Category Archives: EPA

Taking Politics Out of Science

Posted on January 30, 2015 by tbach

The Center for Public Integrity published this article last week entitled Obama’s EPA breaks  pledge to divorce politics from science on toxic chemicals.  Having pledged to “restore science to its rightful place” in his inaugural address, CPI argues that the … Continue reading →

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New EPA report on health impacts of chlorpyrifos

Posted on January 11, 2015 by tbach

Environment Health News just published this article about this recent EPA study concluding that chlorpyrifos, an insecticide used on corn and other U.S. crops, poses health risks to workers and can also contaminate drinking water. Chlorpyrifos is one of the most commonly … Continue reading →

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DC Court of Appeals Upholds EPA Rule on Mercury Emissions

Posted on April 16, 2014 by caitlin

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld EPA’s 2012 rule setting emission standards for coal and oil-fired electric utility steam generating units, denying the challenge from utilities and industry groups that EPA exceeded its authority under the Clean Air Act. The … Continue reading →

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Research Finds Correlation Between Arsenic and IQ Scores

Posted on April 3, 2014 by caitlin

According to a study recently published in Environmental Health, exposure to arsenic in drinking water, even at low levels, can cause cognitive impairment. Researchers from Columbia University and the University of New Hampshire followed 272 school children from three school … Continue reading →

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Exxon Valdez Oil Spill–25 Years Later

Posted on March 24, 2014 by caitlin

On March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground along the Bligh Reef, spilling an estimated 260,000 to 750,000 barrels of crude oil from the Prudhoe Bay oil field into the Prince William Sound–enough to fill 125 Olymplic … Continue reading →

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PCBs, GE, & FOIA

Posted on March 9, 2014 by tbach

Yesterday’s Albany Times Union published damning information about GE’s PCB contamination of the Hudson River.  The polluted 200-mile stretch from Hudson Falls to the Atlantic Ocean makes it one of the largest Superfund sites, according to the EPA.  PCBs were banned in 1977 and are … Continue reading →

Posted in carcinogens, CERCLA, drinking water, environmental cleanup, environmental law, EPA, fish consumption advisories, FOIA, PCBs, public health, synthetic chemicals | Tagged | Comments Off on PCBs, GE, & FOIA

Inert but potent

Posted on March 6, 2014 by tbach

Three environmental and public health groups represented by Earthjustice filed suit yesterday, asking the U.S. District Court in San Francisco to require the EPA to promulgate final rules requiring public disclosure of specific pesticide ingredients. The Center for Environmental Health, Beyond Pesticides, and Physicians for … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture and human health, carcinogens, chemical safety regulation, consumer pressure, environmental health, EPA, FIFRA, label laws, pesticides, PSR, public health, risk communication, synthetic chemicals | Comments Off on Inert but potent

Clean air, healthy heart

Posted on February 25, 2014 by tbach

February is American Heart Month.  To honor it and make the case for how environmental laws lead to improved public health, the EPA created a new Public Service Announcement (PSA) about how air pollution affects heart health aimed at patients … Continue reading →

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A Move Towards Transparency, or More of the Same?

Posted on February 12, 2014 by caitlin

Transparency and disclosure are regulatory buzz words, corresponding to demand for information about how the government makes decisions and the information used to justify those decisions. In an interesting turn of events, Republicans have begun to introduce or support bills … Continue reading →

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Fraud in Asbestos Litigation

Posted on February 5, 2014 by caitlin

Asbestos, a heat resistant mineral fiber, was commonly used as insulation and in manufactured goods as a fire retardant until it was banned for many of these uses in the 1970s. In 1989, EPA attempted to ban all products containing … Continue reading →

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