Environmental Health

"Environment Groups Cite Lansing Power Plant for Coal Ash Pollution"

Three environmental groups have issued a report detailing some 39 cases across the U.S. where pollution from the ash left from coal-burning electric power plants has cause pollution that often threatens human health. Now as EPA moves to close the electric utilities' longtime exemption from hazardous waste laws, industry lobbyists may have quietly put the fix in at the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Source: Ithaca Journal, 09/10/2010

"Vietnamese Still Exposed to Deadly Chemicals Decades After War"

"The United States ended its involvement in the Vietnam War 35 years ago, and established diplomatic relations with Hanoi 15 years ago.  But a recent visit to Vietnam by members of the U.S.-Vietnam Dialogue Group on Agent Orange and Dioxin saw the lingering effects of highly toxic chemicals used by U.S. forces to remove dense vegetation in a bid to flush out enemy combatants."

Source: VOA, 09/07/2010

"In Feast of Data on BPA Plastic, No Final Answer"

In a classic two-sided story, the New York Times reports scientific uncertainty about whether the ubiquitous plastic chemical BPA hurts humans or not. It does not explore another key question: should the burden of proof be on companies to prove chemicals they widely expose people to are safe? -- or on environmental health scientists to prove them unsafe?

Source: NYTimes, 09/07/2010
April 14, 2011 to April 17, 2011

Health Journalism 2011

Local and national planning committees have begun gathering conference ideas for review. Plans include dozens of panels, field trips, newsmaker briefings, Freelance Pitchfest, world-class speakers, 2010 Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism luncheon and more. To suggest sessions or speakers for the conference, you can fill out a conference suggestion form.

Visibility: 

Sludge Tracking Efforts a Jumble of Research With No Clear Answers

The application of sewage sludge (renamed "biosolids" by industry PR) to fields has created worries about smell, disease, and toxic contaminants. Federal efforts to track sludge problems have been fragmented, haphazard, and delayed -- which does not inspire confidence in industry-backed federal assurances that sludge is safe. The assurances have preceded the evidence that would support them.

Source: Greenwire, 08/27/2010

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