Cotton Is King: Dynamic Adsorbents, Inc. Develops Superior Cotton-Based Solution for Removing Oil from the Gulf of Mexico

/PRNewswire/ -- The British Petroleum (BP) oil spill controversy is raising eyebrows worldwide not only because of spewing an unprecedented volume of crude oil, but because proven technologies are being overlooked that can dramatically reduce the effects of the spill.

Dr. Mark Moskovitz, President and CTO of Dynamic Adsorbents, Inc. (DAI), has spent his career in separation technology and is outraged by the clean-up decisions.

"While our environment is being destroyed right before our eyes, the problem is being compounded by decisions to use inferior products and technologies to remediate the effects," Dr. Moskovitz said. "While BP may not be able to fully stop the flow of oil, it and the Federal Government have a responsibility to ensure that the best technologies are considered."

BP has recently sprayed almost one million gallons of Corexit Chemical dispersant into the ocean to dissipate the crude oil. Unfortunately, the toxic dispersant is causing adverse health effects to the people cleaning up the spill.

DAI's solution is alumina impregnated cotton.

"Cotton's absorbency power is woefully unrecognized and should be at the forefront of consideration for cleaning up this disaster," Dr. Moskovitz said.

The oil sorption capacity of many natural and man-made fibrous sorbents have been studied for years. Industry professionals are aware that natural sorbents such as milkweed, kapok, cotton and wool are far superior in their sorption capacity properties when compared to man-made sorbents.

"Natural sorbent capacities routinely exceed 30 grams of oil per gram of fiber," Dr. Moskovitz said. "Cotton is the superior choice out of all the natural sorbents due its sorption capacity exceeding 40 grams."

Dr. Mark Moskovitz and Hobbs Bonded Fibers, Inc. in Waco, TX, have co-developed a new generation of cotton materials impregnated with patent-protected alumina adsorbents. "Cotton, impregnated with activated alumina, should be used for absorbing the toxic chemicals and crude oil from the Gulf due to its ability to adsorb as much as 100 grams per gram of cotton, exceeding 2 1/2 times more than any other cotton-based products," according to Dr. Moskovitz.

Carey Hobbs, CEO of Hobbs Bonded Fibers, Inc., has spent his entire career in the textile industry and is at the forefront of its newest technologies. When Hobbs' superior cotton material is impregnated with DAI's customized activated alumina, the material will have the highest sorption capacity and will remove fumes and noxious airborne particulate materials through adsorption, addressing the problem of workers inhaling dangerous materials.

"The BP disaster is an example of an environmental disaster that we are ready to address now," Hobbs said. "We at Hobbs Bonded Fibers are thrilled to be working with Dr. Moskovitz and his scientific team. Dr. Moskovitz's expertise enhances the absorbency power of cotton, making this material the perfect tool for handling this catastrophe."

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Congressional Hearing Targets Dentists as Major Source of Mercury Pollution

/PRNewswire/ -- Testimony today by a mercury watchdog group charges that the American Dental Association has provided misleading information that dentists are voluntarily controlling their mercury pollution and that the toxic metal doesn't get taken up in fish that people eat. The Mercury Policy Project will provide evidence to the contrary during a 2 PM hearing today of the U.S. House Government Oversight Domestic Policy Subcommittee in Rayburn House Office Building 2154.

"Dental mercury ends up in the fish we eat, although ADA denies it," said Michael Bender, director of the Mercury Policy Project (MPP). "Dentists are the largest polluter of mercury to wastewater. Yet ADA ignores the latest science from the U.S. Navy[1] and others, and pretends that dental mercury doesn't end up in fish."

Bender says the following statement on ADA's website is "misinformation":

"Dental amalgam has little effect on the environment...Even this amount is not in the form found in fish, which is the greatest concern."[2]

Yet EPA states on its website that dental mercury pollution does contaminate fish:

"When amalgam enters the water, microorganisms can change it into methylmercury, a highly toxic form that builds up in fish."[3]

MPP also charges that ADA has intentionally misled EPA into believing that voluntary pollution prevention initiatives were sufficient to reduce dental mercury pollution. This was reflected in the voluntary agreement[4] that EPA signed with ADA in 2008.

Evidence of the failure of voluntary programs was extensively documented by a 2008 Domestic Policy Subcommittee report, following hearings.[5] Since then, the Quicksilver Caucus, a coalition of state government officials, has found that amalgam separator installation rates are low unless there is a mandatory component.[6]

Again, according to ADA's website, ADA convinced EPA:

"...that a national pretreatment standard for dental offices was not necessary because dentistry was already acting voluntarily to address environmental impacts from dental amalgam. The ADA pointed out support of its position that the use of amalgam separators is part of the ADA's Best Management Practices (BMP). The EPA agreed and concluded that a national standard was not warranted at that time. Following this, EPA proposed an agreement among EPA, ADA and National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) to further promote voluntary compliance with ADA's BMPs, including the use of amalgam separators."[7]

ADA messaging is contradictory when it comes to promoting pollution prevention, Bender said.

"The need for dentists to install amalgam separators was well-established years ago," Bender said. "Yet, working with its state chapters, ADA has blocked any further mandates for separators since 2008, pretending that voluntary programs work."

www.mercurypolicy.org

Endnotes

[1]-Stone,ME et al, "Determination of methylmercury in dental-unit wastewater," Dent Mater. 2003 Nov;19(7):675-9; mark.stone@ndri.med.navy.mil

[2]-See: http://www.ada.org/1540.aspx
[3]-See: http://www.epa.gov/mercury/dentalamalgam.html
[4]-See: http://www.epa.gov/guide/dental/files/mou.pdf

[5]-See: http://oversight.house.gov/images/stories/documents/20080910144322.pdf

[6]-Letter from Mark McDermid, Quicksilver Caucus, Lead ECOS Representative to the EPA Water Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0517, March 31, 2010.

[7]-See: http://www.ada.org/sections/professionalResources/pdfs/topics_amalgamseparator s_flyer.pdf

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President's Cancer Panel Report Finds True Burden of Environmentally Induced Cancer Greatly Underestimated

/PRNewswire/ -- Even with the growing body of evidence linking environmental exposures to cancer in recent years, a report released today by the President's Cancer Panel finds that the true burden of environmentally-induced cancer is greatly underestimated. The Panel's report, "Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now," concludes that while environmental exposure is not a new front on the war on cancer, the grievous harm from this group of carcinogens has not been addressed adequately by the National Cancer Program.

"There remains a great deal to be done to identify the many existing but unrecognized environmental carcinogens and eliminate those that are known from our daily lives - our workplaces, schools and homes," said LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr., M.D., chair of the Panel. "The increasing number of known or suspected environmental carcinogens compels us to action, even though we may currently lack irrefutable proof of harm," he added.

Key Findings

With nearly 80,000 chemicals on the market in the US, many of which are used by millions of Americans in their daily lives and are un- or under-studied and largely unregulated, the report finds that exposure to potential environmental carcinogens is widespread. Yet, the public remains unaware of many of these carcinogens as well as their own level of exposure, especially to many common environmental carcinogens such as radon, formaldehyde and benzene.

In addition to environmental carcinogens, the report found that while improved imaging technologies have facilitated great strides in diagnosing and treating diseases, including cancer, some of these technologies also carry risks from increased radiation exposures. Many health care professionals, as well as the public, are unaware of the radiation dose associated with various tests or the total radiation dose and related increased cancer risk individuals may accumulate over a lifetime.

In addition, the report found that health care providers often fail to consider occupational and environmental factors when diagnosing patient illness. Physicians and other medical professionals ask infrequently about patient workplace and home environments when taking a medical history, thereby missing out on information that could be invaluable in discovering underlying causes of disease.

The report also recognizes the United States military as a major source of toxic occupational and environmental exposures that can increase cancer risk. Information is available about some military activities that have directly or indirectly exposed military and civilian personnel to carcinogens and contaminated soil and water in numerous locations in the United States and abroad, such as radiation exposure due to nuclear weapons testing. Nearly 900 Superfund sites are abandoned military facilities or facilities that produced materials and products for, or otherwise supported, military needs. In some cases, these contaminants have spread far beyond their points of origin because they have been transported by wind currents or have leached into drinking water supplies.

The Panel concluded that Federal responses to the plight of affected individuals have been unsatisfactory, and that those affected lack knowledge about the extent of their exposure or potential health problems they may face.

Recommendations

The Panel recommends concrete actions that government; industry; research, health care, and advocacy communities; and individuals can take to reduce cancer risk related to environmental contaminants, excess radiation and other harmful exposures. Key recommendations include -

-- Increase, broaden and improve research regarding environmental
contaminants and human health.
-- Raise consumer awareness of environmental cancer risks and improve
understanding and reporting of known exposures.
-- Increase awareness of environmental cancer risks and effects of
exposure among health care providers.
-- Enhance efforts to eliminate unnecessary radiation-emitting medical
tests, and to ensure that radiation doses are as low as reasonably
achievable without sacrificing quality.
-- Aggressively address the toxic environmental exposures the US military
has caused, and improve response to associated health problems among
both military personnel and civilians.


Additional recommendations that are underscored in the report include those related to the needs for a comprehensive and cohesive policy agenda on the issue, stronger regulation and safer alternatives to many currently used chemicals, among other highlights.

The Panel concluded, "Just as there are many opportunities for harmful environmental exposures, ample opportunities also exist for intervention, change, and prevention to protect the health of current and future generations and reduce the national burden of cancer."

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Toxic Chemical bisphenol A Still Not Banned By FDA; Schumer, Gillibrand Call for Ban; Govt Official Warns Public

/PRNewswire/ -- Environmental health advocates hope that U.S. FDA will make its promised announcement about health hazards of bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic sex hormone linked to cancer, behavioral changes, reproductive harm and other illnesses, in time for Christmas.

Sarah Janssen, MD, PhD, staff scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council: "Just as you rely on your doctor for medical advice, FDA must rely on the advice of scientific experts. Dozens of independent scientists, including the Director of NIEHS, have recommended avoiding BPA exposure. FDA should heed their guidance and ban BPA in food packaging."

Janet Nudelman, Breast Cancer Fund: "Scientific evidence shows there's no safe level of BPA exposure. The FDA should immediately ban BPA in polycarbonate food containers and require labeling of cans containing BPA."

Urvashi Rangan, PhD, toxicologist with Consumers Union, whose recent study revealing BPA in canned foods was cited by Senators Schumer and Gillibrand: "Consumers can't know how much BPA is in any can of food. The current safety limit for BPA is outdated, using traditional toxicology that doesn't apply to BPA and other endocrine disruptors. BPA has demonstrated adverse effects at very low doses."

"Restrictions on BPA are in place in Connecticut, Minnesota, Chicago, three New York counties, and legislation has been introduced in 21 states," according to Sarah Uhl from Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut.

Bobbi Chase Wilding of Clean New York is pregnant: "Women of child bearing age and babies are put in danger because this toxic chemical is in products we use. Recent studies find BPA in the bodies of pregnant women and health care providers. FDA must protect us and not delay."

Mike Schade, Center for Health, Environment & Justice. says, "Some local and state governments have banned sales of BPA-contaminated products, and retailers are taking them off their shelves. The FDA needs to act now."

"As we celebrate the Christmas season, we are reminded of Jesus' commitment to those in poverty. We hope that the FDA will take measures to ensure that canned food is BPA-free through the use of safe alternatives in the future," says Chloe Schwabe from the National Council of Churches.

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Largest Environmental Bankruptcy in U.S. History Will Result in Payment of $1.79 Billion Towards Environmental Cleanup & Restoration

/PRNewswire/ -- As a result of the largest environmental bankruptcy in U.S. history, $1.79 billion has been paid to fund environmental cleanup and restoration under a bankruptcy reorganization of American Smelting and Refining Company LLC (ASARCO), the Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture announced today.

ASARCO is a leading producer of copper and one of the largest nonferrous metal producers in the United States. It is based in Arizona and is responsible for sites around the country that are contaminated with hazardous waste.

The money from environmental settlements in the bankruptcy will be used to pay for past and future costs incurred by federal and state agencies at more than 80 sites contaminated by mining operations in 19 states. Those states are Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Washington.

"The effort to recover this money was a collaborative and coordinated response by the states and federal government. Our combined efforts have resulted in the largest recovery of funds to pay for past and future clean up of hazardous materials in the nation's history. Today is a historic day for the environment and the people affected across the country," said Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli.

"Today's landmark enforcement settlement will provide almost one billion dollars to clean up polluted Superfund sites," said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for the EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "This will mean cleaner land, water and air for communities across the country."

"This settlement exemplifies government at all levels working effectively for the American taxpayer to recover damages from polluters and restore and protect important national landscapes and significant wildlife resources that have been injured," said Interior Assistant Secretary Tom Strickland. "In consultation and collaboration with our state and tribal co-trustees, this money will be used exclusively to restore, replace or acquire the equivalent of resources injured at more than a dozen sites where ASARCO operated and we have identified natural resource damage."

"I would like to thank the Department of Justice, the Environmental Protection Agency and USDA Office of General Counsel for their diligence in reaching this comprehensive settlement that will so benefit restoration of public lands," said Joel Holtrop, Deputy Chief for the National Forest System, U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture. "This settlement provides significant resources to address land restoration from past mining activities on National Forest System lands in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana and Washington."

Under the terms of the plan, all allowed claims were paid in full along with interest. Funds were distributed as follows:

-- The United States received approximately $776 million which will be
distributed in accordance with the underlying settlements to address
over 35 different sites;
-- The Coeur d'Alene Work Trust was paid $436 million;
-- The three custodial trusts--which address the owned but not operating
properties of ASARCO and involve a total of 13 states and 24 sites -
were paid a cumulative total of approximately $261 million; and
-- Payments totaling in excess of $321 million were paid to 14 different
states to fund environmental settlement obligations at over 36
individual sites.


In total, the payment will address environmental cleanup and restoration at more than 80 sites around the country. Much of the money paid to the United States will be placed in special accounts in the Superfund to be used by EPA to pay for future cleanup work. It will also be placed into accounts at the Department of Interior and the Department of Agriculture to pay for natural resource restoration.

ASARCO filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. bankruptcy code on Aug. 9, 2005. American Smelting and Refining Company or ASARCO has operated for nearly 110 years--first as a holding company for diverse smelting, refining, and mining operations throughout the United States and now as the Arizona-based integrated copper-mining, smelting, and refining company.

By the time it filed for bankruptcy, ASARCO's core operating assets were limited to certain operations in the states of Arizona and Texas. However, it continued to own numerous non-operating properties that were highly contaminated and was subject to environmental claims at sites that were not owned by the company.

In August 2009, following lengthy litigation, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas held a two-week hearing on competing plans of reorganization for ASARCO that would allow the company to be purchased out of bankruptcy. During this hearing, two competing plans emerged that proposed to pay creditors in full with interest.

On Aug. 31, 2009, Judge Richard Schmidt of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Corpus Christi issued a recommendation to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to confirm the plan proposed by ASARCO's parent company--a subsidiary of Grupo Mexico. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen in Brownsville accepted Judge Schmidt's recommendation and confirmed Grupo Mexico's plan on Nov. 13, 2009.

On Dec. 9, 2009, Grupo Mexico met its funding obligations and the plan was consummated. Additionally, the environmental payment and property transfer obligations outlined in the numerous settlement agreements, which had been approved by the Bankruptcy Court over the course of the litigation, were complied with.

The full payment of environmental claims, plus interest, will facilitate the cleanup of contamination and restoration of natural resources at numerous sites across the country. The reorganized company remains liable for environmental liabilities at the properties that it will continue to own and operate.

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How Mercury Becomes Toxic In The Environment

TT Note: With the recent headlines of fish contaminated with mercury along many of the southeast coastlines, we thought you'd be interested in learning more about the way it happens in nature.

Naturally occurring organic matter in water and sediment appears to play a key role in helping microbes convert tiny particles of mercury in the environment into a form that is dangerous to most living creatures.

This finding is important, say Duke University environmental engineers, because it could change the way mercury in the environment is measured and therefore regulated. This particularly harmful form of the element, known as methylmercury, is a potent toxin for nerve cells. When ingested by organisms, it is not excreted and builds up in tissues or organs.

In a series of laboratory experiments, Amrika Deonarine, a graduate student in civil and environmental engineering at Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering, found that organic matter and chemical compounds containing sulfur – known as sulfides -- can readily bind to form mercury sulfide nanoparticles. Since they are more soluble than larger particles, these nanoparticles may be the precursors to a process known as methylation.

“When the organic material combines with the mercury, it prevents the particle from accumulating with other mercury particles and growing larger,” said Deonarine, who presented the results of her analysis at the summer annual scientific sessions of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Washington, D.C.

“Since the mercury remains in a nanoparticle size, it can easily collect on the surface of microbes where any mercury that dissolves can be taken in by the microbes,” Deonarine said. “Without the organic matter, the mercury sulfide nanoparticles would grow too large and become insoluble, thus reducing the availability of mercury for microbial methylation.”

It is while inside the microbe that the mercury is converted into the harmful methylmercury form, the researchers said.

These reactions can only take place in cold water environments with little to no oxygen, such as the zone of sediment just below the bottom of a body of water. Other such anaerobic environments can also be found in waste water and sewage treatment systems, the researchers said.

“The exposure rate of mercury in the U.S. is quite high,” said Heileen Hsu-Kim, Duke assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering and senior member of the research team. “A recent epidemiological survey found that up 8 percent of women had mercury levels higher than national guidelines. Since humans are on top of the food chain, any mercury in our food accumulates in our body.”

Because fish and shellfish have a natural tendency to store methylmercury in their organs, they are the leading source of mercury ingestion for humans. Mercury is extremely toxic and can lead to kidney dysfunctions, neurological disorders and even death. In particular, fetuses exposed to methylmercury can suffer from these same disorders as well as impaired learning abilities.

There are many ways mercury gets into the environment, with the primary sources being the combustion of coal, the refining of such metals as gold and other non-ferrous metals, and in the gases released during volcanic eruptions. The air-borne mercury from these sources eventually lands on lakes or ponds and can remain in the water or sediments.

“These initial laboratory findings could have far-reaching implications,” Hsu-Kim said. “That these reactions can take places in anaerobic environments suggests that the old paradigm of testing for toxic metals in sediments may provide an incomplete picture of how much methylmercury is there.”

The researchers plan to continue their studies with other types of organic matter and for longer periods of time.

For her presentation and paper, Deonarime was one of six recipients of the C. Ellen Gonter Environmental Chemistry Award, given annually to graduate students.

The research was supported by the federally funded Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT), which is based at Duke, and the ACS’s Petroleum Research fund.

by Richard Merritt
Pratt School of Engineering
Duke University

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Study suggests Surface Water Contaminated with Salmonella More Common than ThoughtS

A new University of Georgia study suggests that health agencies investigating Salmonella illnesses should consider untreated surface water as a possible source of contamination.

Researchers, whose results appear in the March issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, tested water over a one-year period in rivers and streams in a region of south Georgia known for its high rate of sporadic salmonella cases. The team found Salmonella in 79 percent of water samples, with the highest concentrations and the greatest diversity of strains in the summer and after rainfall.

“Streams are not routinely tested for Salmonella, and our finding is an indication that many more could be contaminated than people realize,” said Erin Lipp, associate professor in the UGA College of Public Health. “We found our highest numbers in the summer months, and this is also the time when most people get sick.”

Lipp, who co-authored the study with former UGA graduate student Bradd Haley and Dana Cole in the Georgia Division of Public Health, said that although contaminated water used to irrigate or wash produce has been linked to several well-publicized outbreaks of salmonellosis in recent years, the environmental factors that influence Salmonella levels in natural waters are not well understood. She said understanding how Salmonella levels change in response to variables such as temperature and rainfall are critical to predicting—and ultimately preventing—the waterborne transmission of the bacteria.

The team studied streams in the upper reaches of the Suwannee River Basin, which begins in south Georgia and flows into central Florida. The study area contains a mix of forested lands, row crops, pasturelands, wetlands and small cities. The researchers chose sampling sites near a variety of those environments but found little variation in Salmonella concentrations by location. The diversity of Salmonella strains, however, was highest near a farm containing cattle and a pivot irrigation system, suggesting that close proximity to livestock and agriculture increase the risk of contamination. The researchers also found a strong and direct correlation between rainfall for the two days preceding sample collection and the concentration of Salmonella, suggesting that runoff contributes to the contamination.

Salmonella can be found in the intestinal tracts of several species of animals and in humans. The bacteria are shed in feces, but Lipp said recent data suggest that they can persist and possibly grow in water if given the right conditions. Her study found that the diversity and concentration of Salmonella increased as temperatures increased. The highest concentrations and greatest diversity of strains were found in August, the warmest month of the year. Lipp adds that her study, which was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Joint Program on Climate Variability and Human Health, lends support to the idea that Salmonella illnesses could increase as a result of global warming.

Lipp notes that her study area had 58 cases of Salmonella illness per 100,000 people in 2007, the last year for which figures are available, compared to a state average of 22 cases per 100,000 people and a national average of 15 cases per 100,000 people. She said the exact mechanisms by which people in her study area are being exposed to environmental Salmonella are unclear, but the most commonly detected strain in the studied streams was among the top ten associated with human infections in the health district. The porous nature of the soil in the study area means that surface water and groundwater are prone to mixing, especially after rainfalls, and Lipp said that poorly sited wells might be a factor in many illnesses. Another possibility, especially common among children, is so called incidental exposure by which people become infected with the bacteria when playing in or near contaminated waterways.

“Understanding the environmental factors that contribute to salmonella illnesses can guide our efforts to educate people about how they can avoid being sickened through the proper construction and maintenance of wells, basic hygiene such as hand washing and good food safety practices,” Lipp said. “We also have the potential to decrease the likelihood of larger outbreaks related to produce, because in many cases contaminated irrigation water, and not the produce itself, may be the cause of the outbreak.”

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Carbon Bigfoot: 2009 Inauguration Expected to Generate More Than a Half-Billion Pounds of CO2

/PRNewswire/ -- Next week scores of celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Sharon Stone, Sting, and Steven Spielberg are all expected to flock to the nation's capitol, many by private jets, to the historic inauguration of Barack Obama. The swearing-in extravaganza will surely be the largest yet and is seeing ballooning costs and a major environmental footprint.

In a report released today, the Institute for Liberty (IFL) utilizes data from federal agencies, environmentalist organizations, and news accounts to extrapolate the estimated environmental impact for the 2009 Inauguration. IFL estimates that, given the millions of people expected to converge on the nation's capital. IFL concludes:

-- The 600 private jets expected to fly visitors to and from the event
will produce 25,320,000 POUNDS of CO2
-- Personal vehicles could account for 262,483,200 POUNDS of CO2
-- In the Inaugural parade, horses alone will produce more than 400
POUNDS of CO2
-- The total carbon footprint for the Inauguration will likely exceed 575
million POUNDS of CO2
-- It would take the average U.S. household 57,598 years to produce a
carbon footprint equal to that of the new president's housewarming
party

The Inauguration of President Obama is truly an historic occasion that should be celebrated," said IFL President Andrew Langer. "However, it would be very hypocritical for the scores of celebrities, VIPs and political elites to lecture on environmental policy to middle America and small businesses that are merely trying to survive in these difficult economic times, and then turn around and contribute to the half-billion pounds of emitted CO2. This is a celebration -- DC's small businesses, and thus DC's working families, are going to greatly benefit from this event. The rest of America should share in that opportunity."

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EPA Calls for Overdue States to Cut Air Pollution in National Parks

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As a result of legal action by three environmental groups, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today determined that more than three dozen states have failed to submit programs required by the Clean Air Act to cut air pollution drifting into national parks and wilderness areas. The determination means that EPA must work with the states to take corrective action or put in place a federal clean air plan.

"Today's action gets the country back on track in restoring clean air to our national parks," said Kevin Lynch, attorney for Environmental Defense Fund based in Colorado. "We look forward to working with EPA's new leadership and the states to clean up the industrial smokestacks that pollute our national parks."

"EPA's action is good news for anyone who enjoys visiting our nation's magnificent national parks," said Earthjustice attorney Jennifer Chavez. "We look forward to working with EPA and the states to achieve clean air and clear vistas in the parks."

The Clean Air Act required states nationwide to submit plans by December 2007 to clean up the air pollution -- and to remedy existing and prevent future visibility impairment -- in 156 premier national parks and wilderness areas (http://home.nps.gov/applications/parksearch/geosearch.cfm). They include: Acadia (Maine), Grand Canyon (Arizona), Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee and North Carolina), Mount Rainier (Washington state), Rocky Mountain (Colorado), Shenandoah (Virginia), Theodore Roosevelt (New York), Yellowstone (Idaho/Montana/Wyoming), Yosemite (California), and Zion (Utah).

If states fail to meet these obligations, EPA must identify the deficiencies and work with the states to take corrective action or put in place a federal clean air plan. After states missed this legal deadline and EPA failed to take the corrective action required by the Clean Air Act, Earthjustice, Environmental Defense Fund, and the National Parks Conservation Association recently went to court to compel EPA to take corrective action.

37 states have not submitted the clean air plans for national parks and wilderness areas required by the December 2007 legal deadline, although five of those -- Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, and Wyoming -- have submitted a portion of the required cleanup plans. About 13 states submitted clean air blueprints. The latter group includes: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia. EPA must review these plans for adequacy.

Much of the pollution problem in national parks comes from old power plants and factories with inadequate pollution controls. Emissions from these plants can travel hundreds of miles, contributing to regional haze that obscures scenic vistas over large areas. Each state's clean air plan must include rules to limit these emissions, limits that will achieve cleaner, healthier air for our people and our parks.

According to the National Park Service, human-caused air pollution reduces visibility in most national parks throughout the country. Average visual range -- the farthest a person can see on a given day -- in most of the western United States is about one-half to two-thirds of what it would be without man-made air pollution (about 60 to 100 miles). In most of the east, the average visual range is about one-fifth of what it would be under natural conditions (less than 30 miles).

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Concerned for Your Child's Asthma? Pollution Near Schools May Be the Problem

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The nation's focus has returned to the safety of our schools with the second article by USA TODAY in a series on school siting. Working closely with the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ), USA TODAY examined the environmental danger of a school located in the shadow of one of our nation's largest oil refineries. Wyandotte Early Education Center serves local 4 year-olds, whose developing lungs are particularly susceptible to the sulfuric acid, naphthalene, ammonia and benzene that the ExxonMobil plant belches into the surrounding air.

The refinery has already been fined by the EPA for failing to monitor and control sulfur gasses that can cause respiratory illness as part of $6.1 million dollars in penalties levied against ExxonMobil last week. Meanwhile, local doctors take note of unusually high rates of asthma and respiratory illness among students.

"Asthma is a direct result of air pollution and asthma is the number one reason for school absences," said Lois Gibbs, Executive Director of CHEJ. "Industries that are permitted to release toxics into the air must be monitored very carefully and, if in violation, brought into compliance immediately. Too often the industry gets away with violations over and over again without serious penalties. We protect our children by law with seat belts, car seats, bike helmets, and from negligent and abusive parents - toxic pollution should be no different." CHEJ recommends adopting the following model laws for states and as guidelines for the EPA http://www.childproofing.org/school_siting_model_legislation.htm

In December 2007, President Bush signed Subtitle E of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, instructing the EPA to develop the nation's first-ever school siting guidelines to give state legislatures direction in where schools may be physically located in relationship to toxic contamination sites. The EPA has been given a deadline of June, 2009. Nothing has been done since congress passed this directive. No one has even been given the responsibility for this task.

Meanwhile, communities struggle to relocate schools away from industrial plants emitting toxic levels of air pollutants. USA Today had identified over 20,000 of these schools located within a half mile of a major industrial plant.

"No one should have to file a lawsuit to ensure that their kids go to school on sites that are weren't used for the disposal of hazardous waste," says Steve Fischbach of Rhode Island Legal Services who has fought legal battles to pass rudimentary school siting guidelines in Rhode Island.

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National Wooden Pallet and Container Association: Environment for Sale

TT Note: Tsk, tsk.

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The principles of the president of the National Forest Foundation (NFF) Bill Possiel are clearly for sale to the highest donor. The evidence of this is his recent misinformation campaign promoting the use of plastic pallets over wood on behalf of recent contributor Intelligent Global Pooling Systems (iGPS).

"Of all the hardwood logged in the United States, 40 percent is used for pallets which are frequently used only once and then landfilled. Wood pallets are heavy, bulky, and increase shipping costs and energy used in transportation," said NFF President Bill Possiel. "We are proud to work with iGPS to restore our forests and reduce demand for hardwood species, which sequester carbon and provide many other ecosystem benefits."

Reuters, October 7, 2008

The iGPS company has said it will make a contribution to the NFF every time an iGPS pallet is rented over the next two years. That means the more plastic that is unleashed into the environment, the more money for the NFF. They are doing this to offset the damage plastic inflicts on the environment.

Contrast the environmental impact of plastic pallets with wood.

Carbon sequestration is the process by which atmospheric carbon dioxide is absorbed by trees through photosynthesis and stored as carbon in biomass (trunks, branches, foliage, and roots) and soils. Carbon sequestration in forests and wood products helps offset fossil fuel emissions, one of the key drivers of human-induced climate change.

Sustainable forestry practices can increase the ability of forests to sequester additional atmospheric carbon while enhancing other ecosystem services, such as improved soil and water quality. Planting trees, restoring forested ecosystems, and improving forest health are some of the ways to increase forest carbon. Harvesting and regenerating forests can also result in net carbon sequestration in wood products and new forest growth. Investing in forest carbon sequestration projects is a cost-effective way to complement corporate greenhouse gas reductions or allowance purchases.

USDA Forest Service

In other words, while plastic pallets need a carbon offset to mitigate the injury imposed by their product, wood pallets are the offset!

Mr. Possiel's devotion to the organization's bank account over conviction appears to be immense since he not only commended the plastic product corporation, but in so doing he used half-truths and outright falsehoods against the far more environmentally favorable wood pallet industry.

-- Half-Truth: "Of all the hardwood logged in the United States, 40
percent is used for pallets..."


That is true, but what he failed to add is the fact that wood pallets are a byproduct using wood that is rejected by housing and furniture makers for aesthetic reasons yet strong and durable enough for transport and shipping platforms. If the plastic pallet industry were to gain the market advantage they seek, the wood currently used for wood pallets would become wood waste.

-- Falsehood: Mr. Possiel said that wood pallets are frequently used only
once and then landfilled. There are more than 1.2 billion pallets in
service in the United States each day. They are collected, sorted,
repaired and returned to service by the largest pallet pool in the
world. That pool is comprised of more than 5,000 independently owned
and operated white wood pallet companies across the country. It is an
informal pool, yet awe-inspiring in its efficiency.


With wood pallets comprising 83% of the market, they are recognized throughout the supply chain as a commodity far too valuable to simply discard as refuse. Pallets are bought by shippers, sold to recyclers by retailers, repaired and resold to shippers. That cycle occurs over-and-over.

-- Falsehood: When pallets can no longer be repaired to a standard that
will ensure protection of the goods being shipped and safety of
workers handling the load, the pallets are recycled into new products.
Those products include landscape mulch, animal bedding, boiler fuel,
firewood, and wood stove pellets. The nails from ground pallet chips
are removed through a variety of collection technologies and sold as
scrap metal to be used again.


If a random pallet does end up at a solid waste management facility it is "repurposed" into such things as wood mulch or energy -- it does not go into landfill (source: National Solid Wastes Management Association). The wood pallet has value that is used from cradle to grave.

Mr. Possiel also failed to address the fact that the business model and success of companies like iGPS depend upon the infrastructure of independent wood pallet recyclers who collect, sort and return the pallets. If these wood recycling companies were to go out of business, plastic pallets would become one-way pallets unless iGPS and other pallet management firms were to purchase, maintain and fuel trucks and facilities around the country dedicated to pallet collection. Obviously this would skyrocket the cost of these already exorbitant plastic pallets.

Mr. Possiel is not serving the interests of the NFF when he allows himself to become the mouthpiece of iGPS. As the late U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan said, "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." The facts clearly support wood pallets as the environmental choice.

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