The Weekly Toxic Times

From the Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health

News highlights from June 28 - July 14, 2008

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

 

Michigan News

Forum Topic: Pollution at DuPont site

Muskegon Chronicle, Monday, July 7, 2008

"The ongoing process and recent upgrades being used for treatment of DuPont's contaminated site in the Montague area will be the focus of this week's White Lake Public Advisory Council public forum."
www.mlive.com/news/chronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-14/1215447305305720.xml
&coll=8

 

Education needed to understand pesticide exposure among farmworkers

Kalamazoo Gazette, Monday, June 30, 2008

"Each year, more than 45,000 migrant and seasonal farmworkers work in Michigan. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, farmworkers suffer the highest rate of chemical-related illness of any occupational group."
www.mlive.com/kalamazoo/stories/index.ssf?/base/columns-5/121483745640300
.xml&coll=7

 

U-M recalls lead-tainted bookmarks

The Ann Arbor News, Sunday, June 29, 2008

"It seemed like a fun way to promote goodwill for the University of Michigan at the Ann Arbor Mayor's Green Fair earlier this month: Hand out bookmarks made from recycled computer circuit boards. But the idea has now prompted a recall, complete with a reward, because the university has learned the circuit boards contain lead."
www.mlive.com/news/annarbornews/index.ssf?/base/news-28/1214721646168820
.xml&coll=2

 

Keep toxic cleanups going

The Detroit Free Press, Thursday June 26, 2008

"Awkward is probably too tepid a word to describe the bind the state Department of Environmental Quality finds itself in by running out the clock on brownfield cleanup money without a backup plan."
www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080626/OPINION01/806260341

National News

U.S. lax on chemicals

Great Lakes Radio Consortium, Michigan, July 14, 2008

"News about dangerous chemicals in toys, cosmetics and cleaning products has a lot of Americans spending extra money. People want to make sure they're choosing things that are safe for their families."
www.environmentreport.org/story.php3?story_id=4086

 

Hazardous flame retardant found in household objects

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin, July 12, 2008

"A flame retardant that was taken out of children's pajamas more than 30 years ago after it was found to cause cancer is being used with increasing regularity in furniture, paint and even baby carriers, and EPA's safety assessment is biased toward industry, again."
www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=771917

 

EPA strengthens controls on 5 common pesticides

Associated Press, July 11, 2008

"The federal Environmental Protection Agency strengthened regulations Thursday on five common pesticides and for the first time required farmers to set up sizable buffer zones around fields treated with the chemicals."
ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iID5ff_SpAQTp-cEeCZuvDS2JF-QD91RBPKG0

 

The truth about plastic

Time Magazine, July 10, 2008

"The U.S. produced 28 million tons of plastic waste in 2005. Our food and water come wrapped in plastic. It's used in our phones and our computers, the cars we drive and the planes we ride in. But the infinitely adaptable substance has its dark side."
www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1821664,00.html

 

Dental Industry Gets an Earful on Mercury

Associated Press, Wednesday, July 9, 2008

"The dental industry, asked to testify Tuesday about pollution from mercury in tooth fillings, found itself under attack from lawmakers who blame mercury for everything from autism in children to skin discoloration."
www.newsday.com/news/health/wire/sns-ap-dentists-mercury,0,812241.story

 

Designing "green" plasticizers

Environmental Science & Technology, July 8, 2008

“Recent events, such as the listing of bisphenol A as a toxic substance by Canada, have led to consumer worries over the safety of plastics. Researchers are hot on the trail of a "green" substitute for the most widely used phthalate plasticizer, DEHP.”
pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/sample.cgi/esthag/asap/html/es801828p.html

 

The Dark Side of Dust: Particles can contain flame retardant PBDE and may be dangerous

Richmond Times, Thursday, July 3, 2008

"A study by the Environmental Protection Agency, for example, has linked the dramatic rise of thyroid disease in cats to house dust laced with the flame retardant PBDE."
www.inrich.com/cva/ric/entertainment.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-07-03-
0004.html

 

Rhode Island Court Throws Out Jury Finding in Lead Case

The New York Times, Wednesday, July 2, 2008

"The highest court in Rhode Island on Tuesday overturned a jury decision that would have forced three paint manufacturers to pay billions of dollars to clean up contaminated homes."
www.nytimes.com/2008/07/02/business/02paint.html

 

New lead poisoning provisions take effect today

Burlington Free Press, Tuesday, July 1, 2008

"New provisions that are meant to strengthen Vermont's existing law to prevent lead poisoning law will take effect today."
www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080701/NEWS/8063
0023/1001/NEWS

 

Pentagon Fights EPA on Pollution Cleanup

The Washington Post, Monday, June 30, 2008

"The Defense Department, the nation's biggest polluter, is resisting orders from the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up Fort Meade and two other military bases. But Superfund sites are only one aspect of the Pentagon's environmental problems. It has about 25,000 contaminated properties in all 50 states, and it will cost billions and take decades to clean them up. Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is investigating the Pentagon's compliance with environmental regulation. He said it is evading the law through political maneuvers."
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/29/AR2008062901977
_pf.html

 

High Lead found on more turf fields

The Record, Saturday, June 28, 2008

"Tests have found high lead levels in artificial turf fields in Palisades Park and Franklin Lakes, bringing the total number of fields in North Jersey that exceed state lead standards to six."
www.northjersey.com/news/northernnj/22244969.html

 

Because of petty politics, state can't get the lead out

Pressconnects, Saturday, June 28, 2008

"Almost 3,000 children under 6 years old who lived outside New York City had significantly elevated levels of lead in 2005, according to the state Health Department. New York has the largest number of housing units that still have lead paint, both in absolute numbers and in percentage terms, of any state."
www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080628/OPINION/806280
330/1005/OPINION

 

Toxic Baby Bottles Measure Advances

California Chronicle, Thursday, June 26, 2008

"California is poised to become the first state in the nation to ban the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in food and beverage containers designed for children three years and under."
www.californiachronicle.com/articles/66367

International News

Environment Canada places partial ban on flame retardant

Toronto Globe and Mail, Ontario, July 12, 2008

"Environment Canada says a flame retardant [deca-BDE] is so dangerous that it is banning companies from manufacturing the compound, but it will continue to allow the chemical to be freely imported and used in consumer products."
www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080712.RETARDANT12/TP
Story/National

 

Impasse over lead in the blood

The Australian, Saturday, June 28, 2008

"Last April Daphne Hare took a stand. When the Mount Isa mother learned her six-year-old daughter, Stella, had an unsafe level of lead in her blood, Hare decided to take the Swiss mining giant Xstrata Mount Isa Mines to court. Certainly, the results of a recent blood screening program of 400 Mount Isa children, run by Queensland Health, support Hare's concern. The 14-month survey of children aged between 1 and 4 years found that 11 per cent had lead levels higher than the internationally accepted limit of 10 micrograms (mcg) per decilitre (dl) of blood. One child's level was nearly three times the limit."
www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23927716-23289,00.html

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Articles were researched and compiled by Beth Kerwin and Marci Baranski, MNCEH Interns.

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