Category Archives: public health

Climate change is still “the biggest global health threat of the 21st century”

Posted on July 10, 2015 by tbach

Two recent reports add to the growing call for linking climate change laws with public health. From the U.K., the Lancet Commission on Health and Climate Change followed up on its 2009 announcement that global warming “is the 21st century’s … Continue reading →

Posted in air pollution, asthma, cardiovascular disease, climate change and health, coal, Fine Air Particulates, global health, global warming, public health | Comments Off on Climate change is still “the biggest global health threat of the 21st century”

Same old DC gridlock on TSCA reform

Posted on April 30, 2014 by tbach

Just moments ago I posted on yet another state’s successful lawmaking on commercial chemicals regulation.  Now, unfortunately, I get to update you on the continued paralysis in Congress on federal TSCA reform. The Hill reports today that Rep. Shimkus’s floating … Continue reading →

Posted in chemical safety regulation, congress, environmental health, public health, synthetic chemicals, TSCA | Comments Off on Same old DC gridlock on TSCA reform

Vermont strives for comprehensive chemical regulation

Posted on March 28, 2014 by tbach

Vermont has enacted a variety of commercial chemicals laws over the last decade in response to specific issues.  For example, 18 V.S.A. § 1511 limits the concentration of  phthalates in products intended for children under 3 years old; 9 V.S.A. … Continue reading →

Posted in chemical safety regulation, children's products, flame retardants, label laws, phthalates, public health, synthetic chemicals | Comments Off on Vermont strives for comprehensive chemical regulation

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

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 →

Posted in carcinogens, EPA, public health, TSCA | Comments Off on Fraud in Asbestos Litigation

Connecting the dots between BPA and U.S. health care costs

Posted on January 27, 2014 by tbach

The incidence of chronic disease, use of synthetic chemicals, and evidence that many of them have human health impacts have grown during the past few decades.  So has U.S. health care spending (an eightfold increase since the 1960s).   As Philip … Continue reading →

Posted in BPA, carcinogens, chemical safety regulation, health care costs, public health, synthetic chemicals | Comments Off on Connecting the dots between BPA and U.S. health care costs

No More Tears – and probable carcinogens

Posted on January 23, 2014 by tbach

Johnson & Johnson has just quietly reformulated its baby shampoo as a result of consumer pressure.  It no longer contains formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane.  In 2011, J&J promised to remove both chemicals from all of its baby care products by the … Continue reading →

Posted in carcinogens, chemical safety regulation, environmental health law, EWG, label laws, precautionary principle, public health, synthetic chemicals, uncertainty | Comments Off on No More Tears – and probable carcinogens

New FDA guidance on antibiotic (antimicrobial) use in cows, pigs, and chickens

Posted on December 12, 2013 by tbach

Human antibiotic resistance has been on the radar for several years, but did you know that antibiotic-resistant infections kill 23,000 people in the U.S. and make another 2 million sick each year?  Some of this resistance has come from medical … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, agriculture and human health, animal welfare, antibiotics in livestock, antimicrobials, environmental health, FDA, food contamination, Food processing industry, public health, public health law | Tagged | Comments Off on New FDA guidance on antibiotic (antimicrobial) use in cows, pigs, and chickens

Enviro health reports out of IoM

Posted on October 4, 2013 by tbach

It’s been a busy last two weeks in terms of conferences.  Now it’s time to catch up on your enviro public health reading over the weekend. The IoM (Institute of Medicine) has recently produced several interesting reports about the intersection of … Continue reading →

Posted in environmental health, environmental justice, global health, health impact assessments, hydraulic fracturing, Institute of Medicine, public health, sustainability | Comments Off on Enviro health reports out of IoM