or a.k.a. Environmental News You Can Use...(and to the wanker who complained about my providing links to stories...you can just go cheney yourself!)
Toxics found in Delta streams. In their most detailed look yet at water quality in the streams that drain into the Delta, regulators found widespread pesticide pollution, including some compounds banned for decades. One-third of samples levels exceeded water quality standards. Contra Costa Times
Tories axe website in Kyoto assault: Liberals. Canada's conservative government is trying to push global climate change off the federal map, shutting down the main federal website on the topic and removing mention of it from speeches and postings, opposition MPs and environmentalists say. Toronto Star
The legal standards for demonstrating unreasonable risk of a chemical are so high under TSCA that they have discouraged EPA from banning or restricting use of existing chemicals. Only 5 chemicals or groups of chemicals have been banned since 1976. Review of new chemicals provides only limited safety assurance. Chemical regulation: Actions are needed to improve the effectiveness of EPA's chemical review program. Published by
Government Accountability Office.
Aging sewage pipes pollute nation. Many of the more popular beaches in Southern California are polluted with sewage as often as one out of every three days. Whittier Daily News
Volatile chemical may cut respiratory capacity. A chemical in some air fresheners and pest-control products may slightly impair lung function in millions of people, a nationwide study suggests. Science News.
Sick lobbying is behind penguin spoof of Al Gore. A Gore-baiting spoof video, which appears to have been created on a home computer and then posted on YouTube, has backfired against oil giant Exxon. London Times
Energy chief announces plan to boost atomic power. The nation's energy chief announced a plan yesterday to provide incentives to companies willing to build the first new nuclear plants in 30 years, offering $2 billion in federal insurance for construction of six plants. Boston.com
Swedish politicians question safety of its nuclear reactors. An incident last week that led to the shutdown of 4 of Sweden's 10 nuclear reactors has thrust the issue of atomic power back onto the national agenda, with leading politicians calling for a broad investigation into the safety of the country's nuclear industry. New York Times.
Drinking water contaminated. A canal which carries drinking water to an Indian neighborhood was feared contaminated by a toxic substance smelling like kerosene and possibly containing pesticides, according to a Water Authority official. New India Press, India.
Northern Indian State bans soft drinks after Pepsi, Coke get toxic labels. The northern Rajasthan state in India has banned the sale of soft drinks, as the country's highest court told the US beverage giants Pepsico and Coca-Cola to reveal the ingredients of their products. All Headline News.
EPA defends camera's use to catch emissions. Officials at Denver's regional EPA office are standing by their decision to use an infrared camera to catch emissions leaking from oil and gas sites northeast of the metro area in June despite criticism from a skeptical U.S. senator (Inhofe). Denver Rocky Mountain News
Re-designing cities. In New York City a team of architects and urban planners has figured out how some taken-for-granted real estate could make for a healthier environment. They did it by taking to the streets: rethinking how to use pavement, drainage, utilities and landscape; and looking at what other cities are doing. Living On Earth.
Red Tide organism's growth spurt explosive. Test results showed Karenia brevis levels at several southern Sarasota County beaches had exploded by nearly 500 times in just one week. Bradenton Herald
State environmental commission grows sharper teeth. Trying to respond to years-old criticism that it is soft on enforcement, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality announced this week that it had decided to crack down on polluters. Austin American-Statesman
More 9/11 fallout. A new study documenting the health hazard to New York City firefighters who breathed toxic dust from the collapse of the World Trade Center towers on 9/11 is yet another reminder of the brazen falsehoods fed to New Yorkers about their city's air quality in the days following the terrorist attacks. Toledo Blade, Ohio. Editorial
House offshore bill is off base. Big Oil's gargantuan profits provide a jarring reality check for those of us watching Congress in a panic to expand industry access to offshore drilling. Denver Post
Bad meat plan. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's failure to institute an adequate mad cow testing program smacks of a crude attempt to hide the problem from the American people. Cherry Hill Courier-Post
Mad cow watch goes blind. Creekstone Farms, a Kansas beef producer, wants to reassure customers that its cattle are safe to eat by testing them all for mad cow disease. Sounds like a smart business move, but there's one problem: The federal government won't let the company do it. USA Today.