"How Hard Would It Be for Avian Flu to Spread?"
"Recent reports that two teams of scientists had genetically altered a deadly flu virus to make it more contagious have provoked fear, even outrage, in some quarters."
Source: NY Times, 01/04/2012
Health
"Bioterrorism, Health-Emergency Preparedness Eroding: Report"
Congress' drive to cut spending could increase the threat to US citizens' from bioterrorism as well as more common epidemics, a new study says.
Source: Wall St. Journal, 12/23/2011
Federal Law Fails To Protect Health and Safety Whistleblowers
One example is Walt Tamosaitis, who works for an Energy Department subcontractor. He told a Senate panel on December 6, 2011, that when he raised technical issues about whether nuclear waste cleanup was being done right at the Hanford Site in Washington, he was taken off the project and exiled to the basement.
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Feds Release Report on Links Between Breast Cancer and Environment
The Institute of Medicine released on Dec. 7, 2011, a report on links between breast cancer and the environment. Along with identifying various risk factors, and the strength of the evidence, the report addresses preventive measures and research gaps.
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EPA Releases 100s of Chemical Health Studies Claimed As Trade Secrets
The studies are submitted by companies who use the chemicals in commerce, under the Toxic Substances Control Act. EPA's online searchable database can help you find information about such health studies, which were previously withheld because of industry trade-secret claims.
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Deadlines for Plans To Reduce Regional Haze Finally Established
On Nov. 9, 2011, EPA signed a consent decree that requires the agency to receive from and approve a State Implementation Plan for DC, VI, and 43 states that don't have a fully approved one. Each state can determine how it wants to reduce haze. In some cases, the plan will rely on actions already taken, such as reductions in emissions from power plants or vehicles.
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"How Ready Are We for Bioterrorism?"
Ten years after the anthrax attacks that followed 9/11, the nation has spent some $60 billion trying to put together a biodefense program. One reason Americans do not know the scale of the government's failure is the extreme secrecy with which the programs are conducted. Profits, politics, and the manipulation of public fears may be making the nation's vulnerability to the worst public health threats even worse.
Source: NY Times Magazine, 10/28/2011
Erionite, Like Asbestos, Can Cause Cancer
The naturally-occurring erionite causes malignant mesothelioma and evidence suggests it is much more toxic than asbestos. Concern is rising as development that disturbs erionite deposits occurs in 12 western states.
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"CDC: Autism Diagnoses Growing By 10 To 17 Percent Annually"
"The figure is so astounding it appears to be a misprint at first glance. One in 110. That's the number of American children living with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), based on the most recently published estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)."
Source: Scranton Times-Tribune, 10/24/2011
"Study: FDA Seafood Standards Flawed"
"In wake of last year's BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a new study from an environmental watchdog group contends that current federal standards underestimate the risk to pregnant women and children of cancer-causing contaminants that can accumulate in seafood from such spills."
Source: USA TODAY, 10/14/2011
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