 Stories from October 3, 2008
In Brief
Snippets from the news
• Six E.U. states ready to block climate plan.
• World Bank green-energy funding up 87 percent.
• Offshore wind farm approved in New Jersey.
Straight to the source:
2008, Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved
Mad Libby
EPA talked out of declaring public-health emergency in asbestos-ridden town
A public-health emergency has never been declared in Libby, Mont., where asbestos exposure from vermiculite mining has killed 200 people and sickened more than 1,000 more. But documents and emails obtained recently by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) show that in 2002, the U.S. EPA was primed to declare such an emergency -- before being talked out of it by top-level officials at the Office of Management and Budget. A public-health emergency declaration would have authorized extensive cleanup and increased health services in Libby, which the feds feared might -- gasp! -- encourage other asbestos-ridden places to demand the same. Libby has been declared a Superfund site, and vermiculite miner W.R. Grace will pay Superfund cleanup costs, but the effects of asbestos contamination still linger. Baucus is "not going to rest" until a public-health emergency is called: "It's a huge disrespect for the law and it's a bigger disrespect for the people of Libby," he says. "It's hard to even fathom."
Straight to the source:
2008, Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved
Wee Wee
Phthalates linked to abnormal genitalia in baby boys
Mothers exposed to high levels of phthalates during pregnancy are more likely to bear sons with abnormal genitals, says new environmental research published in the journal Environmental Research. (See what we did there?) The study looked at only 106 mothers and sons, and the afflictions -- undescended testicles, smaller penises, and a shorter anogenital distance -- aren't serious problems in and of themselves. But the results, combined with previous studies linking phthalates to reduced sperm quality, DNA damage, hormonal changes, reduced lung function, and premature puberty, make researchers understandably wary. (The American Chemistry Council is decidedly not wary, declaring on its website, "There is no reliable evidence that any phthalate has ever caused a health problem for a human from its intended use.") Phthalates are in all kinds of things -- sex toys, baby items, and yoga mats, to name a few -- via which they make their way into drinking water, breast milk, and household dust.
Straight to the source:
2008, Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved
Smog in Your Throat?
Houston joins Los Angeles in having 'severe' smog problem
Houston has received the dubious honor of becoming the second U.S. city to have a "severe" smog problem, as classified by the U.S. EPA. Los Angeles is its partner in grime. The downgrade from a "moderate" to "severe" smog problem gives Texas' largest city nine extra years to meet federal air-quality standards. Both Houston and L.A. have, however, taken recent steps to combat their unhealthy air quality. Houston Mayor Bill White has unveiled a plan to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions 11 percent and smog 16 percent by 2010, through use of the usual suspects: renewable energy, hybrid cars, LED traffic lights, energy-efficient buildings, rooftop solar panels, and expanded transit. Los Angeles, for its part, on Wednesday launched a pollution-control program at its bustling port, banning the entry of diesel trucks built before 1989.
Straight to the source:
2008, Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved
Messed to the Nines
Nine states sue EPA over water rule, saying it allows pollution
Nine U.S. states and the Canadian province of Manitoba have sued the U.S. EPA over a regulatory change that exempts transfers of water from one water body to another from Clean Water Act protections. If allowed to stand, the plaintiffs charge, the June administrative ruling would permit ships to dump ballast water in the Great Lakes and other water bodies regardless of whether the water is polluted, salty, or contains invasive species. It would also allow essentially unregulated downstream releases of polluted water from already-polluted reservoirs or lakes like North Dakota's Devil's Lake, the states charge. In short, the ruling would likely harm drinking water supplies and disrupt fisheries. "EPA's new rule makes it much easier to further pollute our waters and spread exotic species," said Jim Murphy of the National Wildlife Federation. "We need strong measures to protect our waters, not illegal rules that make the problem worse." The nine states suing the agency are Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, and Washington.
Straight to the source:
2008, Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved
Back to top
|
|
