Wall
R.I. court reverses ruling, says paint companies not responsible for lead cleanup |
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01 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 12:41 PM on 01 Jul 2008 Three paint companies should not have to clean up lead contamination in Rhode Island homes, the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. The decision reverses a landmark 2006 ruling in which the state was victorious in alleging that Sherwin-Williams Co., NL Industries Inc., and Millennium Holdings LLC created a public nuisance by manufacturing and selling lead-based pain ... |
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| Topics: green living, litigation, news, Rhode Island, toxics (all these topics) |
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To Clean Up or Not to Clean Up ... We're Still on Defense
U.S. Defense Department fighting EPA orders to clean up Superfund sites |
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30 Jun 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 8:17 AM on 30 Jun 2008 Defying environmental law, the U.S. Defense Department has resisted repeated orders lately from the U.S. EPA to clean up some of the nation's most contaminated places. The DoD/EPA standoff has turned into a bureaucratic pissing match wherein the EPA has asserted its authority to order and oversee cleanup of ultra-polluted Superfund si ... |
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| Topics: Department of Defense, news, politics, toxics, United States, US EPA (all these topics) |
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Check Mate, CheckMate
California officials yank controversial urban spraying plan |
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22 Jun 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 12:07 PM on 22 Jun 2008 California officials have announced that they will not spray the urban Bay Area with a pheromone this summer, delighting activists who had campaigned strenuously against the plan. The pheromone with the ominous name CheckMate LBAM-F keeps the crop-gobbling light brown apple moth from reproducing, but also has been linked to complaints of respiratory trouble in humans. Spraying had ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, California, health, news, San Francisco, toxics (all these topics) |
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It's Hard to Spray Goodbye
Ontario enacts province-wide pesticide ban; fine print upsets greens |
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19 Jun 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 9:07 AM on 19 Jun 2008 The Canadian province of Ontario has just passed a pesticide ban that by next spring would prohibit the use of more than 80 ingredients and 300 pesticide products across the province. However, many greens and public-health advocates have decried the just-passed legislation, saying it could ultimately end up damaging public health. The major problem with the ban, criti ... |
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| Topics: Canada, legislation, news, politics, toxics (all these topics) |
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When Is a Lake Not a Lake?
Canadian lakes set to be reclassified as mining-waste dumps |
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17 Jun 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 10:07 AM on 17 Jun 2008 Sixteen lakes across Canada are set to be quietly reclassified as allowable areas for mines to dump toxic waste. While Canadian law technically disallows chucking harmful substances into fish habitat, lakes can be reclassified as "tailings impoundment areas" under a little-known subsection of mining effluent regulations. With a lake at their disposal (literally), min ... |
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| Topics: Canada, mining, news, toxics, waste (all these topics) |
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Hitting the Squids
Deep-sea squid and octopi full of human-made chemicals |
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13 Jun 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 12:10 PM on 13 Jun 2008 Human-made chemicals have snuck on down into the ocean depths, showing up in the tissues of deep-sea cephalopods, says new research. In a study to be published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin, researchers found various persistent organic pollutants -- including PCBs and DDT -- in nine species of octopi, squid, cuttlefish, and nautiluses. "The fact that we detected a variety o ... |
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| Topics: news, oceans, scientific research, toxics (all these topics) |
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