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| Above the fold. News aggregated by www.EnvironmentalHealthNews.org | Read today's editorials |
| Daily links to top stories in the news about environmental health. A way of life on the brink of extinction in the Louisiana bayous. Forced out of their homes near a toxic sinkhole, residents in Louisiana bayous expected help. A year on, they still wait. The hole goes through periodic convulsions, or burps, as methane gas escapes to the surface along with quantities of crude oil. Since appearing, it has expanded from about three acres to some 22. The Independent, United Kingdom. Scandal in South Korea over nuclear revelations. A snowballing scandal in South Korea about bribery and faked safety tests for critical plant equipment has emerged: experts say both South Korea and Japan’s nuclear programs suffer from a culture of collusion that has undermined their safety. New York Times [Registration Required] Agent Orange's reach beyond the Vietnam War. Transport planes used in the Vietnam War to spray Agent Orange were used on cargo missions in the US afterward. Now a bitter fight has sprung up over whether those in the military who worked, ate and slept in the planes after the war should also be compensated. Washington Post [Registration Required] Lead paint makers could face the same fate as big tobacco. A lawsuit in California that seeks some $1 billion from former lead paint manufacturers is far from the first attempt to hold the industry liable for decades of poisoning children and leaving lingering contamination. But it just might be the first to succeed. Huffington Post Corporate environmental responsibility: Who cares? The capital of Bangladesh, like many megacities, sees a number of development works every year, but if one visits the ongoing construction of development projects there, he or she would see the onslaught of environmental havoc due to the air pollution. Dhaka Financial Express, Bangladesh. Obama order in wake of West blast a ‘game-changer’ in chemical safety, senator says. Thursday’s executive order directing the federal government to improve safety at chemical facilities creates a series of deadlines that a team of Cabinet members and agency heads must meet for overhauling best safety practices, data-sharing and emergency response. Dallas Morning News, Texas. Asbestos find shocks workers. Asbestos was found at Dominion Salt's site in Mount Maunganui. A work site has been shut down after a shock discovery of asbestos, and workers have been sent for medical tests. A group of engineers in the Bay of Plenty were ordered off the job after a "dust-filled" site tested positive for the hazardous substance. New Zealand Herald Asbestos still hasn't checked out of Gary's vacant Sheraton Hotel. Once an emblem of Gary's economic prowess, the 14-story tower at Fifth Avenue and Broadway now symbolizes a past city leaders would just as soon forget. Lurking asbestos raises questions about the hundreds of thousands in federal grant money spent to remove it. Northwest Indiana Times, Indiana. Big protest at Chevron Richmond refinery latest example of climate activists stepping up rallies and marches. More than 1,000 people marched Saturday through the streets of Richmond to the gates of the Chevron refinery, where 210 people were arrested as part of a protest against the oil giant and other fossil fuel companies. San Jose Mercury News, California. How feeding and caring for 800 million pets hurts Mother Nature. If humans has such an impact on the environment, why not our best friends – especially now that they are so numerous and so often treated like people? Researchers say the global population of dogs and cats has passed 800 million. And they all have to eat. Globe and Mail, Ontario. Predicting an era of destruction. Significant swaths of Portsmouth will be vulnerable to flooding by 2100, with a projected loss of property in today's dollars of as much as $600 million, according to data presented in a 50-page report commissioned by the city. Portsmouth Herald, New Hampshire. The 10 most oil-rich states. Ten states accounted for roughly 94% of all onshore U.S. reserves as of the end of 2011, with roughly a third of this in Texas alone - just over 7 billion barrels. In many of these states, the oil industry is a major part of their economies. USA Today Cache of spent fuel rods grows at Comanche Peak as U.S. disposal stalemate continues. As the search for a national disposal site continues into its third decade, stockpiles of highly radioactive uranium continue to build up at Comanche Peak and nuclear reactors across the country. Dallas Morning News, Texas. Doomsday alert over fracking as minister warns of rectory walls quaking across Middle England if drilling continues. The Tory Minister responsible for fracking has conjured up a chilling image of swathes of rural England shaking with the sound of drills as a result of the drive for shale gas. London Daily Mail, United Kingdom. Ignore fracking protests, UK government tells planners. Planning authorities in the U.K. have been banned from considering whether renewable energy plants would be a better fit for their communities, if they receive an application for a fracking mine. London Observer, United Kingdom. Oil companies frack in coastal waters off California. Companies prospecting for oil off California's coast have used hydraulic fracturing on at least a dozen occasions to force open cracks beneath the seabed, and now regulators are investigating whether the practice should require a separate permit and be subject to stricter environmental review. Associated Press Maryland sues NRG Energy, alleging water pollution at two coal-fired generators. The Maryland Department of the Environment has brought another water pollution lawsuit against a subsidiary of NRG Energy, just weeks after the company agreed to pay millions of dollars in penalties and mitigation costs to settle a suit related to other facilities. Washington Post [Registration Required] Quenching the thirst: Cherokee residents can make difference in water quality. According to Cherokee County’s stormwater coordinator, the biggest water quality problem in most regions, including Cherokee, is “nonpoint source” pollution and there are many things residents can do to help. Canton Cherokee Tribune, Georgia. A mercury mystery in Minnesota Glacial Ridge refuge. Following the highly acclaimed restoration of 7,000 acres of wetlands, Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge in northwestern Minnesota now teems with wildlife, notably nesting waterfowl. It also teems with mercury. In places, lots of it. St. Paul Pioneer Press, Minnesota. Louisville is looking for zeros this ozone season. Records on hand at the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District show that at least one local air monitor each year since 1995 has topped federal ozone standards, which have progressively grown more stringent. Louisville Courier-Journal, Kentucky. Community uses green space to combat storm water. It’s becoming more and more common: A flooded highway underpass on your way to work, or your neighbor’s basement is inundated after a heavy rain. With more-frequent and heavier storms, many Ohio cities are struggling with storm water. But in Northeast Ohio, solutions are emerging. Columbus WOSU Public Media, Ohio. Roundup ready or not. There seems to be little middle ground on genetically engineered crops. The debate over their use and efficacy is often contentious. As the arguments seesaw between advocates and skeptics, the New England states are on the leading edge of a national drive to label products containing genetically modified ingredients. Hanover Valley News, New Hampshire. Lake Worth woman sues over Goldfish 'natural' label. Disgusted by what her complaint calls false advertising, a Palm Beach County elementary schoolteacher has taken Pepperidge Farms to court, accusing the food manufacturer of mislabeling its popular fish-shaped crackers "natural" when she contends they contain genetically modified soybeans. South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Florida. What do Mainers hunger for? More product details. There is a growing trend in consumer transparency as customers want to know what's in their food, where it was grown, what's in the packaging and where their clothes were made. The public's appetite for more information is prompting lawmakers to push for more transparency. Augusta Kennebec Journal, Maine. Infectious diseases associated with livestock production: Mitigating future risks. Humans have traveled with their livestock to the ends of the earth, and animal husbandry has transformed the face of the planet. Even as livestock provide food, these same animals have also introduced humans to new diseases. Environmental Health Perspectives As cost of importing food soars, Jamaica turns to the earth. Across the Caribbean, food imports have become a budget-busting problem, prompting one of the world’s most fertile regions to reclaim its agricultural past. But instead of turning to big agribusinesses, officials are recruiting everyone they can to combat the cost of imports. New York Times [Registration Required] Botulism threat found in New Zealand infant formula ingredients. One of the world’s leading suppliers of dairy products said Saturday that a type of bacteria that could cause botulism had been found in tests of ingredients the company sells for use in infant formula and sports drinks, leading New Zealand officials to urge a recall. New York Times [Registration Required] More news from today Shortcuts to stories from today about The good news, Avian flu, Climate, Children's health, Air pollution, Cancer, Reproductive disorders, Endocrine disruption, Birth defects, Learning and developmental disabilities, Immune disorders, Environmental justice, Superfund, Water treatment/sewage, Food safety, Integrity of science, Green chemistry. You can also read last weekend's news. Plus: If you were on vacation last week, don't miss last week's top stories... Would you like to display the news stories from EnvironmentalHealthNews.org on your own web site? Check out our RSS feeds. Compiled by Environmental Health Sciences | |
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