Honolulu Personal Injury Lawyer - Toxic Substances

Fire Ant Found On Maui

Wayne Parsons — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:52:39 GMT

KITV reports that a fire ant was found on a Maui farm. The fire is small but packs a mean bite. The insect is 1/16th inch long and is light orange in appearance. They aren't fast moving like some ants. It can cause blindness if it bites your pet. The farm on Maui where the fire ant was found is in Waihee.

Dept. of Agriculture Image The fire ant was first found in Hawaii on the Big Island in 1999.

According to KITV:

"This type of ant can build multiple colonies that are all interconnected. So, it's kind of hard to say it's a big colony or not, but it appears to be covering about a half acre, which is actually a fairly small area. So we're very hopeful we caught it early," Department of Agriculture Plant and Pest Control Branch manager Neil Reimer said.

Fire ants originate from South America and have been moving north for decades. Like most things they come to Hawaii by airplane or boat. Their main damage is destroying plants.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

House subcommittee finds elevated lead levels in D.C. children.

Wayne Parsons — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:27:13 GMT

The Washington Post (8/4, Leonnig) reports that congressional investigators have found that "more than twice" the previously reported number of D.C. children were "found to have high levels of lead in their blood," which throws "into doubt assurances by those officials that the lead in tap water did not seriously harm city children." The discovery was made by "a House subcommittee investigating the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's performance and has raised congressional concern about whether the agency properly alerted District residents to a health risk from unprecedented levels of lead in the water." The Post says that "the subcommittee's investigators uncovered the higher figures by seeking the data directly from all D.C. labs that analyze local test results," despite some blood tests taken in 2003 that "were inexplicably missing from D.C. government files." The CDC and the D.C. Department of Health used partial data to publish "a paper reporting that they were not finding a significant increase in children with dangerous lead levels." Rep. Brad Miller (D-N.C.), chairman of the investigations and oversight subcommittee of the House Science and Technology Committee, "said the new findings raise questions about the CDC's performance."

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Pesticide Residue In Kitchen Floors

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:22:50 GMT

KHNL reports that your kitchen floors - the ones that your kids are crawling around on as you read this, are laden with the worst cancer causing chemicals. Don't trust KHNL? Try the EPA and those who care about your family and cancer.

Have you heard the five (5) second rule? Basically the five second rule is a rule that says when you eat food that has dropped on the floor it is safe if it was on the floor for less than three seconds. Think again. A new U.S. research study has demonstrated in most kitchens the floors have some insecticide or pesticide residue. What are they talking about? They found traces of organochlorine insecticides, such as chlordane, heptachlor and DDT. Those products were withdrawn from the market or banned in the 1970s and 1980s.

Why? Because they cause cancer and other diseases including diseases of the nervous system.

In a study kitchen floors in 500 randomly selected homes were swabbed and tested for toxic substances during the period from June 2005 through June 2006. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) ordered this survey as part of an effort to gauge household contaminants that also included lead, allergens, mold, pesticides and arsenic.

What was No. 1? The most commonly detected insecticide was permethrin, a carcinogen. How extensive was the finding? Permethrin was found in 89 percent of the floors. 78 percent of the floors had alarming amounts of chlorpyrifos, the most popular subterranean termite pesticide that also was used against a broad spectrum of pests in the home and surrounding area.

The really bad news is that 64 percent of the homes had alarming amounts of chlordane, an organochlorine insecticide that is devastatingly effective against insects but also is devastatingly harmful to human beings, particularly young children. That’s all we need some chemical compound in our kitchens that can injure or kill our children.

The list goes on:

1. Piperonyl butoxide: 52 percent

2. Cypermethrin: 46 percent

3. Fipronil: 40 percent

Of great concern is the fact that Fipronil is a relatively new residential insecticide that is used to kill fleas and ticks on pets, and that is extensively sprayed underneath new homes as a subterranean termite barrier and is also used to treat ants and cockroaches in bug traps according to the study.

Seventy-eight million U.S. homes (about 74 percent) use pesticides and Americans spend nearly $1.3 billion on pesticides each year. Eight hundred and eighty-eight million pounds of active pesticide is applied in and under our homes, schools, office buildings, parks and all areas where we live, work and play.

The question is whether or not the environmental, global warming, sustainability movement is adequately addressing the toxic substances that are being used in and around the buildings that we live in and work in? The careful analysis of the U.S. Green Building Council and its LEED rating system shows a willfully inadequate attention to the use of pesticides and insecticides and toxic chemicals and substances in and around buildings. As we try to protect the environment from a global warming meltdown we must be acutely aware that the cancer wards that are filling more rapidly every year with men, women and children of increasingly younger ages with degenerative diseases and killers such as cancer.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

FDA Less Careful With Bottled Water Than EPA Is With Tap Water.

Wayne Parsons — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:05:23 GMT

In a story that generated a great deal of media interest, congressional hearings today focused on two separate reports that concluded that the EPA regulates tap water more carefully than the FDA does bottled water. The Wall Street Journal reports :

(7/9, Zhang) "The Food and Drug Administration, which oversees the $11.2 billion" bottled water industry, "doesn't keep track of companies that produce bottled water and doesn't require companies to report positive tests for contaminants, federal officials told a House hearing Wednesday. Consumer advocates testified before the Energy and Commerce Committee's oversight and investigations panel that bottlers should be required to disclose more information to consumers." FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Joshua M. Sharfstein "testified that the agency regulates bottled water as a food and doesn't know which companies among registered food firms make bottled water. Moreover, he said, the FDA has limited power to require more information on labels, and he put in a pitch for legislation that would boost the FDA's funding and authority for food safety."

NBC Nightly News (7/8, story 8, 1:15, Williams), the CBS Evening News (7/8, story 8, 2:15, Couric), ABC World News (7/8, story 8, 2:10, Gibson), and the New York Times (7/9, Fuller) also cover the story.

CQ Healthbeat (7/9, Stephenson) reports, "Although bottled water is marketed as healthier and safer than what comes out of the faucet, the federal government regulates tap water more strictly, according to two new reports discussed Wednesday at a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing." Joshua M. Sharfstein, FDA's principal deputy commissioner said the agency "plans to address a major difference involving contaminant levels between its requirements and the EPA's rules for tap water. The EPA has set a maximum contaminant level for DEHP, a chemical used in the production of plastic that is considered a probable carcinogen. The FDA considered passing a rule in 1996 but deferred action, Sharfstein said."

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Toxic Air Pollutants Assessed By The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:22:42 GMT

The Environmental Protection Agency may be shaking off the dust of inaction during 8 years of Bush/Chaney rule and looking out for our environment again. Air pollution is a major health problem in the major metropolitan areas. Diseases from these pollutants drive up the cost of health care, sap taxpayer dollars for health care and, saving the worst for last, cause serious injury or death to real people. According to a just released EPA news story:

The EPA released the latest version of a state-of-the-science tool that estimates health risks from breathing air toxics in the United States. The National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA), based on 2002 air emissions data, helps federal, state, local and tribal governments identify areas and specific pollutants for further evaluation to better understand risks they may pose.

Air toxics are things that cause cancer and other serious health problems, including birth defects. The EPA looked at 180 air toxics, diesel particulate matter from stationary sources and from cars, trucks, buses and construction equipment.

The 2002 NATA estimates that most people in the United States have an average cancer risk of 36 in 1 million if exposed to 2002 emissions levels over the course of their lifetime. In addition, 2 million people—less than one percent of the total U.S. population—have an increased cancer risk of greater than 100 in 1 million. Benzene was the largest contributor to the increased cancer risks.

Air toxic emissions have decreased by 40 percent since 1990 when the Clean Air Act was amended. NATA is intended to target where further improvements in air quality can be achieved.

In early 2009, EPA released the results of its 2002 national-scale assessment of air toxics emissions. The purpose of the national-scale assessment is to identify and prioritize air toxics, emission source types and locations which are of greatest potential concern in terms of contributing to population risk. EPA uses the results of these assessments in many ways, including:

To work with communities in designing their own local-scale assessments,
To set priorities for improving data in emissions inventories, and
To help direct priorities for expanding and improving the network of air toxics monitoring.

The national-scale assessment modeled 180 of the 187 Clean Air Act air toxics (PDF) (3pp, 15k) plus diesel particulate matter (diesel PM). The assessment includes four steps that focus on the year 2002:

Compiling a national emissions inventory of air toxics emissions from outdoor sources
Estimating ambient concentrations of air toxics across the United States
Estimating population exposures across the United States
Characterizing potential public health risk due to inhalation of air toxics including both cancer and noncancer effects

For information summarizing the 2002 assessment, see the Fact Sheet and Summary of Results pages. The Summary of Results page also provides national maps of cancer and noncancer effects.

The emissions used in the current assessment are from the 2002 emission inventory which is the most complete and up-to-date available. Working with the states, EPA updates air toxics emission inventories every 3 years. The next national-scale assessment will focus on 2005 emissions and will be available in late 2009 or early 2010.

As part of EPA's National Air Toxics Assessment activities, EPA conducted its first national-scale assessment for the year 1996. That assessment included 33 air pollutants (a subset of 32 air toxics on the Clean Air Act's list of 187 air toxics plus diesel particulate matter (diesel PM). In February of 2006, EPA released the second of its NATA assessments. This assessment was based on emissions from the 1999 National Emission Inventory and included the assessment of 177 hazardous air toxics plus diesel particulate matter.

More information on NATA: www.epa.gov/nata2002

Information on air toxics: www.epa.gov/oar/toxicair/newtoxics.html

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Bone Meal is Bad Stuff in Dog Food! Fluoride above healthy levels is found in n 8 national brands.

Wayne Parsons — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:34:59 GMT

God bless the Environmental Working Group (EWG). EWG Worldwide Headquarters announces that the pet food testing that voters contributed to resulted in a significant report: share the report.

EWG found fluoride above healthy levels in 8 national brands of dog food marketed for both puppies and adults. The amount of fluoride in the dog food was up to 2.5 times higher than what the EPA has deemed a safe amount in drinking water.

Why is excessive fluoride a problem?
Combined fluoride exposure from both food and water can easily range into unsafe territory. Routine exposure, like eating the same food every day, can predispose dogs to a variety of health problems: weakened bones, hormonal and behavior problems, and even bone cancer.

Where is the fluoride coming from?
Some of this extra fluoride comes from the fluoridated water used to manufacture dog food. Most, however, is from the "bone meal" and various meat byproducts that are added to dog food - anything from "chicken byproduct meal" to "beef and bone meal." These are basically ground bones, cooked with steam, dried, and mashed to make a cheap dog food filler. Since bones store fluoride, any product that includes bone meal is likely to be high in fluoride, too.

Click here to read the full report.

For your Fido look for and demand pet foods that do not include bone meal.

Thank you again for your very generous support of this one-of-a-kind testing. Through your suggestions of which brands to test and your financial support, you made it happen. EWG truly couldn't have done it without you, and us dogs are the better for it.

Wags,

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Environmental Working Group Protects Babies From BPA Illnesses

Wayne Parsons — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:51:03 GMT

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has recently focused on children and bisphenol-A (BPA). I want EWG at the table, advocating for our kids - and yours - so their health is no longer compromised by toxic chemicals like bisphenol-A (BPA), which is dangerous to kids' growing bodies, implicated in diseases and problems such as diabetes, heart disease, neurological disorders, and cancer.

Feeding our children should be about choosing first foods, messy bibs, and learning to use a cup - not keeping tabs on scientific research to avoid harmful chemicals like BPA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3_cYZKksvI

I'm impressed by EWG's track record. EWG works hard, and smart to pass strong laws that protect American families from chemicals like BPA.

Plus, their cutting-edge research and constant presence in Congress has played a major role in some important wins:

Six U.S. baby bottle makers agreed to stop making their polycarbonate (#7) plastic products with BPA.
CT, NJ, and MN have passed statewide BPA legislation aimed at protecting children and families.

BPA remains in the lining of aluminum baby formula cans and many other food and drink containers. We're grateful that EWG is working on important legislation in California and Washington, DC that would virtually eliminate BPA from baby feeding products.

Now is absolutely the time to contribute to EWG. They need your support to work against the well-funded chemical lobby and eliminate BPA as a threat to our children.

The Washington Post was able to procure the internal notes of a private meeting that involved “frustrated industry executives huddled for hours” working to minimize consumer anxiety over BPA, it said. The Post also reported that the group was concerned with young mothers since that demographic is both generally in charge of household purchasing and most concerned with health issues.

Citing an unidentified participant, the notes stated, said the Washington Post, that those in attendance, “believe a balance of legislative and grassroots outreach [to mothers 21 to 35 years old and students] is imperative to the stability of their industry; however, the association members continue to struggle to initiate research and develop a clear-cut plan to defend their industry,” The team looked at ideas such as “using fear tactics [e.g. “Do you want to have access to baby food anymore?” and finances, by offering the choice between expensive non BPA packaging (frozen and fresh foods) and cheaper canned products, according to the notes, said The Post, which added that the public campaign spokesperson would be, a “pregnant young mother … willing to speak around the country about the benefits of BPA.”

We just reported that, according to the LA Times, a study confirmed what experts have long suspected, containers made with BPA leach the chemical into the liquids being held, even when not heated. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, BPA exposure has been shown to interfere with reproductive development in animals and has been linked with cardiovascular disease and diabetes in humans.

Despite industry’s arguments that BPA is safe at current dosages, the ever-present chemical has been linked to an increased risk of brain, reproductive, and immune systems diseases and disorders; problems with liver function testing; and interruptions in chemotherapy treatment. BPA is also associated with serious health problems based on 130 studies conducted in the past decade and newer research found BPA to have negative effects at “very low doses,” lower than the FDA’s current safety standards. Studies also revealed BPA stays in the body longer than previously believed.

Join me today in supporting EWG Action Fund. I'm glad they're on our side - and want them to stay there.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Consumer Tips For Healthy Homes: Nontoxic Paints Arrive

Wayne Parsons — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:29:42 GMT

New nontoxic paints let you color it 'green'

As reported in the Honolulu Advertiser nontoxic paint is becoming a big subject to families who want their air to be safe to breathe. Jennifer Forker of the Associated Press reports that nontoxic paint - low VOC paint - is booming.

Spring often brings the urge to clean, perhaps to liven up a room with a fresh coat of paint. Now that can be done with eco-friendly paints that don't give off noxious odors.The nontoxic arm of the household paint world is booming, and many companies have entered the market.

AFM's Safecoat brand is the granddaddy of the non-toxic paint business, having been in the market for 25 years. Boutique brands, including Mythic and YOLO Colorhouse, have cropped up in recent years, and industry giants tout their own nontoxic, latex brands.

Sherwin Williams has its Harmony line, while Home Depot sells Freshaire Choice. Benjamin Moore already sells its low-toxic Aura but is rolling out a new, zero-VOC interior paint called Natura that will be available in all of its nearly 3,000 colors.

"Everyone is trying to paint a green face on themselves," said David Johnston, 58, of Boulder, Colo., a building consultant who wrote "Green from the Ground Up: Sustainable, Healthy and Energy-Efficient Home Construction" (Taunton, 2008).

"That 'new house smell,' as much as we've come to love it, is really a flag that there's something in the air that we don't want our kids to breathe," said Johnston.

VOC refers to volatile organic compounds, those chemical additives that make regular paint work its magic: They help it roll on smoothly, dry fast and prevent mildew. Some of these chemicals are natural (but still toxic), such as formaldehyde, which is added to curtail chipping.

As reported in Consumer Reports:

VOCs are solvents that get released into the air as the paint dries. (Other products emit solvents, including adhesives, cleaning supplies, and even some home furnishings.) VOCs can cause acute symptoms, including headaches and dizziness. The long-term effects are less certain, but according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, some VOCs are suspected carcinogens.

The federal government caps the VOC content in paint at 250 grams per liter (g/l) for flat finishes and 380 g/l for other finishes (low-luster, semigloss, etc.). However, some manufacturers have opted to comply with more stringent limits—50 g/l for all finishes—set by California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District. These paints include such products as Benjamin Moore Aura, True Value Easy Care, and Glidden Evermore. In the past, low-VOC paints have performed poorly in our tests, but these products all got high marks in our latest tests of low-luster interior paints; see our Ratings (available to subscribers) for the full details.

(The Ozone Transport Commission, a multistate organization created under the Clean Air Act, also has a model rule that limits flat coatings to 100 g/l and non-flat coatings to 150 g/l. It has been adopted by the District of Columbia and Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia. Any paint sold in these places must be OTC-compliant.)

in the Associated Press story it is explained that:

Not all paints have the same types and frequency of VOCs, which can cause smog and deplete the ozone. Some of the compounds have been linked to cancer, and the paint smell that lingers for days or weeks after painting is the "off gassing" of these chemicals.

The Environmental Protection Agency reports that exposure to paints high in VOCs can cause headaches, dizziness and vision problems, among other symptoms, depending on which chemicals are in the paint, how long the exposure is and a person's age (kids are more vulnerable). These paints are regulated, to some degree, and cannot include more than 250 grams per liter of VOCs.

Nontoxic latex paint is not regulated. The most eco-friendly paints have zero VOCs, but some paints are low-VOC, with 50 grams per liter.

So how does a consumer know if a paint brand really is nontoxic?

Industry insiders suggest a simple sniff test: If the paint smells noxious, it has VOCs, perhaps a lot of them. If it's odorless, or smells like fresh milk, then it's likely a nontoxic paint.

"If something smells pungent, or if it burns your nose or your eyes, you know that's probably not something you want to paint with," said Carl Minchew, director of color technology at Benjamin Moore in Montvale, N.J.

However, because some toxic chemicals are odorless, Johnston advises that consumers read labels and look for certification, such as from Greenguard or Green Seal, that a brand is eco-friendly.

Not all paints that advertise as eco-friendly actually are, warn industry insiders. Colorants added to the non-toxic base paint at the retail store can shoot up the levels of VOC, said Minchew, with darker colors, such as reds, carrying the highest levels.

Benjamin Moore uses a new, waterborne colorant system that adds no toxins to Natura, he said.

AFM is rolling out a new brand called Safecoat Naturals that will use zero-VOC colorants, said AFM vice president Jay Watts in San Diego.

The Consumer Reports article identifies some paint brands that claim zero VOC:

A handful of paints whose manufacturers claim they contain zero VOCs are now on the market. One is Mythic, which sells for $35 to $45 per gallon at independent dealers nationwide. If you’re a reader of shelter magazines, you’ve probably seen the print ads for Mythic, including the one shown here. Another zero-VOC paint is Freshaire Choice, a Home Depot exclusive that sells for $35 to $38 a gallon. Freshaire has adopted a more wholesome marketing approach: “It’s good for your family, and better for our world.”

The base of other paints might also be free of VOCs, but when any pigment is added at the point of sale, the VOC level climbs as high as 150 g/l, according to ICI Paints, which manufacturers Freshaire Choice. But the makers of Mythic and Freshaire Choice both say that the color pigments used in their finishes contain no VOCs.

Mythic and Freshaire Choice use a VOC-free color additive that is supposed to eliminate not only harmful solvents but also the telltale odor of a freshly painted room, according to their manufacturers. Carl E. Smith, CEO of the Greenguard Environmental Institute, argues that measuring emissions is as important as identifying the VOC level in a paint. “You can have a low count on VOC, but still have high emissions,” says Smith. That’s why Greenguard, which describes itself as an “industry-independent, third-party testing” organization, makes emissions central to its certification process. Currently, Freshaire Choice earns the b, as does Benjamin Moore Aura, whose low-luster and flat paints scored an excellent and a very good overall score, respectively; Mythic has not yet been tested by Greenguard.

The Associated Press report includes an interview with Alex Rossi and Laurie Tamm. Rossi, 34, is a Denver-area house painter, who uses only nontoxic paints, and says they are as simple to use and durable as regular latex, or oil, paints. They dry faster than regular latex paints because the water in zero-VOC paints evaporates faster than the other paints' petroleum products.

Years ago, the zero-VOC paints didn't work as well as regular latex paints, Rossi said. They didn't cover a surface as easily or thoroughly, he said.

Today, Rossi has found that's not the case.

"What the green paint companies have done is they've found ways to make their paint more 'scrubbable' and more user-friendly to compete with the old, traditional coatings," he said. "With two coats of the two products (latex and zero-VOC latex paint) side by side, I see no difference."

Some of Rossi's customers, such as Laurie Tamm, 52, of Boulder, are chemically sensitive. Tamm said that immediate exposure to toxic chemicals such as VOCs in paint (or other household products, such as carpets and cabinetry) can give her headaches, anxiety, depression and even paranoia. She thinks of herself and other chemically sensitive people as the proverbial canaries in the coal mine.

"I've been going through this for 20 years," she said, adding that she cannot enter newly built buildings because of fumes. "If anyone is going to start the trend (of using nontoxic paint), it has to start with people like me."

Nontoxic latex paints are similar in price to high-end latex ones. For example, Benjamin Moore's Natura line will retail for about $50 a gallon.

Minchew thinks consumers will appreciate the nontoxics' faster drying time.

"You can paint in the room in the morning and eat in there in the evening," said Minchew. "That's something you couldn't do with a traditional, latex paint."

Low or no VOC paints have arrived.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

PESTICIDE ALERT: Pancreatic Cancer Caused By Pesticides - what to do and Where to go if you are Diagnosed

Wayne Parsons — Sun, 31 May 2009 11:11:40 GMT

In a Beyond Pesticides story on May 28, 2009 the link between pancreatic cancer and two common herbicides was reported. Pancreatic cancer, gallbladder cancer and bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma) are among the most devastating cancers. Pancreatic cancer is diagnosed in about 35,000 U.S. citizens each year. Just about that exact number die showing that there is no effective cure, the cancer acts quickly and few patients survive the disease.

Before I tell you about the herbicide link to pancreatic cancer just revealed, let me talk about treatment and hope. You need to read it here because most doctors either don't know about the new treatments and cures or they just don't tell their patients about them. Here is a short primer on where to go and who to see about treatment. I have no conflict here. My disclosure: my wife died of cancer and I saw what patients go through and I learned things about cancer treatment that each of us has to learn for ourselves. I can testify.

As I will write in other articles, there are possible cures for liver, bile duct, gallbladder and pancreatic cancers that most doctors will describe as inoperable, unresectable, unresponsive to standard treatment and incurable. A few patients with these dire prognoses will find their way to particular doctors at particular centers and as a result and find a way through the predictions of death to life.

Dr. William C. Chapman at Washington University in St. Louis is curing bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma) and doing great things with gallbladder and pancreatic cancer at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.

Dr. William C. Chapman, M.D.

Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital

660 So. Euclid Ave.

Box 8109

St. Louis, MO 63110

(314) 362-7792

Dr. Steven Rosen at the legendary Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota in doing the same. On the cancer vaccine front, a hugely promising new treatment option, is being pioneered at Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer center in Baltimore Maryland and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. The University of Pittsburgh is also pioneering new treatments for these devastating cancers that are very resistant to both chemotherapy and radiation. Andrew Kennedy at wake Radiology in Cary, North Carolina also as knocked out inoperable liver tumors with a simple out-patient procedure call radioembolization using radioactive Yttrium-90 microspheres.

Two commonly used herbicides, pendimethalin and EPTC, show a statistically significant exposure-response association with pancreatic cancer. The new study, “Agricultural Pesticide Use And Pancreatic Cancer Risk In The Agricultural Health Study Cohort,” published earlier this month in the International Journal of Cancer, is a case-control study of pesticide applicators and their spouses in Iowa and North Carolina. After controlling for age, smoking and diabetes, the study finds a three-fold increased risk with lifetime pendimethalin use and a two-and-a-half-fold increased risk with lifetime use of EPTC when compared to those that never used the chemicals. Among the 24 pesticides examined, having ever used one of five pesticides (trifluralin, chlorimuron-ethyl, pendimethalin, EPTC or heptachlor) shows at least a 40 percent excess risk of pancreatic cancer.

According to the U.S. EPA’s pesticide sales and usage statistics, pendimethalin is the third most commonly used home and garden (and other non-agricultural use) herbicide and the 7th most commonly used herbicide in agriculture, totaling 21-30 million pounds applied annually in the U.S. Pendimethalin is listed by the U.S. EPA as a Group C - Possible Human Carcinogen and is a suspected endocrine disruptor. Pendimethalin has been found to cause central nervous system depression in mice and rats. In addition, the herbicide potentiates hypnosis caused by other drugs such as pentobarbitone, barbitone or ether, and lengthened recovery from drug effects. The percentage of apoptosis increased in mouse embryos exposed to low doses of pendimethalin, suggesting that at levels considered to be safe in humans by regulatory standards pendimethalin has adverse effects very early in development.

EPTC is also a commonly used herbicide, with more than 5-8 million pounds used annually, according to EPA. It is regularly used on feed and food crops such as alfalfa, potato, and corn as well as non-agricultural uses such as rights-of-way and landscapes. EPTC, a thiocarbamate pesticide, is a cholinesterase inhibitor and is linked to increasing the risk of developing asthma.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading case of cancer-related death in the U.S. The National Cancer Institute estimates that pancreatic cancer will lead to more than 35,000 deaths in 2009 and more than 42,000 new cases will be diagnosed in 2009. There has been a slight increasing trend in pancreatic cancers since the early 1990’s, with higher rates in men than woman.

Several studies published over the past 15 years have linked pesticide exposures to pancreatic cancer:
* A 2009 study analyzing pesticide sales in different parts of Brazil and cancer mortality rates a decade later found a statistically significant correlation with the mortality rates for several cancers, including cancer of the pancreas;
* A 2007 Finnish study found a more than six-fold increased risk of pancreatic cancer for male gardeners;
* A 2007 study identifying risk factors for pancreatic cancer in Egypt found a more than two and a half increased risk for those individuals exposed to pesticides;
* A 2001 National Cancer Institute study found excess risk for occupational exposure to fungicides (odds ratio (OR) 1.5) and herbicides (OR 1.6);
* A 2000 case-control study in Spain found occupational exposure to pesticides causes a three-fold increased risk for pancreatic cancer;
* A 1999 study of aerial pesticide applicator pilots found a significantly elevated risk for pancreatic cancer;
* A 1995 case control occupational study in Finland found a 1.7 increased risk for occupational pesticide exposure; and,
* A 1993 case-referent study of Italian farmers found a significantly increased risk of pancreatic cancer among licensed pesticides users with greater than 10 years experience.

Last month, EPA announced that it will be moving forward with preliminary testing of 67 active and inert pesticide ingredients for possible endocrine disrupting effects. Yet, according to prominent researcher and author Theo Colborn, Ph.D., EPA’s testing protocol will not detect chemicals that can alter development and function of the pancreas, and its hormone, insulin, which could lead to diabetes and obesity.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Virginia Mountaintop Mine That Would Pollute Miles of Streams With Mining Waste Blocked By Top Consumer Group, Public Justice

Wayne Parsons — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:07:34 GMT

Less than a week after Public Justice filed a complaint in federal court and threatened to seek a temporary restraining order, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers suspended its permit that would have allowed A&G Coal Corporation to begin filling nearly three miles of streams with mining waste at its planned 1,291-acre Ison Rock Ridge Surface Mine, which would be within sight of the Derby Historic District that is listed on the National Register.

On behalf of the Sierra Club and Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards (SAMS), Public Justice's April 30, 2009 complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia challenges the Corps' conclusions that it could use a streamlined nationwide permit for this huge mine and other similar mines in southwest Virginia and that it had adequately considered historic preservation issues. Nationwide permits can only be used for small projects with cumulatively minimal environmental impacts.

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As reported by The Alliance for Appalachia in an article on their website entitled:

Under Pressure, Army Corps Suspends Fill Permit for Virginia Mountaintop Removal Coal Mine -Community members praise decision to protect streams, residents

Big Stone Gap, Virginia – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has informed A&G Coal company of Wise County, Virginia that it will be suspending its previously granted “Nationwide 21” permit for dumping waste into streams at the proposed Ison Rock Ridge surface coal mine in Southwest Virginia. In a letter released today, the Army Corps informed A&G that the suspension is due to the “significant lapse of time” between federal approval and state review and because of concerns raised by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as to the cumulative impacts of the mine.

The Army Corps’ action this week follows a letter from the EPA asking the Army Corps to revoke the permit – which had been approved by the Army Corps in August 2007 – because of concerns of inadequate mitigation and the overall cumulative impacts of surface mining in the Powell River Watershed.

“Its great to see that all our work is paying off,” said Pete Ramey, retired coal miner and president of the group Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards (SAMS). “We’ve spent so much time and energy as a community on Ison Rock Ridge over the last two years building this struggle and getting our neighbors involved. This really and truly is a great victory for the people and streams of Southwest Virginia.”

A&G needs both the Army Corps fill permit and a state mining permit before it can begin mining. The Virginia Department of Mines Minerals and Energy (DMME), the state agency responsible for issuing the mining permit, had been expected to make a decision soon on that permit, which is the focal point of a struggle between communities and mining companies for more than two years.

“Our community is against destroying this mountain, and we are glad to see that the Corps and EPA are willing to do what’s right,” said resident Bob Mullins, whose property borders the proposed mine. “I look forward to hearing similar news from DMME soon.”

This news is just one more step in a recent series of actions by federal agencies to protect Ison Rock Ridge from being forever destroyed by the proposed massive 1,300 acre mountaintop removal site. Communities and environmental groups will now be looking to DMME to deny the mining permit outright and to solidify the Army Corps action and protect the hundreds of people who live in the surrounding area.

“Although the Army Corps only suspended the permit, we doubt that it can ever be reissued,” said Jim Hecker, an attorney with Public Justice. “Both EPA’s recent objection letter and a recent West Virginia court decision recognize that the impacts of mountaintop removal mines like this one are so large that they are ineligible for “cookie-cutter,” nationwide permits. We now expect that, if A&G Coal wants to open this mine, it will have to obtain an individual permit, which will require much more rigorous environmental review.”

The suspension builds on Public Justice’s April 2009 victory in West Virginia, where a federal judge enjoined the Corps from using the same nationwide permit for coal mines in that state. The Corps' action was also in response to pressure from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which wrote a letter to the Corps, supporting Public Justice’s claims that mines like Ison Rock Ridge cause serious environmental harm that cannot be effectively mitigated.

In addition to Hecker, counsel in the case are Joe Lovett at the Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment in Lewisburg, WV, Walt Morris in Charlottesville, VA, and Andrea Ferster in Washington, DC. The organization Public Justice led by one of our great consumer advocates Arthur Bryant has led the battle to protect the environment from the brutailities and irresponsibilities of the CEO's and CFO's of the mining companies.

Read the complaint in Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards v. Anninos.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons