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The Toxics Avenger
Gregg Small, director of the Washington Toxics Coalition, answers Grist's questions |
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21 Aug 2006 |
InterActivist |
| Gregg Small. What's your job title? Executive director of the Washington Toxics Coalition. What does your organization do? WTC works to protect human health and the environment from the impacts of toxic pollution. What are you working on at the moment? Photo: iStockphoto A top priority right now is our Pollution in People Project. For many years, the environmental movement has been ... |
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| Topics: environmental non-government organizations, InterActivist, interview, toxics, Washington (all these topics) |
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In Clemente Conditions
Radioactive, cancer-causing tritium leaks into California groundwater |
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18 Aug 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| In Clemente Conditions Radioactive, cancer-causing tritium leaks into California groundwater Tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that can cause cancer, miscarriages, and birth defects, has leaked from a nuclear power plant near San Clemente, Calif. Groundwater tested at up to 330,000 picocuries of tritium per liter; we don't know what a picocurie is, but California's public- ... |
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| Topics: California, news, nuclear power, Pacific Ocean, toxics, water pollution (all these topics) |
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Switch Getters
Industries pull the switch on mercury switches |
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14 Aug 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| Switch Getters Industries pull the switch on mercury switches The steel and auto industries have agreed to pay $2 million each to remove mercury-containing light switches from millions of scrapyard-bound vehicles. The deal will reduce U.S. annual mercury pollution by at least 5 percent over the next 15 years, according to U.S. EPA chief Stephen Johnson. Bully for the U.S., but a wash for the planet: the mercury will be r ... |
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| Topics: news, placemaking, toxics, US EPA (all these topics) |
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I'd like to buy the world a Coke ... er, maybe not
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Chris Schults |
11 Aug 2006 |
Gristmill |
| The Times reports: INDIA'S highest court yesterday demanded that Coca-Cola should reveal its secret formula for the first time in 120 years. Why? The Supreme Court ordered the US soft drinks maker, along with its rival PepsiCo, to supply details of the chemical composition and ingredients of their products after a study released this week claimed that they contained unacceptable levels of insecticides. [emphasis added] ... The court order followed the release ... |
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| Topics: food, toxics (all these topics) |
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Surprise-Side Economics
While cutting back on mercury at home, the U.S. exports it abroad |
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08 Aug 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| Surprise-Side Economics While cutting back on mercury at home, the U.S. exports it abroad Like Mickey said, it's a small world after all, and pollution that gets exported can end up coming back home. Case in point: mercury, a neurotoxin especially dangerous to children and women of childbearing age. The U.S. is cutting down on the use of mercury, and has passed laws to limit mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. But t ... |
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| Topics: news, toxics, United States (all these topics) |
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Diamond's Err Forever
Dioxin-laced Passaic River remains uncleaned by corporations that fouled it |
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08 Aug 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| Diamond's Err Forever Dioxin-laced Passaic River remains uncleaned by corporations that fouled it For today's tale of corporate skullduggery and government negligence, we take you to the lovely state of New Jersey. For almost 20 years beginning in the early '50s, the Diamond Shamrock Chemicals Co. -- manufacturer of pesticides like DDT and Agent Orange -- dumped its dioxin-laden waste untreated into the Pas ... |
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| Topics: New Jersey, news, rivers and watersheds, toxics (all these topics) |
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I Saw the Sign
How to tell future generations about nuclear waste |
John Stang |
08 Aug 2006 |
Main Dish |
| Think of a mummy movie -- any mummy movie. Treasure hunters enter a pyramid. The explorers either ignore or can't read the hieroglyphics warning of the curse that awaits those who open the 3,000-year-old sarcophagus before them. The mummy awakens and kills most of the cast. Rough translation: Seriously dude, do not open this door. Photo: iStockphoto If only those ancient Egyptians had done a better job ... |
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| Topics: Department of Energy, toxics (all these topics) |
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Another Nail Polish in the Coffin
Many nail polishes contain shady ingredients |
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07 Aug 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| Another Nail Polish in the Coffin Many nail polishes contain shady ingredients A question for all you women, girls, drag queens, trannies, metrosexuals, goths, punks, and so on: have you ever wondered what's in that nail polish? If you're in the U.S., one ingredient is likely the nefarious dibutyl phthalate, or DBP, which has been linked to cancer in lab critters and to underdeveloped genitals and other fertility problems in new ... |
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| Topics: green living, news, toxics (all these topics) |
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Break on Through to the Other 'Cide
EPA proposes ban on two toxic pesticides, limits on use of many others |
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04 Aug 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| Break on Through to the Other 'Cide EPA proposes ban on two toxic pesticides, limits on use of many others As part of a congressionally mandated 10-year review, the U.S. EPA this week recommended banning two particularly toxic pesticides and putting thousands of restrictions on the use of others. Out of 231 "active ingredients" reviewed by the agency, the two singled out for bans are lindane, which is used primarily on grain ... |
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| Topics: news, toxics, US EPA (all these topics) |
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DDT Time
DDT poised for a comeback to fight malaria in Africa |
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02 Aug 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| DDT Time DDT poised for a comeback to fight malaria in Africa Hoping to gain ground in the fight against malaria, the World Health Organization will soon endorse the spraying of DDT in small amounts inside homes in afflicted areas. In May, the U.S. Agency for International Development made a similar endorsement. Malaria, spread by mosquitoes, kills as many as a million people a year, 90 percent of them in A ... |
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| Topics: Africa, news, toxics, World Health Organization (all these topics) |
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Take Care, TCE
Top scientists call on EPA to crack down on drinking-water pollutant |
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28 Jul 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| Take Care, TCE Top scientists call on EPA to crack down on drinking-water pollutant The solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) -- the most common industrial pollutant in U.S. drinking water -- poses a high risk of kidney cancer and other diseases, the National Research Council reported yesterday. The council said the U.S. EPA should get moving on a new risk assessment, which is expected to lead to new standards for allowabl ... |
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| Topics: news, toxics, US EPA, water pollution (all these topics) |
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MP3's Company
On CDs and MP3s |
Umbra Fisk |
19 Jul 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, As I was carrying a stack of CDs from the car into my home, my sister laughed and showed me the size of her MP3 player, which contains well over 100 times the music at a fraction of the size. Environmentally, which causes less of an impact? I hear that all these (non-recyclable) portable devices are terrible for the environment, and I've had some of my CDs going on (gasp!) 15 years. Downloading seems like it produces less waste, ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, e-waste, green living, recycling, toxics (all these topics) |
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Perc o' Late
EPA will require residential dry cleaners to phase out toxic solvent |
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17 Jul 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| Perc o' Late EPA will require residential dry cleaners to phase out toxic solvent Dry cleaners in residential buildings must phase out use of the toxic solvent perchloroethylene by 2020, under new U.S. EPA regulations. About 28,000 dry cleaners use perc, but only 1,300 of them will be affected by the new ruling. As old machines wear out, dry cleaners must replace them with non-perc machines. Health risks to nearby residents may be &qu ... |
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| Topics: news, toxics, US EPA (all these topics) |
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Big Brother Knows Best
House bill would keep states from setting tough toxics rules |
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14 Jul 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| Big Brother Knows Best House bill would keep states from setting tough toxics rules House Republicans are pushing legislation that would keep states from setting standards for pesticides and health-threatening industrial chemicals that are more stringent than federal regulations. If passed, the bill could nullify a California ban on brominated fire retardants, for example, and restrictions in San Francisco that ... |
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| Topics: California, news, politics, toxics, US EPA (all these topics) |
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Chem Again?
Chemical-safety bill moving oh-so-slowly through Congress |
Amanda Griscom Little |
13 Jul 2006 |
Muckraker |
| An attack on one of the many toxic chemical plants in the U.S. could endanger more than a million people. Environmentalists, security experts, and even the Army surgeon general have been raising the alarm about this threat since Sept. 11, 2001, but Congress has yet to do anything about it. Its latest efforts are being held up by none other than Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), who never passes ... |
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| Topics: James Inhofe, legislation, Muckraker, national security, politics, toxics (all these topics) |
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Dioxin Another Day
EPA should reassess dioxin risk, science panel says |
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12 Jul 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| Dioxin Another Day EPA should reassess dioxin risk, science panel says The U.S. EPA may be overestimating the cancer-causing risk of the chemical dioxin at very low doses, and should crunch the numbers in new ways before setting a cleanup standard, says a research council from the National Academy of Sciences. The EPA published a draft report on dioxin in 2003 indicating that the level of dioxin exposure ... |
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| Topics: National Academy of Sciences, news, toxics, US EPA (all these topics) |
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Lights, at the End of the Tunnel
On CFL recycling |
Umbra Fisk |
10 Jul 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, So what happens to compact fluorescent light bulbs in the hands of the "hazardous-waste people"? Is the mercury reclaimed and reused, or merely hidden "away" (wherever that is)? John Gear Lansing, Mich. Dearest John, Great question, because why should we add to the substantial mercury problem we already face? A few disillusioned readers have now sworn off compact fluorescents for this rea ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, mercury, toxics, waste (all these topics) |
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At Least the Bugs Are Dead
Pesticide use increases risk of Parkinson's disease, new study finds |
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27 Jun 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| At Least the Bugs Are Dead Pesticide use increases risk of Parkinson's disease, new study finds Exposure to pesticides can increase the risk of Parkinson's disease, concludes a broad, long-term study. Researchers followed the health of 143,325 people since 1982 and found that those regularly exposed to pesticides had a 70 percent higher incidence of Parkinson's. The research, published in the Annals of Neurology, found that the amount of expos ... |
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| Topics: news, toxics (all these topics) |
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Your Finest Shower
On shower curtains |
Umbra Fisk |
26 Jun 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, You have successfully instilled the fear of all things vinyl in me. Now the big question is: with what do I replace my old vinyl shower curtain? We have a cotton one at work, but it clings to your legs like a drowning jellyfish. This, and the constant mold, is something I would like to avoid in my own bathroom. Any suggestions? Flo Miller Montpelier, Vt. Dearest Flo, I'm always full of suggestions -- in a wide range of ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, green products, toxics (all these topics) |
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AZM Grace
EPA will phase out highly toxic pesticide |
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13 Jun 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| AZM Grace EPA will phase out highly toxic pesticide If you've been avoiding Brussels sprouts because of pesticide contamination -- as opposed to the grossness -- you're in luck: by next year, the U.S. EPA plans to phase out organophosphate azinphos-methyl (AZM) on the odiferous buds, as well as on nuts and nursery stocks. By 2010, AZM would be banned completely, affecting growers of apples, blueberries, cherries ... |
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| Topics: food and agriculture, news, toxics, US EPA (all these topics) |
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Eau de Bulb
On smelly CFLs (and mercury too) |
Umbra Fisk |
12 Jun 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, We have been replacing our incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, but we notice that the compact fluorescents have an odd smell. Are they emitting something we should know about? Compact fluorescent bulbs contain mercury; can the bulbs discharge the mercury into the air? Tom Murphy Wellsboro, Pa. Dearest Tom, I don't know of anything that would be emitted from your bulbs and smell. If it is you ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, mercury, toxics (all these topics) |
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Stick With Pickles and Ice Cream
Pregnant women shouldn't eat canned tuna, says Consumer Reports |
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08 Jun 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| Stick With Pickles and Ice Cream Pregnant women shouldn't eat canned tuna, says Consumer Reports We're all aware that pregnant women shouldn't overeat seafood because of mercury contamination, but the Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, recommends that moms-to-be skip canned tuna altogether. Most canned light tuna is skipjack, a species relatively low in mercury, but a Chicago Tribune investigation late last ... |
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| Topics: marine life, news, toxics (all these topics) |
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Whose 'Cide Are They On?
California regulating pesticide air pollution and fish farming |
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30 May 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| Whose 'Cide Are They On? California regulating pesticide air pollution and fish farming California is trailblazing again: It aims to be the first state in the U.S. to tackle air pollution from pesticide use. State officials hope to eliminate tons (literally) of smog-forming gases that waft from pesticide-treated agricultural regions. California's Department of Pesticide Regulation -- long acc ... |
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| Topics: air pollution, California, food and agriculture, news, toxics (all these topics) |
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A Twist of Organophosphate
EPA scientists say they're being pressured on pesticide studies |
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25 May 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| A Twist of Organophosphate EPA scientists say they're being pressured on pesticide studies U.S. EPA managers and pesticide-industry officials have been pressuring agency scientists to skip steps in pesticide testing and allow continued use of some potentially harmful pesticides, says a letter sent to EPA chief Stephen Johnson by union leaders representing agency employees. The "integrity of the science upon which agency decisions ... |
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| Topics: news, toxics, US EPA (all these topics) |
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Who Are You, and What Have You Done With Our House?
House shows its green side with votes on Interior Department bill |
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19 May 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| Who Are You, and What Have You Done With Our House? House shows its green side with votes on Interior Department bill The House of Representatives was on an eco-roll yesterday as it fixed up an Interior Department spending bill to send to the Senate. Over the objections of top Republicans, lawmakers approved 252-165 a measure that would put oil and gas ... |
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| Topics: Department of Interior, energy, mining and drilling, news, oil, politics, toxics, US EPA, wetlands (all these topics) |
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