These bulletins are archived and searchable on the CHE-WA website: http://washington.chenw.org/bulletins.html If you would like to join the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) and the CHE-Washington regional group, please complete the application on the CHE website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/application Joining CHE means receiving up to four email messages a month from the CHE National listserv. CHE costs nothing to join and the benefit is shared information and opportunities for further engagement, if you choose. Be sure to mark that you want to join the Washington State Regional Group at the bottom of the application.
Companion bulletins are available for different audiences:
While there is overlap with this bulletin, there are some events and announcements unique to those bulletins.
The public is invited to the next monthly meeting of the CHE-WA Children's Environmental Health Working Group on Thursday November 13th from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at 130 Nickerson Street Suite 105, Seattle. The speaker this month will be Nicole Thomsen from Public Health -- Seattle & King County, who will give an update on issues related to lead and children in King County. These meetings are always free and open to the public. For directions, please see http://www.govlink.org/hazwaste/schoolyouth/map.htm For a phone-in option, call 206-684-1467. For more information contact Gail Gensler at 206-263-3082 or Gail.Gensler@kingcounty.gov
Thursday and Friday, November 6 - 7, 2008
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Lacey, Washington
at the Lacey Community Center, Woodland Creek Community Park, 6729 Pacific Ave SE
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Training Center
The third of a three-course series, this course provides participants with an overview of the science and best practices for implementing monitored natural attenuation. The course sections focus specifically on monitored natural attenuation of petroleum hydrocarbons, fuel oxygenates and chlorinated hydrocarbons in soil and groundwater. Software tools for natural attenuation analysis and methods for enhancing natural attenuation will also be discussed. Continuing education credits are available.
Price: $495, $395 reduced tuition is available for those who qualify.
Website: http://www.nwetc.org/ghyd-410_11-08_lacey.htm
Contact: Northwest Environmental Training Center, 206-762-1976
Wednesday November 12, 2008
6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at Gilda's Club Seattle, 1400 Broadway
Sponsor: Breast Cancer Fund Washington and Gilda's Club Seattle
Children are more vulnerable to the effects of various chemicals and early life exposures can be linked to long-term disease. Safer options exist for our children. This is the fourth and last in a series of interactive workshops looking at toxic chemicals in our indoor and outdoor environments and how to make healthier choices for ourselves and our families. A light dinner will be provided; please register beforehand at the website listed below.
Price: free
Contact: Breast Cancer Fund Washington, 206-524-4405
Wednesday through Saturday, November 12 - 15, 2008
Wenatchee, Washington
at the Wenatchee Convention Center, 121 North Wenatchee Avenue
Sponsor: Environmental Education Association of Washington (EEAW)
This conference will help empower and inspire today's generations to learn about the key role education plays in ensuring healthy ecological systems, robust economies, healthy people and sustainable communities -- now and for seven generations to come.
Price: see http://www.eeaw.org/conference/2008-conference/registration-information
Website: http://www.eeaw.org/conference
Contact: Environmental Education Association of Washington, 360-943-6643 or info@eeaw.org
Tuesday and Wednesday, November 18 - 19, 2008
Seattle, Washington
at Seattle Public Library Microsoft Auditorium, 1000 Fourth Avenue
Sponsor: US Environmental Protection Agency Region 10
This workshop provides an overview of indoor air, mold and moisture problems in the Northwest, with an emphasis on practical solutions. Second-day topics include wood smoke, particles, radon outreach and low-income housing. Registration is required. Continuing education credits may be available for pest and home inspectors, architects, building operators and industrial hygienists for the first day only.
Price: free
Website: http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/airpage.nsf/indoor+air/IEH2008
Contact: Susan Titus, 206-553-1189 or titus.susan@epa.gov
Thursday November 20, 2008
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at Antioch University Seattle, Room 100
Sponsor: Antioch University Seattle Center for Creative Change
Water 1st's mission is to serve families in the poorest communities in the world as they implement community-managed projects that integrate water supply, sanitation and health education. The lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitary latrines is the top public-health problem in the world and the number-one killer of children in the world. Lack of access to clean water has a devastating effect on women and girls who are traditionally responsible for water collection. Marla Smith-Nilsen, executive director of Water 1st International and co-founder of Water Partners International, will speak.
Price: free
Website: http://www.antiochseattle.edu/events/index.html
Thursday and Friday, November 20 - 21, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the Entrix Inc. Conference Room, 200 First Avenue W, Suite 500
Sponsor: The Northwest Environmental Training Center
There is a growing trend of governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations issuing triple bottom line reports. Accountability for environmental, social and economic impacts of a company is increasingly becoming a part of every manager or governmental official's job. However, there is much uncertainty and inconsistency in the field. Triple bottom line reporting is emerging as an important and necessary part of an organization's disclosure. Two main issues addressed are 1) what a triple bottom line report is and 2) the areas addressed in a triple bottom line report. The first issue involves establishing an understanding of the triple bottom line and a structure for accountability. The second issue deals with identifying boundaries, a methodology for reporting and development of an understanding of the issues around subject areas in reporting. Continuing education credits are available.
Price: $320 business rate, $275 government rate, $220 for Native American tribes, students and employees of nonprofits
Website: http://www.nwetc.org/sust-404_11-08_seattle.htm
Contact: Northwest Environmental Training Center, 206-762-1976 or info@nwetc.org
Online Calendar. Upcoming events extending more than one month in the future are listed in a searchable calendar: http://www.chenw.org/cgi-bin/searchevents.cgi
Most of the articles below come from Environmental Health News, http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
Job opening, Portland, Oregon. The Josiah Hill III Clinic is looking for a Provider Health Educator to develop and implement a training focused on lead-poisoning prevention and blood-lead testing. The target audience(s) for the training are nurses, health providers and/or public health professionals. Once trained, participants will be able to provide lead-poisoning prevention education to their networks, encourage blood lead testing and increase awareness about local resources to reduce lead exposure. This position is budgeted for 50 hours from December 2008 through March 2009 at $15 to $25 per hour depending on experience. Please submit a letter of interest and your resume/CV to Erin McNally via email: erin@jhillclinic.org
Report proposes new legal mechanisms to protect future generations from environmental degradation. Models for Protecting the Environment for Future Generations describes how ombudsmen, guardians, and other legal instruments could help guarantee a habitable planet for future humans. The report is a collaborative effort of the International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC) of Harvard Law School, the Science and Environmental Health Network (SEHN), and the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN).
http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/hrp/documents/Models_Future_Generations.pdf
Green chemistry survey. The Great Lakes Green Chemistry Network (GLGCN) has prepared a short survey to identify awareness and activity related to green chemistry in our target sectors: industry/business, academia, government and nongovernmental organizations. Respondents do not have to live or work in the Great Lakes in order to fill out the survey. Although the focus is on the Great Lakes, all data collected will define the work that is necessary to promote green chemistry in the region and beyond.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=U_2bnxyrTtH0_2fGM7v_2fBOVnRg_3d_3d
US state-level chemicals policy database. The Lowell Center for Sustainable Production at the University of Massachusetts Lowell launched a new State Chemicals Policy Database for legislators, policy makers, researchers and advocates that houses more than 700 state and local legislative and executive branch policies from all 50 states from 1990 to the present.
http://chemicalspolicy.org/uslegislationsearch.php
Green schools buying guide launched. Green Schools Initiative is launching a new Green Schools Buying Guide to help schools make purchasing decisions that will protect children's health and the environment. Schools spend billions of dollars annually on facilities, energy and water, office and school supplies, cleaners and pesticides, food, and play equipment. The Guide is based on four pillars: 1) Strive to Be Toxics Free, 2) Use Resources Sustainably, 3) Green Schoolyards & Healthy Food, and 4) Curriculum.
http://greenschools.live.radicaldesigns.org/display.php?modin=50
Climate Change and Health: A Resource Guide. Climate change is one of the most challenging issues of our time and health-care providers can play an important role in addressing the effects of climate change. This resource guide has been developed to help health care providers take actions or advise others to act to affect issues related to climate change.
http://ehnursing.org/pmwiki.php?n=Main.ClimateChangeAndHealthAResourceGuide
Healthiest Nation Alliance. The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) The Centers for Diseases Control (CDC) and the National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO) are the founding members of a new movement -- Healthiest Nation Alliance -- that aspires to help create an America where an integrated national system values health, prioritizes prevention and protects from emerging threats.
http://www.healthiestnation.org:80/
Genetically modified food. On September 18, 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed guidelines to allow genetically modified (GM) animals in the food supply. In addition, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently proposed new regulations for GE crops designed to produce pharmaceutical and industrial chemicals. PCC Natural Markets has a web page with links to submit comments to the FDA and USDA.
http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/issues/gm/
submitted to this bulletin by Dennis L. Weaver
Conflicting studies on possible health threats send mixed signals to cell phone users. Almost 80 percent of American teens have a mobile device, mostly provided by a parent with safety in mind. But are they safe? Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ohio, 4 November 2008.
http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2008/11/conflicting_studies_on_possibl.html
Autism shown higher in children living in rainy areas. A study of kids in California, Oregon and Washington suggests an environmental trigger to the disorder and calls for research to determine possible explanations. Los Angeles Times, California, 4 November 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-sci-autism4-2008nov04,0,3503547.story
Mom's diabetes tied to kid's language deficits. Children of mothers who developed diabetes while pregnant are prone to persistent delays in language, investigators in Canada report. Reuters Health, 4 November 2008.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2008/11/03/eline/links/20081103elin028.html
Even a little caffeine may harm fetus, study finds. Pregnant women who consume caffeine -- even about a cup of coffee daily -- are at higher risk of giving birth to an underweight baby, researchers said on Monday. Reuters Health, 4 November 2008.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2008/11/03/eline/links/20081103elin019.html
When a 'curly' light bulb breaks. Add to the list of things no parent especially wants to hear: "Mom, my reading lamp fell over, and the light bulb broke. It was one of those curly ones." Washington Post, 3 November 2008.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/checkup/2008/11/when_a_lightbulb_breaks.html
Asbestos and mesothelioma: A younger generation now at risk. Everyone knows the dangers of asbestos. What was once commonplace in factories and the construction industry has caused a slew of health problems to those who have been exposed. Glen Saint Mary North Florida News Daily, Florida, 3 November 2008.
http://www.northfloridanewsdaily.com/News/2008/1103/health_and_fitness/185.html
Poisons cloud air at Iraq base. An open-air "burn pit" at the largest U.S. base in Iraq may have exposed tens of thousands of troops, contractors and Iraqis to cancer-causing dioxins. Gannett News Service, 3 November 2008.
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=735751
A controversial new pesticide. The EPA has given final approval for use of methyl iodide, a new pesticide that its developer James J. Sims and manufacturer Arysta LifeScience think should replace the now banned methyl bromide in the strawberry fields of California. San Francisco Chronicle, California, 3 November 2008.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/chrongreen/detail?&entry_id=31834
Does FDA OK give pharmacies a free pass? Does Food and Drug Administration approval guarantee safety? If the Supreme Court rules as expected, patients might have no legal recourse if they are harmed by an FDA-approved medicine. People's Pharmacy, 3 November 2008.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/main/6090966.html
Choking on construction dust. For most of us, the dust kicked up by a construction site seems like a minor nuisance. But it can be a health hazard. Construction dust is one source of air pollution that's largely been ignored. Great Lakes Radio Consortium, Michigan, 3 November 2008.
http://www.glrc.org/story.php3?story_id=4218
As Fairbanks shifts to economical wood heat, pollution problem hangs in air. A widespread layer of yellow haze hung over the Fairbanks area Saturday, the product of stagnant air and the shift to wood heat. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Alaska, 2 November 2008.
http://newsminer.com/news/2008/nov/02/fairbanks-shifts-economical-wood-heat-pollution-pr/
[Editor's note: Read a related article: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20081026/NEWS02/810260312/1009/NEWS01 ]
Study delayed on Katrina trailers. A government study to track the health of children who lived in FEMA trailers after Hurricane Katrina is still stuck in the planning stages, three years after families first began complaining about health problems related to formaldehyde in their temporary homes. ProPublica, 2 November 2008.
http://www.propublica.org/article/government-study-on-children-living-in-katrina-trailers-muddled-by-delays-c/
Clearing the indoor air. As director of the Montana chapter of the Healthy Indoor Air for America's Homes program, Michael Vogel, of Bozeman, Mont. (pop. 27,509), knows a thing or two about clean air. American Profile, 2 November 2008.
http://www.americanprofile.com/article/29882.html
The horror of U.S. depleted uranium in Iraq threatens the world. American and British use of DU is a crime against humanity which may, in the eyes of historians, rank with the worst atrocities of all time. Tehran Times, Iran, 2 November 2008.
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=181303
Foods to prevent disease? Eating tomatoes to help prevent cancer, garlic to prevent AIDS or drinking fruit juice to ward off Alzheimer's? Despite a bevy of research, the impact of food on killer diseases remains to be proved. Agence France-Presse, 2 November 2008.
http://news.smh.com.au/world/foods-to-prevent-disease-20081102-5g6x.html
Linking TB and the environment: An overlooked mitigation strategy. For centuries, TB has been linked anecdotally with environmental risk factors that go hand-in-hand with poverty: indoor air pollution, tobacco smoke, malnutrition, overcrowded living conditions, and excessive alcohol use. Now scientists are presenting convincing evidence to back these associations. Environmental Health Perspectives, 2 November 2008.
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2008/116-11/focus.html
BPA substitutes sought. With public pressure mounting and the Food and Drug Administration reconsidering the safety of bisphenol A, manufacturers said Friday that they would intensify their efforts to find a substitute for the controversial plastic baby bottle ingredient. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin, 1 November 2008.
http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/watchdogreports/33678809.html
Tainted toys get another turn. More than 20 million toys were recalled last year due to problems ranging from toxic lead paint to magnets lethal when swallowed. Some toy makers abandoned their products, but some just relaunched the toys with new names. Wall Street Journal, 31 October 2008.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122541224721086433.html?mod=todays_us_marketplace
Lead warning in Halloween makeup. The makeup is sold at Target stores in the region, but, despite the warning, it meets Federal safety standards and is not in danger of being recalled. Sioux Falls KSFY TV, South Dakota, 31 October 2008.
http://www.ksfy.com/news/local/33620279.html
[Editor's note: See another article about Halloween hazards at http://www.times-gazette.com/news/article/4456554 ]
Danger lurking in your bottle of red. Wines from 13 different countries contain potentially hazardous levels of metals, according to a chemical analysis by British scientists. London Times, England, 30 October 2008.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article5044013.ece
ADHD tied to more severe nicotine dependence. Young people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder may be particularly vulnerable to serious nicotine addiction if they start smoking, a new study suggests. Reuters Health, 30 October 2008.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2008/10/30/eline/links/20081030elin005.html
Working together for a green new deal. I came to understand that the answer to our social, economic and ecological crises can be one and the same: a green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty. The Nation, 29 October 2008.
http://www.thenation.com:80/doc/20081117/jones
Athletes kick up hidden toxic chemicals from artificial turf. In a study of artificial turf, scientists found harmful chemicals in virtually every sample tested, including PAHs, chromium and lead. Environmental Health News, 29 October 2008.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/new-yorkers-are-kicking-up-toxic-chemicals-on-artificial-turf/
Imprint of famine seen in genes of Second World War babies 60 years on. Malnourishment in the womb causes genetic changes that can still be seen when people reach middle and old age, according to new research that shows how strongly environmental influences can interact with the human genome to shape health. London Times, England, 28 October 2008.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article5029679.ece
Green neighborhoods may reduce childhood obesity. Researchers report that children living in inner city neighborhoods with higher "greenness" experienced lower weight gains compared to those in areas with less green space. Science News, 28 October 2008.
http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/10/28/green.neighborhoods.may.reduce.childhood.obesity
A rise in kidney stones is seen in U.S. children. The increase in the United States is attributed to a host of factors, including a food additive that is both legal and ubiquitous: salt. New York Times, 27 October 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/health/28kidn.html?_r=1&ei=5070&emc=eta1&oref=slogin
submitted to this bulletin by Aimee Boulanger
Washington Department of Ecology leads on reducing toxics, joins EPA's partnership. Under Washington's Mercury Chemical Action Plan, Ecology has committed to reducing mercury from a statewide baseline by almost 300 pounds per year by 2010. Ecology will also be voluntarily eliminating lead wheel weights from agency fleet vehicles by 2009, preventing over 200 pounds of highly-toxic lead from being released into the environment. US Environmental Protection Agency, 27 October 2008.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/C99897C2BD595FAB852574EF0078955C
21-Year study of children set to begin. Researchers will begin recruiting pregnant women in January for an ambitious nationwide study that will follow more than 100,000 children from before birth until age 21 to gain a better understanding of the effects of a wide array of factors on children's health. New York Times, 27 October 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/health/research/28chil.html
Male, interrupted. At Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the genitalia of roughly 300 baby boys are repaired every year -- about double the number from 30 years ago. Chemicals called phthalates, found in dozens of consumer products, may be to blame. Philadelphia Inquirer, Pennsylvania, 27 October 2008.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/magazine/20081027_Male__interrupted.html
Controversy over new lead regs. The Environmental Protection Agency lowered the acceptable level of lead in the air for the first time in thirty years. Lead expert Dr. Bruce Lanphear, who served on the advisory panel to the EPA, says the new standard, ten times lower than the previous level, still isn't low enough. Living On Earth, 25 October 2008.
http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=08-P13-00043&segmentID=1
Fire retardant costumes pose Halloween danger. Halloween costume shopping is now a bit trickier for parents who are worried about flame retardants. Nearly all Americans tested have trace levels of the chemicals [PBDEs] in their blood. So what's a concerned consumer to do in the meantime? NBC News, 25 October 2008.
http://www.wcsh6.com/news/health/story.aspx?storyid=94800&catid=8
Could anesthesia cause developmental disorders? Researchers this week presented a study showing a possible link between exposure to anesthesia and behavioral and developmental disorders in young children. Scientists say the new research is in no way conclusive. But the study's lead author says this is "something we can't ignore." Newsweek, 25 October 2008.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/165041
Report shows environmental risks to kids' health. According to a new study, children in Maryland are being made sick by the environments they live in. Annapolis WJZ TV, Maryland, 25 October 2008.
http://wjz.com/local/health.environmental.risks.2.848186.html
Protect yourself from paint poison. That fresh paint smell could be hazardous to your health. Santa Clarita Signal, California, 25 October 2008.
http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/5176/
Critics slam chemical report. Lawmakers, scientists and advocacy groups intensified their criticism Thursday of a government report declaring bisphenol A to be safe. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin, 24 October 2008.
http://www2.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=809667
[Editor's note: See an article with a response from FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122546346918387999.html ]
Environmental threats to healthy aging. As the baby boom generation gets older the number of people with diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's is expected to increase substantially. A new report suggests that the environment may play a bigger role than previously thought. Today Show, NBC, 24 October 2008.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/18424824#27336587
Cancer and cell phones: the jury's still out. The most exhaustive study to date investigating whether mobile phones pose any risk is nearing completion, but the research, under way for almost eight years, may not settle the question. Toronto Globe and Mail, Ontario, 24 October 2008.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081024.LCELLPHONE24/TPStory
Arsenic levels in baby rice expose loophole in federal safety regulations. After testing three common brands of baby rice consumed in the United States and Europe, scientists in Scotland discovered alarmingly high levels of arsenic. Washington DC Examiner, District of Columbia, 23 October 2008.
http://www.examiner.com/x-764-Baby-and-Toddler-Examiner~y2008m10d22-Arsenic-levels-in-baby-rice-cereal-expose-loophole-in-federal-safety-regulations
Toys containing banned plastics still on market. A flood of toys containing phthalates are hitting the markets before they are banned on February 10. The law has ended up sanctioning a grace period that allows toy makers to sell off soon-to-be banned toys, rather than forcing disposal. Wall Street Journal, 23 October 2008.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122472242723860917.html
South Seattle residents criticize cancer risk study. A new government study that documented an elevated cancer risk across most of South Seattle came under fire Tuesday night from residents and environmental activists who complained it underestimated the true risks. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Washington, 22 October 2008.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/384414_airpollution22.html
Interventions to promote breast-feeding succeed. Doctors, nurses, hospitals and health systems should encourage and promote breast-feeding, says a new recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. HealthDay News, 22 October 2008.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/10/21/interventions-to-promote-breast-feeding-succeed.html
Resolving environmental injustice on a local level. Localized pollution is the leading contributing factor to disability and disease in communities across the world. Even in the U.S., air pollution and contaminated water sources result in death, persistent illness and neurological impairment for millions of people. Newsweek, 22 October 2008.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/165013
Workmen 'ignoring asbestos risk.' Some 4,000 people a year are dying from the effects of asbestos and that figure is likely to increase, the Health and Safety Executive has said. BBC, United Kingdom, 22 October 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7682295.stm
Nicotine may spur breast cancer's spread. Nicotine may help push breast cancer cells from the original tumor to other parts of the body -- contributing to the metastasis that so often kills patients. HealthDay News, 22 October 2008.
http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=620335
Acrylamide doesn't raise gastrointestinal cancer risk. A large Dutch study finds no link between the chemical acrylamide -- found in French fries and coffee -- and the risk of developing gastrointestinal cancer. HealthDay News, 22 October 2008.
http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=620440