Recent Developments
16 April 2010
The San Francisco Examiner covered the discovery of arsenic trichloride, a known carcinogen, at the Spring Valley FUDS in Washington D.C. Click here for the story
Camp Lejeune’s contaminated wells are now closed, but the adverse health effects have affected an estimated 500,000. Veterans and dependents continue to experience serious problems from exposure to organic solvents like trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, and benzene. Unfortunately, this base in North Carolina is not unique – it is only one of 130 military bases on the National Priority List. For the article, click here
Two researchers are conducting studies to further identify the links, if any, between environmental contaminants and autism in children. For the story, click here
9 April 2010
NJ Senator Frank Lautenberg has introduced a bill to reinstate the “polluter pays” tax that feeds the Superfund program for toxic waste cleanup. Click here for the story.
18 March 2010
Rolling Stone magazine published an article on coal sludge and the EPA’s dilemma of how to classify it, mentioning TVA’s Kingston fly ash accident on which ESC has worked. For the article, click here
16 March 2010
Bill Nelson, Senator of Florida, has called for a tax levied upon polluters, not taxpayers, for the cleanup of Superfund sites. For the story, click here
16 March 2010
A settlement between Ford and children of residents of the Ringwood neighborhood in New Jersey has been reached. Ringwood and a nearby state par were contaminated when Ford dumped lead-based sludge on the property decades ago. Click here for the story
12 March 2010
Concerned citizens, scientists, and other interested stakeholders gathered yesterday to learn more about the proposed uranium mining in Virginia. Click here for one analysis of the event
12 March 2010
Citizens and Vermont regulators took a stand against the EPA and told them they disagreed with the EPA’s classification of dioxin-laden soil and would not accept it into a non-hazardous waste landfill. Read the story here
9 March 2010
An 80-mile stretch of the Kalamazoo River in Michigan was declared a Superfund site in 1990 due to PCB contamination. Only last week did the chemical company responsible reach a settlement with the US government, which will provide $250 million for the clean up. Read the story here
GE recently proposed redesigning the cleanup of the Hudson River in order to meet the EPA’s goal of completing the dredging project in 5 years. Read the Post Star’s story here
8 March 2010
Residents of the Acreage community are beginning to question a recycling company’s dumping practices in connection with a childhood cancer cluster that was recently identified by the Department of Health. For the story, click here
2 March 2010
EPA added ten sites to the National Priorities List today, adding to the 1,269 contaminated sites already awaiting or undergoing cleanup throughout the United States. Click here to read the EPA press release
2 March 2010
After much public discussion and debate, the EPA placed the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, NY on the National Priorities List today. Click here to read the New York Times article
2 March 2010
The Port Angeles, Washington Harbor-Works Development Authority passed a resolution expressing its disappointment in the three-year timeline projected in the Agreed Order between Rayonier Mill and Ecology. For more, read the Peninsula Daily News article here
26 February 2010
EPA recently requested public comment on new Preliminary Remediation Goals for Dioxin. EPA recommends setting the PRG at 72 ppt for non-cancer risks and 3.7ppt for cancer-based risks. Dr. deFur, who has worked with the EPA on dioxin issues since 1991, submitted comments on the proposal.
8 February 2010
A recent study has found a link between the industrial solvent trichloroethylene and Parkinson’s disease – exposure can increase a person’s risk by sixfold. To read the article, click here
27 January 2010
A toxic waste dump in California highlights Obama’s recent decision to make environmental justice a priority – there is a high rate of children born with facial deformities in the low-income community near the dump. To read the full story, click here
27 January 2010
The waste disposal practices at a lead-contaminated Superfund site in Northern Idaho have become a point of controversy between the EPA and the community. Disposing of the polluted dirt in a hazardous waste dump within the same region has some questioning whether the community’s health is truly being protected. To read the full story, click here
22 January 2010
The EPA has released its preliminary critique of the Lower Willamette Group’s Baseline Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessments for the Portland Harbor, a site contaminated with numerous chemicals from years of industrial activity. For a summary of the critique and a link to the document, click here
20 January 2010
The EPA has indefinitely postponed the release of draft regulations on coal ash disposal that were originally promised by the end of 2009. In response Iowa is urging federal officials to strengthen regulations concerning landfill liners and groundwater contamination. Living near unlined landfills containing coal ash poses a 1 in 2,000 cancer risk, a level 500 times higher than that which is considered safe. To read the full article, click here
12 January 2010
For the first time since the Toxic Substances Control Act was passed in 1976, the EPA has decided to regulate the chemicals used by manufacturers. Large chain stores like Walmart and CostCo are already altering the products they offer in anticipation of any regulatory changes, which has huge implications for the safety of consumer products. For the story, click here
29 December 2009
A team of scientists from China and Iowa have shown that poplar trees remove the chlorine atoms from PCBs, bringing phytoremediation of PCBs at contaminated sites one step closer to reality. For the study, click here
23 December 2009
With the one year deadline to file personal injury claims passing yesterday, more than 200 plaintiffs have filed lawsuits against the Tennessee Valley Authority for damages from the coal ash spill. To read the full article, please click here
23 December 2009
The EPA has decided to require pesticide companies to list the all of the chemical components of their products. For the EPA news release and request for public comments, click here
18 December 2009
While cleanup is well underway at the TVA ash spill site, some residents still fear for their health a year later. To read the article, click here
18 December 2009
The EPA has postponed releasing new rules on the disposal of coal fly ash. The issue was brought to the forefront by the spill in Tennessee one year ago, and the federal government has been debating whether to change its classification to hazardous waste, in turn modifying how it is handled and disposed of. To read the article in full, click here
17 December 2009
A great environmentalist passed away on December 15, 2009. Dery Bennett, Executive Director of the American Littoral Society, had been active in environmental conservation since 1968. Dr. Peter deFur knew Dery in a professional capacity from having worked with him on various projects involving NRDC, the Delaware River, and EDF. Dery Bennett was integral to the protection of coastal wetlands and the ocean and in inspiring generations of environmental activists. His impact will not be forgotten.
10 December 2009
The EPA announced today a $1.8 billion cleanup of American Smelting and Refining Company sites around the country that are contaminated with hazardous waste, with the funding a result of the largest environmental bankruptcy in the U.S. To read the EPA’s press release, please click here
9 December 2009
A study released by the Environmental Integrity Project shows that the amount of metals released in 2008’s TVA coal ash spill was greater than the total amount of metals released by all power producing plants in 2007. To read the EIP’s press release and to link to a chart of power plant discharges, click here
4 December 2009
The Endocrine Disruption Prevention Act, recently introduced by Rep. Jim Moran and Sen. John Kerry, would authorize research on reducing use of the harmful chemicals, and is endorsed by the Endocrine Society. To read the full article, please click here
18 November 2009
To add to the list of the many detrimental health effects of PCBs, a new study has found a correlation between the compounds and an increase in blood pressure. To read the full article, please click here
16 November 2009
Debate rages over coal ash power plant waste – the federal government is expected to decide by the year’s end whether fly ash will be classified as a hazardous waste; it is currently exempt under the Bevill Amendment to RCRA. To read the full article, please click here
6 November 2009
Dow’s dioxins in Michigan have the nation’s attention – the LA Times reports on the long-awaited agreement between the EPA and Dow to clean up its mess. To read the full article, please click here
2 November 2009
As ESC’s recent presentation at Virginia’s Water Research Conference emphasized, toxic mixtures of contaminants that can be found throughout both rural and urban environments is a problem often overshadowed by climate change, although it too poses significant human health problems. To read the full article, please click here
2 November 2009
Environment America’s report on toxic discharge into the nation’s rivers is gaining attention, with the Ohio River, a major source for drinking water, leading in pounds of chemicals discharged during 2007. To read the full article, please click here
24 October 2009
The EPA has committed to setting air pollution standards for toxins released from power plants by November 2011. New regulations will require facilities to install scrubbers to reduce emissions of mercury, a toxin with harmful human health effects. For the full article, please click here
21 October 2009
Recent research has found a link between early dementia and living near busy roads where exposure to particulate matter is high. For the full article, please click here
21 October 2009
A study funded by Dow Chemical Co. of Michigan has found a weak link between soil contaminated with dioxin from the company’s operations and levels of the toxin in the surrounding population’s blood. Lone Tree Council, an area environmental group, is worried about the effects of this research on holding Dow accountable for the contamination and the cleanup. For the full article, please click here
9 October 2009
With dwindling funds and a number of sites awaiting costly cleanup, EPA’s Superfund program is not as super as it once was. Many hazardous waste sites will have to compete with others for money to restore environmental and human health. For the full article, please click here
18 September 2009
The EPA has announced its intent to reconsider the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone. The current standard is not believed to be protective of human health. For the EPA’s press release, please click here
26 August 2009
An interesting case of well water contamination has arisen near a golf course constructed of fly ash from Dominion’s coal-fired power plants. For the story, please click here
21 August 2009
The state of California has just lowered the standard for chromium VI in drinking water from 50ppb to 0.06 ppb. The new standard is 800 times lower than the original, and 1600 times lower than the national standard. The toxicity of chromium VI was made famous by Erin Brockovich. For the story, please click here
20 August 2009
No fish in the US has escaped mercury contamination. According to a USGS report released today, every fish species studied in watersheds across the United States had some level of mercury in their system. One-fourth of the samples had mercury levels above EPA standards. The primary source of the contamination is deposition from coal-fired power plant emissions. Mercury is known to cause birth defects and impact the adult nervous system. Click here for access to the report
12 August 2009
Fisheries scientists agree – a more conservative approach to managing the oceans’ fish stocks is needed to avoid continued depletion and possible collapse. They estimate that 63% of the world’s commercial fisheries need rebuilding, a frighteningly high number that necessitates alternative fishing practices. Click here to read the editorial in full
7 August 2009
The EPA released a statement today explaining that a pause in dredging at the river site will be necessary until resuspended sediment settles out, thereby lowering the levels of PCBs. Currently, levels exceed the project’s resuspension standard, which is set at the drinking water standard of 500 parts per trillion. To read the notice and for contact information, please click here
18 June 2009
For the first time in history, the EPA has declared a public health emergency in a contaminated community. The declaration is a direct result of the health effects of the contamination, derived from a mine processing asbestos-contaminated vermiculite in Libby, Montana. Click here for more on the story
29 May 2009
Newport News Waterworks calls the continuation of the King William Reservoir project “very unlikely,” and municipalities like James City County who are contracted to receive water from NNWW are now searching for ways to meet demand amidst projected population growth. Click here to read the Daily Press story
5 May 2009
In an 8-1 decision yesterday, the US Supreme Court narrowed the scope of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, the legislation guiding the EPA’s Superfund Program. As the law is written, the court decided that companies that distribute chemicals that lead to contamination cannot be held liable for cleanup. Rather, those that “arranged for the disposal” of the chemicals are those that bear the brunt of responsibility and therefore must cleanup. Instead of incentivizing environmental stewardship by promoting a Polluter Pays mentality, the court’s decision forces taxpayers to augment the funding available for cleanup of toxic spills, spills for which they have no responsibility. See more information from Monday’s NY Times
16 April 2009
For the first time, EPA will require pesticide manufacturers to test their products for endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). These EDCs can disrupt the hormones that humans and animals produce or secrete. Already affected, male fish bearing eggs have been found in the Potomac River. Click here to read the story from the Washington Post
15 April 2009
In a recent press release, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission has pushed back the hearings for 2009 crab regulations from April 28 to May 26. The Commission awaits regulatory alternatives from fishery managers, including the possibility of prohibiting the winter dredging of crabs to protect the rapidly declining Bay population. Click here to read the VMRC’s release
14 April 2009
A study out of the University of Iowa indicates that the rate of occurrence of autism in children attending school within 10 miles of a Superfund site is 1.5 times higher than those who attend schools further from toxic waste sites. The study was conducted in Minnesota, the state with the highest rate of autism. Doctors have traditionally associated the development of autism with vaccinations, but this study adds to the growing body of evidence that environmental pollution affects children’s neurodevelopment. Click here for the study
10 April 2009
The EPA is considering listing Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, NY to the National Priorities List under Superfund. Concerns are already growing centering on a potential clash between developers eyeing prime real estate along the 1.5 mile corridor and interference from government cleanup efforts. The waterway, a site of industrial pollution since the 1860s, is contaminated by PCBs, pesticides, and metals. Read the story from the NY Times here
9 April 2009
Virginia, Maryland and federal officials said yesterday that they will focus on bringing back the native oyster, casting aside thoughts of putting a fast-growing but ecologically risky Asian oyster in the bay. The approach was a victory for environmentalists, who said the Asian oyster could wipe out the remaining native oysters or cause unintended harm such as harboring germs that sicken people. Click here to read the story from the Richmond Times Dispatch
2 April 2009
A US Army Corps of Engineers permit to build a reservoir in King William County was rejected on Tuesday by federal court. Opponents to the permit included the Southern Environmental Law Center, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Alliance to Save the Mattaponi, the Virginia chapter of the Sierra Club and the Mattaponi Indian tribe. Click here to read the story from the Richmond Times Dispatch
12 March 2009
The Majority Staff of the House Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight of the
Committee on Science and Technology released a report yesterday detailing the ineffective and apparently injurious role of the ATSDR in the past decade. Through a series of community-based case studies, email exchanges, and expert testimony, the report indicates that the agency was flawed from the start and has suffered from mismanagement ever since, problems that, for years, have effected the safety of communities affected by environmental contamination. Read the full report here
24 February 2009
In Raleigh, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry conducted a health consultation for PCB accumulation in fish located in the Lower Neuse River, Walnut Creek, and Rocky Creek. The results of the study indicated that the PCB concentrations pose a risk to human health and consumption advisories should be in effect for these water bodies. Read the full report here
11 February 2009
The residents of Pompton Lakes New Jersey have been dealing with elevated levels of industrial chemicals from DuPont’s former ammunition factory for twenty years. DuPont had been cleaning up polluted underground water and ground surfaces when soil vapors were found in May by the state Department of Environmental Protection. The “plume” neighborhood residents organized the “Affected Citizens Action Group” and are seeking property tax reduction and assistance from the municipal government and state and federal officials.Click here for the story
4 February 2009
New Jersey proposes to allow licensed environmental consultants to oversee cleanup of contaminated sites across the state that have become backlogged at the understaffed and overburdened Site Remediation Program. Proponents believe this will allow for quicker cleanup of sites that have been caught up in years of red tape and prevent a future Kiddie Kollege fiasco, a former thermometer factory mysteriously dropped from the list of contaminated sites and turned into a child care facility. Critics argue that the proposal would outsource the state’s responsibility to protect the public. Click here for the story
3 February 2009
On January 28, the House of Representatives approved $800 million in renewed funding for the Superfund program as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Superfund was created in 1980 to oversee the cleanup of environmental contamination at industrial sites. Funding has been frozen since 1995 when the Department of Treasury failed to continue to tax petroleum and chemical companies, the basis of a trust fund for future cleanup. See page 42 of the House Report for more details of the renewed funding.
28 January 2009
Mercury products are used in the process of manufacturing high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS is used in food products to extend their shelf life and the average American consumes 50 grams of it daily. A recent study found up to 0.570 micrograms of mercury per gram of HFCS. Mercury is a known neurotoxin and is especially toxic to developing children. Click here for the study.
15 January 2009
The Fort Ord Environmental Justice Network has spent the past six months hard at work monitoring the cleanup at Ford Ord near Marina, CA. Click here for an overview of FOEJN’s activities.
7 January 2009
January 13 will mark the beginning of the National Children’s Study, one of the most comprehensive examinations of the connections between the natural and man-made environment and children’s health and development. Conducted by a coalition of government agencies, hospitals, universities and NGOs, the study will follow the growth of 100,000 American children from before birth until age 21. Stakeholders anticipate that the research will reveal a relationship between environmental conditions and childhood illnesses such as Autism and ADHD, resulting in resounding impacts on public health and environmental policy in the future. Click here for more information on the National Children’s Study.
18 December 2008
On Tuesday, January 6, 2009, the Virginia General Assembly is holding a public hearing of the Uranium Mining Subcommittee of the Virginia Commission on Coal and Energy in Chatham, Va. The GA has already agreed to a study of uranium deposits in the area; the public will have a chance to urge the committee to prioritize research on the effects of mining and milling on public health and environmental quality. The meeting will be held at 6pm. For directions to Chatham High School, click here. Also, see 7 November 2008 below for more information on the uranium study.
The US EPA Office of R&D has decided to once again reevaluate the public health risks posed by dioxin. Dioxin, a known carcinogen, is an unintentional byproduct of incinerating chlorinated materials at industrial sites and a main component of Agent Orange. In 2006, the National Academy of Sciences published its critique of the EPA’s 2003 Dioxin Reassessment and made several recommendations that have prompted the upcoming reevaluation. An ad hoc Science Advisory Board will offer expertise for the draft technical plan, and advocates for more stringent regulation are hopeful for the support of the new Obama administration. Click here for the Dioxin Reassessment listing on US EPA website.
17 December 2008
In wake of repealing the 100-foot buffer zone to protect waterways from surface mine dumping, President Bush has claimed another victory over the environment. A bill recently slipped through under the Midnight Regulations exempting concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) from air emissions regulation under Superfund laws, despite acknowledged harm to public health and the environment. CAFOs have defined the American approach to agriculture over the past 30 years, whereby air and water quality are sacrificed for the sake of efficient, large-scale meat production. The combination of airborne chemicals and animal byproducts – including fecal matter, methane, ammonia, and tetrachloroethylene – contributes to global warming as well as exacerbates public health issues such as chronic bronchitis and respiratory disease. Click here for studies on CAFO air emissions and the chemical constituents of the releases.
15 December 2008
President-elect Obama has selected several eminent scientists and state officials to comprise his environmental and energy team. Steven Chu, currently the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a Nobel Prize winner, specializes in renewable energy issues and is Obama’s pick for Energy Secretary. Lisa Jackson, head of the New Jersey EPA, will become the administrator of the US EPA. Nancy Sutley is Obama’s nominee for the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. As Deputy Mayor for energy and environment in Los Angeles, Sutley has led initiatives to increase public transit; to harness 10% of the city’s power from the sun; and to plant 1 million trees in the city. Finally, Carol Browner, experienced as the head of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection, advisor to Senator Al Gore, and EPA administrator during Clinton administration, will coordinate energy policy across government agencies as the Energy Czar. Obama’s official announcement takes place tonight, and his choices are expected to set the tone for a proactive approach to environmental protection and energy conservation during his administration.
7 November 2008
Despite a 1982 ban on uranium mining in Virginia, the General Assembly agreed yesterday to a study of the state’s estimated $10billion uranium deposit. The study will assess the impacts of mining the ore, which industry representatives advocate as a means of reducing dependence on foreign oil. Historically, uranium mining has taken place in dry, minimally-populated areas of the West, and Virginians have voiced valid concerns for the safety of their drinking water supplies and exposure to radioactive waste should the mining ban be reversed. Please click here to see the Richmond Times Dispatch article on the approved study.
30 October 2008
In response to confusion over guidance on the implications of dioxin and dioxin-like compounds in residential soils, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry recently updated its dioxin policy guidelines to clarify that ATSDR health assessors should use 0.05ppb as the baseline value. The 0.05ppb limit was set as a screening level in the Public Health Assessment Guidance Manual in 2005. The 2008 update removes two other levels listed that caused confusion for health assessors, and it clarifies that 0.05ppb is the comparison value for health evaluations. Please click here for the updated language.
27 October 2008
The Neuse River Foundation named a new Upper Neuse Riverkeeper, Ms. Alissa Bierma, to continue protection of the river’s valuable ecological and social resources from Falls Lake to Goldsboro. Ms. Bierma’s responsibilities on behalf of the river include: reviewing and renewing NPDES permit applications, educating the public on water pollution issues affecting the river, and collaborating with environmental agencies to enforce the Clean Water Act. Her background in Energy and Environmental Policy from the University of Delaware and experience working at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida have prepared her well to serve as the newest advocate for the Upper Neuse. We at ESC look forward to working with Ms. Bierma in continued cleanup efforts at the Ward Transformer Site! For information on Ms. Bierma from the Neuse River Foundation, please click here.
23 October 2008
Today’s scheduled prescribed burn for two sites at former Ford Ord has been canceled due to windy conditions. The Army Corps of Engineers uses burning to create safer conditions for munitions cleanup, but the fires are contingent upon ideal weather conditions. Citizen groups and the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District Board have protested the prescribed burns due to public health concerns about the levels of toxic chemicals released during the fires. Fort Ord also provides habitat to several endangered and rare species including the Smith’s blue butterfly. Click here for the local news link to this story.
21 October 2008
State governments accuse Department of Defense of withholding oversight funding for military environmental restoration programs. Since 2006, new interpretation of the federal-state agreement that guides contamination cleanup on military property has significantly decreased state agencies’ authority in the restoration process. Undermining state enforcement capabilities allows the Department of Defense to prolong site cleanup and/or ignore its responsibility for cleanup altogether.
Click here for more information.
20 October 2008
US EPA announces tightened National Ambient Air Quality Standards for lead (Pb), marking the first revision of lead standards in 30 years. At 0.15micrograms/m3, new limits are now one-tenth of the old standard and adhere to scientists’ recommendations. The effort is considered a commendable step towards protecting public health and that of children at risk of exposure to airborne lead. Implementation of the new standard depends on updating the country’s lead monitoring network, which the EPA plans to do.
Click here for more information.