The Weekly Toxic Times
From the Michigan Network for Children's Environmental HealthNews highlights from March 8 – March 14, 2008
A recap of the top stories on toxins in Michigan, National, and International news.
Michigan News
Great Lakes fish soak in new poison
Muskegon Chronicle, Friday, March 8, 2008
“Toxic flame retardants commonly used in computers, televisions and textiles have accumulated dramatically in Great Lakes fish over the past two decades, prompting legislative efforts to ban the compounds…”
http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/03/retardant_poisoning_fish.html
Another committee won’t help clean up the Saginaw Bay, Bay area citizens say
Bay City Times, Sunday, March 8, 2008
“Twenty-three years ago, state officials worked on a phosphorus reduction strategy for Saginaw Bay. Seven years ago, dead algae, or muck, began to pile up on bay beaches. On Friday, state officials announced the creation of a committee to look at voluntary measures to limit phosphorus inputs to the bay…”
http://blog.mlive.com/bctimes/2008/03/another_committee_wont_help_cl.html
Experts say: Keep drinking the water
Macomb Daily, Wednesday, March 12, 2008
“Local health experts, environmental groups and business owners are reacting to reports that an enormous range of pharmaceuticals, including sedatives, hormones and antibiotics, have been discovered in the drinking water supply nationally and in metro Detroit…”
http://www.macombdaily.com/stories/031208/loc_local02.shtml
Torch Lake still a concern
Daily Mining Gazette, Sunday, March 8, 2008
Article discusses Torch Lake, a lake in the Upper Peninsula, that was listed as a Superfund site in the 1980s as a result of contamination from copper mining and is currently listed as an area of concern.
http://www.mininggazette.com/stories/articles.asp?articleID=11036
See Washington Post article “Health report raises dispute over Great Lakes pollution” below for more information connected to this story.
National News
Senate votes to strengthen product safety laws
New York Times, Thursday, March 7, 2008
“WASHINGTON – Responding to a wave of defective toys and other goods, the Senate approved a measure on Thursday to overhaul the country’s consumer product laws and strengthen the beleaguered safety agency that oversees the marketplace. Besides increasing the staff and budget of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the legislation would create a public database of complaints about products and empower state prosecutors to act if they think the federal government is not doing enough to protect consumers…”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/07/business/07consumer.html?_r=1&oref=
slogin
Other articles covering U.S. Senate’s passage of product safety legislation:
Senate votes for safer products
Washington Post, Friday, March 7, 2008
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/06/
AR2008030604081.html
Senate moves to beef up Consumer Safety Agency
Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Thursday, March 6, 2008
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120484981228518133.html
Senate confronts product safety
Reuters, Friday, March 7, 2008
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2008/03/07/88009.htm
Bill gives labs job of finding risks in kids’ products
Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Thursday, March 6, 2008
“Congress is giving the job of ensuring that children's products are safe to many of the same private laboratories that already work for importers, manufacturers and retailers…”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120485436489218371.html
Victim’s kin backs flame-retardant ban
Los Angeles Times, Thursday, March 7, 2008
“SAN FRANCISCO – In 2005, veteran Los Angeles County firefighter Crystal Golden-Jefferson died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. At first her death was a mystery: The 41-year-old Inglewood mother had always prided herself on her fitness. But now Jefferson's parents believe long-term exposure to brominated chemicals used as flame retardants in household furniture foam caused their daughter's death…”
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-me-couches7mar07,1,5990354
.story
New crop of chemicals found in birds’ eggs
Boston Globe, Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Article discusses a study completed by the BioDiversity Research Institute in Gorham, Maine that found 100 industrial and household chemicals, including flame retardants, in the eggs of birds.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/03/11/new_crop_of_
chemicals_is_found_in_birds_eggs/
Pollution is called a byproduct of a “clean” fuel
New York Times, Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Article discusses information indicating that the discharges of vegetable oil and grease from biofuel plants can be toxic to birds and fish.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/us/11biofuel.html
Senate okays nation’s strictest toy safety rules
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Friday, March 7, 2008
“Despite last-minute intensive lobbying efforts by the toy industry, the state Senate Friday approved the strictest toy safety rules in the nation with a 40-9 vote. The legislation dramatically reduces the amount of lead, cadmium and plasticizing chemicals called phthalates allowed in children's products made and sold in the state…”
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/354255_toystory08.html
State health council bans trinkets containing lead
Boston Globe, Thursday, March 13, 2008
Article discusses the Massachusetts legislature’s recent vote passing legislation banning the sale of kids’ jewelry with lead.
Lead poison bill faces slow death
Journal Gazette (Indiana), Sunday, March 9, 2008
“INDIANAPOLIS – A bill aimed at protecting children from lead poisoning has seen dramatic changes throughout the legislative session, including allowing parents to sue manufacturers and importers of tainted toys. But the proposed legislation could die without an agreement in the next five days…”
http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080309/LOCAL/
803090368/1002/LOCAL
Health – Safe toy advocates meeting resistance
Stamford Times (Connecticut), Friday, March 14, 2008
“Environmental groups in Connecticut say they have met with harsh opposition from out-of-state chemical companies and the Toy Industry Association in the fight to ban certain toxic chemicals from toys…”
http://www.thestamfordtimes.com/stamford_templates/stamford_story/
318652334042251.php
Popular “green” products test positive for toxicant
Los Angeles Times, Friday, March 14, 2008
“New tests of 100 "natural" and "organic" soaps, shampoos and other consumer products show that nearly half of them contained a cancer-causing chemical [1,4-dioxane] that is a byproduct of petrochemicals used in manufacturing. Many items that tested positive for the carcinogen are well-known brands, including Kiss My Face, Alba, Seventh Generation and Nature's Gate products…”
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-natural14mar14,0,1670638.story
Health report raises dispute over Great Lakes pollution
Washington Post, Thursday, March 13, 2008
“WASHINGTON – Top federal health officials said Wednesday that they had asked the Institute of Medicine, the government’s premier medical adviser, to referee a dispute over a report suggesting that pollution in the Great Lakes region may have serious health consequences for people who live there, including infant mortality and breast cancer…”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/us/13lakes.html?adxnnl=1&
adxnnlx=1205528984-hQdasJY7RKHXJvHaovhAqg
AP Investigation: Pharmaceuticals found in drinking water
Associated Press, Sunday, March 9, 2008
“A vast array of pharmaceuticals including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows…”
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/homepage/x1574803042
Exclusive: “Science for sale” probe deepens
ABC News, Monday, March 10, 2008
Article follows Congressional investigation of the Weinberg Group, a scientific consulting firm, in connection with Bisphenol A and other chemicals.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4428347&page=1
Safer sipping for you, baby
Denver Post, Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Article lists Bisphenol-A-free bottle alternatives.
http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_8494959
Glass baby bottles make a comeback
Orlando Sentinel, Thursday, March 13, 2008
Article discusses the recent rise in consumer demand for alternatives to plastic baby bottles and highlights different options.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-parenting-glass-
bottles,0,5236549.story
Even babies get in on green trend
Miami-Herald, Friday, March 7, 2008
Article discusses environmentally-friendly baby products that will be showcased at the American Baby Faire held in South Florida.
http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/447277.html
Retail giants push toy safety
Mercury News, Thursday, March 6, 2008
Article discusses recent action by Wal-Mart and Toys ’R Us to set lower lead standards and use independent testing laboratories.
http://www.mercurynews.com//ci_8479797?IADID=
One type of cancer is double N.J. rate
Asbury Park Press (New Jersey), Wednesday, March 12, 2008
“TOMS RIVER – The incidences of childhood cancer that occurred in Toms River from 2001 through 2005 were on par with what was expected to occur in a township of its size in New Jersey, but the diagnosis of one certain class of cancer – soft tissue sarcoma – was more than twice the expected rate, a state Department of Health and Senior Services analysis found…”
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080312/NEWS02/
803120438/1070/NEWS02
International News
Nestle recalls South Africa infant formula
Planet Ark, Thursday, March 13, 2008
“ZURICH/JOHANNESBURG - Nestle, the world's largest food company, has recalled infant formula manufactured in South Africa after a mixing error led it to contain excessive levels of copper, iron and zinc…”
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/47475/story.htm
Articles were researched and compiled by Diane Sherman, MNCEH Intern.
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