A former DuPont top chemical engineer told in startling detail how his former employer hid for decades that it was polluting Americans' blood with a hyper-persistent chemical associated with the grease-resistant coatings on paper food packaging. Environmental Working Group
European Parliament OKs Rules on Chemical Safety. The European Parliament on Thursday approved legislation requiring safety testing of thousands of compounds widely used in everyday products. Los Angeles Times
Only cronies need apply. Today's fun challenge is "Spot the Next Brownie." In this fab game for the whole family, review a list of Bush administration cronies in office and see if you can pick the next Michael "Heckuva Job" Brown. Chicago Tribune
State water program dysfunctional, says watchdog commission. The authority protecting the waterway that supplies water to two-thirds of Californians is so dysfunctional that it should be replaced, a government commission recommended.
Mercury News
Top court backs pesticide ban. Environmentalists are hailing a Supreme Court decision that upholds Toronto's ban on pesticides. Toronto Star
Seeking sustainability. More and more hospitals are taking steps to become more environmentally conscious, including many in the Portland Metro area. Corvallis Gazette-Times
Ehrlich to issue clean air plan. Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. said yesterday that the state plans to impose rules that will compel coal-fired power plants to reduce mercury air pollution by 70 percent within five years - more quickly than required by the Bush administration. Baltimore Sun
Cause of mad cow disease may be found in milk. New research into prions, the infectious agents that cause mad cow-like diseases, has raised questions about whether milk and milk products from infected animals could transmit the pathogens. Canadian Press
GM crop scrapped as mice made ill. CSIRO scientists have abandoned a decade-long GM crop project in its last stages of research after learning that peas modified to resist insects had caused inflammation in the lung tissues of mice. Sydney Australian
White phosphorus: weapon on the edge. The Pentagon's admission - despite earlier denials - that US troops used white phosphorus as a weapon in Falluja last year has opened up a debate about its use in modern warfare. BBC
Grassley Accuses Wyeth of Misconduct. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley accused drug maker Wyeth of seeking to discredit an FDA staffer who found safety problems with one of the company's veterinary drugs. Wall Street Journal.
Gloomy asbestos study criticized at senate hearing. A study that said a proposed $140 billion asbestos victims' compensation fund would quickly run out of money came in for criticism at a U.S. Senate hearing on Thursday. Reuters
It'll be a bad air day. A noxious brew of bad air over Snohomish County isn't going anywhere, and it's going to get worse before it gets better, regional air experts said. Everett Daily Herald
Radioactive ash continues to stir controversy. State Sen. Bob Regola, R-Hempfield Township, said Thursday he would consider seeking a state Senate inquiry of the Department of Environmental Protection because of residents' concerns that tons of radioactive ash were headed for an East Huntingdon Township landfill. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Dioxin Stored in Riverfront Dumpsters. The Viet Nam War was fought in jungles that were defoliated with Agent Orange, in order to expose the enemy. The chemical is now causing concern along the St. Louis riverfront. St. Louis KSDK TV
Go north to Alaska and tap oil reserves. America is ignoring the light on the dashboard when it comes to energy. We are in denial. We think that simply because we've always had abundant energy - except in the 1970s, when we were stuck in gas lines - we always will. Philadelphia Inquirer,
Rocky Flats workers stiffed for efficiency. Of all the nonsensical things the U.S. Senate has done this term, denying health care coverage to former Rocky Flats workers ranks near the top. Denver Post