Fw: Toxic Times, September 18, 2009 - October 5, 2009

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TOXIC TIMES

 

News Highlights from September 18, 2009 – October 5, 2009

 

MICHIGAN NEWS

International Joint Commission flags inconsistent U.S./Canadian regulation of

fire retardant linked to health concerns

Great Lakes Echo, Monday, October 5, 2009

The international commission that is responsible for upholding the Great Lakes

Water Quality Agreement between the U.S. and Canada is questioning why the U.S.

is making a fire retardant, deca-BDE, which is banned in Canada.

http://greatlakesecho.org/2009/10/05/international-joint-commission-flags-incons\

istent-uscanadian-regulation-of-fire-retardant-linked-to-health-concerns/#more-1\

1261

 

Environmental enforcement to get hit again in new state cuts

The Michigan Messenger, Monday, October 5, 2009

The Michigan state Legislature has approved a 39% budget cut for the fund

supporting the DEQ for the 2010 fiscal year.

http://michiganmessenger.com/

 

Tentative deal reached in Dow dioxin talks

The Associated Press, Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The U.S. EPA and Michigan DEQ say they have reached a tentative deal with Dow

Chemical Co. on cleanup of dioxin contamination near one of their plants in

Midland.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-mi-dow-dioxin,0,3338895.story

 

Michigan Green Chemistry Governor’s Award Recipients Honored

MDEQ, Friday, September 25, 2009

Winners of the first annual Michigan Green Chemistry Governor’s Award Program

were recognized at a Detroit ceremony.

http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135--222796--,00.html

 

 

NATIONAL NEWS

 

EPA unveils plan to review 6 controversial chemicals, reform U.S. toxics policy

Environmental Health News, Tuesday, September 29, 2009

EPA administrator announced a push to transform the way the U.S. regulates toxic

chemicals.  Administrator Jackson called the Toxic Substances Control Act of

1976 “inordinately cumbersome and time-consuming†and said the EPA will push

for a new chemical law in Congress.

http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/epa-chemicals

 

Drinking water unsafe at thousands of schools

The Associated Press, Friday, September 25, 2009

Over the last 10 years, the drinking water at thousands of schools across the

United States has been found to be high in lead, pesticides, and other toxins. 

These schools are found in all 50 states, in small towns, and inner cities. 

This problem has been largely ignored even as the number of safety violations

has increased.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33008932/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/

 

Reactions to the Senate Climate Bill

Green Inc. via The New York Times, Wednesday, September 30, 2009

The Democratic bill proposed a 20% cut of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. 

Deeper than both the House’s bill which proposed a 17% cut and President

Obama’s call for a 14% cut.  However, this senate version included measures

that will make the target easier to reach and cheaper for consumers.

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/reactions-to-the-senate-climate-bil\

l/

 

U.S. EPA:  Limit plane de-icing chemical runoff

The Associated press, Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Every winter millions of gallons of de-icing chemicals are sprayed onto

airliners and allowed to runoff without being captured.  Currently this is

legal, but the U.S. EPA is proposing regulations that would require airports to

capture at least some of the de-icing fluid after its use.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33071411/ns/us_news-environment/

 

EPA:  Older Buildings, Schools Contaminated with PCB’s

The Epoch Times, Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The U.S. EPA recently announced that many buildings in the U.S. have caulk

around windows and doors that contains PCB’s.  PCB’s were banned in the

U.S. in 1976 but many buildings built preceding the ban still contain the toxic

substance.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/23159/

 

Franken seeks ingredient labeling for household cleaners

Minneapolis KARE TV, Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Senator Al Franken of Minnesota introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate that would

require producers of cleaning products to disclose ingredients on the product

label. 

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=825520 & catid=391

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWSToxic Loophole

The Record, Sunday, October 4, 2009

The EPA has filed complaints and levied fines on some companies because of

exportation of old television and computer monitors that contain toxic debris. 

Loopholes have allowed companies to ship these materials to developing

countries.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/environment/Toxic_loophole.html

 

Smuggling Europe’s Waste to Poorer Countries

The New York Times, Saturday, September 26, 2009

Exporting waste illegally to poor countries is a growing international

business.  New environmental laws have increased the costs of disposing waste

in an environmentally friendly way.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/science/earth/27waste.html?_r=1 & ref=earth

 

Chemicals in breast milk linked to testicular cancer

Daily Mail, Friday, September 25, 2009

A study done in Denmark has shown that hormone-disrupting chemicals such as some

pesticides find their way into breast milk and haves been linked to an increased

rate of testicular cancer in that country.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1215877/Chemicals-breast-milk-linked-t\

esticular-cancer.html

 

Polluted plumes from distant countries can cause health problems, study warns

The Oregonian, Tuesday, September 29, 2009

While air pollution is almost always dominated by local emissions, a report by

the National Research Council warns that plumes of pollutants can cross

continents and oceans.

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/09/polluted_plumes_from_dis\

tant_c.html

 

From Turbines and Straw, Danish Self-Sufficiency

The New York Times via The Samso Journal, Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Last year the Danish island of Samso completed a 10-year experiment to see if it

could become energy self-sufficient.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/world/europe/30samso.html?ref=earth

 

 

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The Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health is a coalition of

health professionals, health-affected groups, environmental organizations, and

others dedicated to a safe and less toxic world for Michigan's children.

 Through education, outreach, and advocacy, we seek to protect Michigan's

children from adverse impacts caused by exposure to widespread hazardous

chemicals.  Please visit: www.mnceh.org.