The Weekly Toxic Times

From the Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health

News highlights from February 16 – February 22, 2008

A recap of the top stories on toxins in Michigan, National, and International news.

Michigan News

Protests broadcast trouble with old TVs

Detroit Free Press, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2008

Article covers protests in Ann Arbor organized by the Electronics TakeBack Coalition to ask manufacturers of new TVs to take back old analog TVs when the country goes all-digital.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080216/NEWS05/
802160327/1007

Genesee County folks weigh in on whether green can be clean

Flint Journal, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2008

Article discusses a growing trend among consumers, environmentalists and non-environmentalists, to replace cleaning and yard chemicals with more environmentally-friendly products.

http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/index.ssf/2008/02/genesee_county_folks
_weigh_in.html

Forum: Water report missing key issues

Traverse City Record Eagle, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2008

Opinion piece from reader Lynn Welch regarding Michigan’s draft report on its impaired water ways. Author discusses lack of mention of waterways contaminated with dioxin and other toxic chemicals.

http://www.record-eagle.com/opinion/local_story_047094619.html

Fouled lakes spark fertilizer debate

Detroit News, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008

Article discusses consideration by Macomb County to ban phosphorus-based fertilizers, and reviews related actions taken by other Michigan counties.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080218/METRO/
802180379

Lawmakers should pass smoking ban

Ann Arbor News, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008

Editorial encouraging Michigan to ban smoking in restaurants and other establishments.

http://www.mlive.com/columns/aanews/index.ssf?/base/news-2/
1203608443206630.xml&coll=2

DEQ: Discharge became wastewater

Detroit Free press, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008

“The majority of 5 million gallons of discharge from the Woodland Ridge mobile home park in Green Oak Township was stormwater, but was considered mostly wastewater when it mixed with sewage, a state Department of Environmental Quality official said Wednesday…”

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C6/20080221/NEWS01
/802210305/-1/NEWS18

National News

Toy group approves safety ban

Los Angeles Times, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008

“The U.S. Toy Industry Assn., whose members include Mattel Inc. and Hasbro Inc., said Monday that its board unanimously approved a plan for a new testing system after the recall of tens of millions of Chinese-made toys last year…”

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-toys19feb19,1,2905408.story

Other stories on the topic of internal safety reviews by toy manufacturers:

Toymakers, stores must act on lead – regulator

CNN Money, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008

http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/18/news/newsmakers/cpsc_toy_safety/

US toy industry group plans stricter standards

Bloomberg, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=albq7
cnM0CC8&refer=us

Toy industry called out by consumer safety chief

Knoxville News (Tennessee), Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/feb/19/toy-industry-called-out-by-
consumer-safety-chief/

Other stories on the topic of internal safety reviews by toy manufacturers:

Toymakers eye possible new toxin

CBS News, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/18/eveningnews/main3842856.shtml

Eco-friendly toys, elmo hot items

The Ledger (Florida), Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008

http://www.theledger.com/article/20080216/NEWS/802160344/1001/BUSINESS

Marketplace: Toy companies not cooking with vinyl

American Public Media, Friday, Feb. 15, 2008

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/02/15/vinyl_toy_alternatives/

______________

Makeup for teens getting a green makeover

San Francisco Chronicle, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008

Article discusses efforts of Teens for Safe Cosmetics and other groups to create and encourage use of safer cosmetics.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/17/LV1EURUDJ.DTL

Experts warn of environmental contaminants

King5 (Washington), Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008

“On Wednesday, the Collaborative on Health and the Environment's Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative published the ‘Scientific Consensus Statement on Environmental Agents Associated with Neurodevelopmental Disorders.’…”

http://www.king5.com/health/stories/NW_022008ENB_environmental_agents
_KS.114aee16.html

Plastic (not) fantastic: Food containers leach a potentially harmful chemical

Scientific American, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008

Thorough article reviews current knowledge about Bisphenol A and mentions a CDC study that found the chemical in most urine samples it collected from Americans in 2004.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=plastic-not-fantastic-with-bisphenol-a

Parents banning common products from homes over contamination fears

Twin Cities, Feb. 19, 2008

Article about concerned Minnesotan parents replacing plastic and other potentially hazardous items in their homes.

http://www.twincities.com/life/ci_8295912

Bad news from blubber

Living on Earth (public radio broadcast), Week of Feb. 15, 2008

Coverage of studies on chemicals in the blubber of killer whales, including flame retardants.

http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=08-P13-00007&
segmentID=6

Firm stops pesticide use near school

Star Bulletin (Hawaii), Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008

“KAPAA, Kauai » In response to complaints by the teachers union, Kauai's state senator and some parents, Syngenta Seed Co. has agreed to stop spraying pesticides in a field next to Waimea Canyon Middle School…”

http://starbulletin.com/2008/02/16/news/story04.html

Pesticide fumes sicken 30 Waipahu students

Honolulu Advertiser, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008

“About 30 students at St. Joseph School in Waipahu became ill yesterday after pesticide fumes spread through part of the campus, officials said. Students reported symptoms including eye and throat irritation and headaches because of the fumes, which were first noticed about 1:30 p.m. No one required hospitalization. Investigators believe the fumes were caused by a school employee using a common pesticide, Malathion, on the campus grounds…”

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080216/
NEWS15/802160338/1026/NEWS15

Breathing dirty air may lower kids’ IQs

Reuters, Friday, Feb. 15, 2008

“NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kids who live in neighborhoods with heavy traffic pollution have lower IQs and score worse on other tests of intelligence and memory than children who breathe cleaner air, a new study shows…”

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSKUA57144920080215

Toys ‘R’ Us, Mattel phase out

Wall Street Journal, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008

“HONG KONG – Two of the largest U.S. toy companies, Toys "R" Us Inc. and Mattel Inc., said they will phase out nickel-cadmium batteries, a technology associated with widespread environmental contamination and health problems in China…”

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120333908683174921.html

Popular home remedies contain lead

KHou (Texas), Friday, Feb. 22, 2008

Article discusses some traditional home remedies that use substances which contain lead, including a substance called greta that has been used for colicky babies or for young children with stomach aches.

http://www.khou.com/news/local/houstonmetro/stories/khou080221_ac_
homeremedies.151f76d6.html

International News

Chemical alert for babies

Sidney Morning Herald, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008

Article discusses how babies can be exposed to phthalates through the use of talcum powder and other products.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/chemical-alert-for-babies/2008/02/16/
1202760662676.html

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Articles were researched and compiled by Diane Sherman, MNCEH Intern.

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