Report Blasts Bush On Ground Zero Clean Up
The Progress Report
In a strongly-worded and minutely-detailed report, the Sierra Club
charges the Bush administration with "reckless disregard" for public
health in the days and months following the collapse of the World Trade
Center. "Many hundreds of people" are sick today, the report states,
some debilitatingly so, because of the government's failure to alert
the public to obvious health risks, including toxic smoke, asbestos and
mercury at Ground Zero. The report concludes: "Much of the exposure
that caused these illnesses, sadly, could have been avoided if our
federal government had responded to the crisis…with proper concern for
the people exposed." The report is the most comprehensive in a litany
of evidence suggesting Bush administration officials ignored warnings,
misinterpreted data and issued a series of overly optimistic and
unsupported statements about environmental conditions which endangered
and in some cases ruined the health of heroic rescue workers and
residents in and around Ground Zero.
THE EPA WHITEWASH: The day after the World Trade Center collapsed, "a
top federal scientist warned in a strongly-worded memo against the
quick reoccupation of buildings in lower Manhattan because of possible
dangers from asbestos and other toxic materials." But, unaccountably,
the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) first press release, on
Sept. 13, said the results of sampling were "very reassuring." On Sept.
17, federal and city officials allowed thousands of people to return to
lower Manhattan, declaring a day later that "their air is safe to
breathe and their water is safe." But EPA Inspector General Nikki
Tinsley later admitted, "the EPA had not gathered nearly enough data to
make such a sweeping declaration." It was in these days, according to
the Sierra Club's report, that New Yorkers near the site were exposed
to dangerous levels of asbestos, lead, concrete, glass and other
debris, including toxic vapors easily assimilated into people's lungs
and nasal passenges. But on Oct. 3, the EPA said Ground Zero data
through Sept. 30 revealed "no significant health risks."
PLEADING IGNORANCE
LANGUAGE GAMES
COUNCIL RUN BY INDUSTRY INSIDER
STEPS NOT TAKEN
WHAT YOU CAN DO
(Much, much more)
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Saturday, August 21
Report Blasts Bush On Ground Zero Clean Up
by
Linda Thieman
on Sat 21 Aug 2004 05:18 PM CDT
Tuesday, August 17
Report to Show State Loopholes for Supposedly "Accidental" Air Pollution Pushing Carcinogens Well Over U.S. Legal Limits
by
Linda Thieman
on Tue 17 Aug 2004 09:51 AM CDT
Report to Show State Loopholes for Supposedly "Accidental" Air Pollution Pushing Carcinogens Well Over U.S. Legal Limits
Over Half of States Permit Illegal "Upsets," Only Handful Track Pollution WASHINGTON, D.C. - Millions of Americans are exposed today to supposedly "accidental" industrial site air pollution incidents that include cancer-causing pollutants far in excess of the limits set out under federal law, according to a report to be released nationally on August 18, 2004 by the nonprofit and nonpartisan Environmental Integrity Project (EIP). The report will show that, in addition to lax EPA oversight, the major culprits behind the so-called "upsets" pollution are laws in over half of all states that permit the supposedly "accidental" emissions to take place in violation of federal law. Additionally, only a small handful of states actually track these "upsets" and then take appropriate action. Though the EIP report is national in scope, it looks in detail at the situations in CA, OH, LA, PA, GA and TX to illustrate the "upset" issue. Among the excess pollution emissions involved in "upset" incidents are benzene and butadiene -- two major carcinogens. In order to document the hidden "upsets" pollution problem, citizens living nearby industrial/commercial sites -- including refineries and chemical plants -- have produced videotape records of the "accidental" emissions. The videotape will be available online and in hard-copy form on August 18, 2004. Founded by Eric Schaeffer, the Environmental Integrity Project is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization established in March of 2002 to advocate for more effective enforcement of environmental laws. Schaeffer directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Regulatory Enforcement until 2002, when he resigned after publicly expressing his frustration with efforts of the Bush Administration to weaken enforcement of the Clean Air Act and other laws. TO PARTICIPATE: A live, two-way phone-based news event will take place at 12:30 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, August 18, 2004 at 1-(800) 860-2442. CAN'T PARTICIPATE?: A streaming audio recording of the news event will be available on the Web as of 4 p.m. on August 18, 2004 here. http://www.environmentalintegrity.org Tuesday, August 10
Judge Orders Disclosure of Genetically Modified Crop Locations
by
Linda Thieman
on Tue 10 Aug 2004 04:08 PM CDT
Judge Orders Disclosure of Genetically Modified Crop Locations
Federal Court Ruling May Affect Iowa in the Long Run Pacific Business News A federal judge [Thursday] issued a landmark ruling ordering the U.S. Department of Agriculture to disclose locations of open-air field tests in Hawaii of genetically modified biopharmaceutical crops.... The USDA and biotech industry had fiercely resisted disclosing the locations of the test plots to anyone, citing fears of espionage, vandalism and civil unrest. However, District Court Judge David A. Ezra ordered the USDA to provide the plaintiffs with the location information and ordered the information to be public in 90 days unless the USDA came up with better evidence of specific harm. "Biopharming could have disastrous effects on human health and the environment and should not be shielded from public scrutiny," said Paul Achitoff, an Earthjustice attorney. "At least now plaintiffs can find out if these crops are being grown near conventional crops that can be cross-pollinated, in ecologically sensitive areas or near schools or homes." ...Genetically engineered crops have contaminated conventional food crops, as in the StarLink fiasco, where genetically engineered corn not approved for human consumption ended up in dozens of products on supermarket shelves and had to be recalled. There have been potentially disastrous slip-ups in biopharm field tests. In 2002, the USDA had to quarantine and destroy 500,000 bushels of Nebraska soybeans meant for human consumption because the crop had been contaminated with corn engineered to produce a pig vaccine. That same year, potential contamination led to the destruction of 155 acres of conventional corn in Iowa. The grower in both instances, Prodigene, is currently conducting open-air tests in Hawaii. (more) Sunday, August 8
BUSH ADMINISTRATION TO RELEASE SWEETHEART DEAL THAT EXEMPTS FACTORY FARMS FROM AIR POLLUTION REQUIREMENTS
by
Linda Thieman
on Sun 08 Aug 2004 05:00 AM CDT
BUSH ADMINISTRATION TO RELEASE SWEETHEART DEAL THAT EXEMPTS FACTORY FARMS FROM AIR POLLUTION REQUIREMENTS
Sources Inside EPA Say Deal to be Released as Early as Next Week; Earlier Commitment to Public Comment Period Now Not Expected to be Honored WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Bush Administration is expected to announce as early as next week an agreement with the meat industry that will shield factory farms from federal air pollution requirements, according to the Environment Integrity Project (EIP) and the Sierra Club. Despite making an earlier commitment to allow public comment on the sweetheart deal, the Administration is expected to go forward with the deal with mega-farms without any input from the public. Meat industry groups approached the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2002 asking the agency to shield them from Clean Air Act and Superfund hazardous waste laws. Bush administration officials then corresponded in secret with industry lobbyists to craft a deal that allows the industry to continue polluting without threat of prosecution, in exchange for a commitment from factory farms to study the problem for a number of years. The agreement with the meat industry was drafted without consulting those who suffer from the pollution caused by large livestock operations, and with only minimal input from the scientific and environmental communities. Relying on leaked drafts and documents that were obtained under open records laws, a variety of concerned parties have told EPA that they object to the sweetheart deal because of the lack of public participation in the process to date, the sweeping nature of the liability shield, and the scientific flaws in the monitoring program. Sources inside EPA say that the agency now is finalizing the sweetheart deal, possibly without seeking public comment - a move that breaks a written promise made to Congress in October 2003. Using a closed process involving only the industry, the new EPA agreement is another example of the Bush Administration letting polluters write the rules while leaving the public out of the process. The deal with the livestock industry will put many communities at risk. The American Public Health Association and the National Academy of Sciences have stated that pollution from massive animal factories jeopardizes public health in rural communities across the nation. Bearing no resemblance to the traditional family farm, these facilities pack thousands of animals into small spaces, produce as much waste as a small city, and spew toxic gases and other pollutants into the air. Livestock production is the single largest contributor of ammonia gas release in the United States, and giant animal factories also emit hydrogen sulfide and fine dust particles - both of which are linked to respiratory illness - in dangerous quantities. For more information on factory farm pollution, go to: http://www.sierraclub.org/factoryfarms/ and http://www.environmentalintegrity.org/page31.cfm Saturday, August 7
Iowa in the News: Environment
by
Linda Thieman
on Sat 07 Aug 2004 05:09 AM CDT
DFIA Environmentalist Throws Her Hat in the Ring
In her first race since college days, DFIA Environmentalist Molly Regan has taken out nomination papers for the Scott Soil and Water Conservation Commission. There are 5 people on the Scott County non-partisan, volunteer commission, with 3 seats up for grabs this year. Molly obtained over 50 signatures on her petition before the Kerry rally the other day, with the help of fellow Deaniacs Monica Kurth and Paul Elgation, and got her last signature yesterday. According to Iowa's Washington Evening Journal, this year, Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioners (SWCDs) will be elected in 100 districts throughout Iowa. The commissioners are elected volunteers and have been working with voluntary, private land conservation in Iowa since as early as 1939. Commissioners help guide soil and water conservation programs in the district and watersheds, identify local issues and concerns, and influence state and national conservation programs. SWCDs work closely with a number of local, state and federal agencies, particularly the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship-Division of Soil Conservation and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. This is an opportunity to become involved in environmental work at the local level. Nomination forms, including a petition, are available in your county auditor's office. At least 25 eligible voters must sign the petition. Nomination papers need to be filed at the auditor's office by Aug. 25, in order to be on the ballot in November. Only one person per township within a district can be represented on the district board. For more information, go here. Iowa Bicyclists learn about conservation practices Iowa Farm Bureau Riders on the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) learned how Iowa farmers are working with state and federal agencies to protect the environment. The “Iowa Conservation Team” worked to educate all riders, including Iowans, out-of-staters and international riders, about conservation practices they were seeing as they huffed, puffed and ate their way across Iowa. The goal was to show that Iowa farmers, who lead the nation in creation of buffers and have reduced soil erosion significantly, are protecting the environment. (more) Iowa Middle School Teacher Receives Award Disney The DisneyHand Teacher Awards, dedicated to honoring the most creative and inspiring teachers in America, this year bestowed Hector Ibarra, a 6th and 7th grade teacher from West Branch Middle School in West Branch, Iowa, with the first Youth Service America Award. The honor, presented by multi-platinum performing artist and former special education teacher Clay Aiken, was given to Ibarra for his exemplary use of community service as a teaching methodology. Since 1993, Ibarra's flagship youth service learning program, Timber Stand Improvement, has successfully linked science to the community. Some of Timber Stand Improvement's success includes planting more than 2,000 oak, hickory and walnut trees in Iowa's Cedar Valley Park; collecting 4,265 used oil filters and extracting 37.2 gallons of oil, preventing the substance from entering the Cedar County landfill; encouraging retrofitting of inefficient shower heads and sink aerators; planting amaryllis bulbs for senior citizen homes and local businesses; and holding a student-run reading program for elementary, preschool and daycare children. (more) Marvel chemicals pop up in animals all over world Chicago Tribune Chemicals used to make Teflon and Scotchgard have been promoted as modern marvels for their ability to keep food from sticking to pots and fast-food packaging, repel stains on carpets and furniture and make water roll off coats and clothing. Now scientists are finding that the chemicals also have managed to spread throughout the world. Researchers have detected them in polar bears roaming near the Arctic Circle, dolphins swimming in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Italy and gulls flying above ocean cliffs outside Tokyo. Known as perfluoronated compounds, the chemicals also were recently detected for the first time in the Great Lakes, one-fifth of the Earth's fresh water and the source of drinking water for more than 7 million people in Illinois and 33 million others in the United States and Canada. (more) |
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