Green Chemistry

USA today has a good write-up on Green Chemistry--using safer chemicals and processes to protect the environment and improve the bottom line. The article reports on a sea change in the way chemistry is taught and thought about. Now it's not just "does the chemical do what I want" but also "does it do anything I don't want." The article includes some good examples of Green Chemistry transitions at American corporations. Now we just need some more!

Superfund law extended?

Environmental News Network reported that the Supreme Court is currently considering whether companies that voluntarily seek to clean up their polluted land can sue former owners to help with the associated costs. Under Superfund law, officials can seek money from current and former owners for the cleanup costs. Companies continue to watch this case closely.

Safe Cosmetics

September 24, 2004 the Safe Cosmetics Campaign placed an ad in USA Today challenging cosmetic companies to come clean about whether they plan to remove toxic chemicals that are banned in the E.U. from products sold on American shelves.

Phthalates DBP and DEHP are known or highly suspected of causing cancer, impaired fertility or birth defects and are used in some fragrance, hair spray and nail polish. Product tests show that L'Oreal, Revlon, and Unilever make products with phthalates.

AEP is Cleaning Up?

I have on more than one occasion blogged the environmental downfalls of American Electric Power Co. (AEP). In an attempt to green its poor environmental record, Reuters News Service reported that American Electric Power Co. is planning to spend $1.6 billion to build a power plant using a technology that reduces emissions. This technology pulverizes coal into gas before burning, consequentially reducing the levels of harmful emissions emitted.

Unfortunately there is no such thing as clean coal. Although Clean Coal Technology (CCT) has helped reduce smokestack emissions, CCT power plants remain very dirty emitting up to seven times more nitrogen oxide than natural gas - fired plants. No other source of pollution causes as many adverse health impacts as coal-burning power plants.

The Removal of Nuclear Residue from Hanford

In a Mother Jones blog entry Jeff Fleischer reported on the removal of nuclear residue from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. This was an important milestone for many environmental groups including WASHPIRG who have been advocating for the removal of waste from the 149 underground tanks for decades. Despite the victory there is much more work to be done, millions of gallons of solid waste housed in potentially leaky tanks still exist.

Loopholes Leave Emissions Untracked

The Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) just released an analysis that reveals the EPA's failure to close loopholes in 29 states allowing accidents that cause air pollution to go unpunished and often untracked. Kelly Haragan, counsel of EIP, said: "the off-the-books pollution, caused by unreported and unpenalized 'upsets' is at least as harmful as 'routine' pollution and should not be allowed to evade emission limits designed to protect public health."

'Upsets' often result in large emissions of pollutions over short periods of time and often include toxics and carcinogens. Thirty-seven facilities were studied for this report. These facilities alone released more than 167,133 extra pounds of benzene and 142,754 extra pounds of butadiene during one year's worth of upsets. Both butadiene and benzene are highly carcinogenic. The upset emissions alone from BASF in Port Arthur, Texas makes it the sixth largest emitter of butadiene and the twelfth largest emitter of benzene in the country.

Air pollution limits are designed to keep our air safe, but they can only work if state and EPA loopholes are closed.

Cosmetic Ingredients...Anything Goes

According to the Environmental Working Group, eighty nine percent of the 10,500 ingredients used in cosmetics and/or other personal care products have not been evaluated for safety by any government agency. The absence of governmental oversight has allowed cosmetic manufacturers to use almost any raw material as a cosmetic ingredient. In response to the lack of basic safety evaluations EWG conducted a six month investigation into the health and safety of the more than 10,000 personal care product ingredients. The results of their analysis shows that although a fair percentage of cosmetic ingredients are harmless, one out of every 120 products contain ingredients certified by government authorities to be known or probable human carcinogens. In addition to EWG's analysis on their findings a list of potentially high-risk cosmetic products has also been posted.

Former American Electric Employee Speaks Out

Former American Electric Power engineer Bill Wilson was fired last May after handing over internal company documents to government regulators detailing, "a pattern of willful and knowing violation of state and federal law." According to the The Dallas Morning News (free registration required), Mr. Wilson also provided documents showing that the American Electric power plant violated the plant's state permit by burning industrial waste in addition to regular fuel oil. Moreover, American Electric knowingly failed to report plant emissions and routinely exceeded emission limits.

Once again, thanks to the weak U.S. environmental enforcement agencies and the political / industry hand-holding corporations are able to maneuver through regulations while the health of the environment and surrounding communities suffer.

Living in a Teflon World - II

June 28th's blog entry reported on the frequency and high levels of C-8, one of the chemicals used to make Teflon, in virtually every Americans’ blood stream. Two weeks after the EPA announced their decision to re-launch their investigation on C-8s’ health and environmental toxicity, the EPA declared the threat of an unspecified 'action' against DuPont for withholding decades of critically important health studies on C-8.

The Environmental Working Group's President, Ken Cook stated, "This is shaping up as another in a long series of industry-friendly environmental 'enforcement' actions by the Bush EPA." EPA officials are currently avoiding disclosing any details of the consequences for DuPont, although Agency officials said they would not likely seek the maximum possible fine of $300 million. By law, DuPont can be fined up to $27,500 per day for the entire time period of the environmental violations, from 1984 through 2001, a sum equaling well over $300 million.

Mercury in my cereal?

Natural Resources Council of Maine is requesting the immediate halt to sales of cereal boxes containing toys operated by mercury batteries. Despite the warning that states, "battery in toy contains mercury, dispose of properly" there is no infrastructure for cereal buyers to properly dispose of the mercury batteries. Instead the mercury-filled toxic batteries will be sent to local landfills and nearby incinerators. Enraged, Representative Scott Cowger stated, "I never suspected we would find mercury batteries in cereal boxes' and believes that, 'this mercury "Spidey" toy should convince the Legislature that enough is enough."

Breaking the lawn-care pesticide cycle

Jane M. Bradley exposes the myraid health hazards associated with lawn care pesticides, the neglegence of the federal government to perform adequate testing, and pesticide free alternatives.

EPA & GE Accused of Concealling PCB Contamination

According to Trudy Tynan of the Associated Press, residents of Pittsfield, MA are accusing the EPA of concealing the extent of pollution caused by GE's use of PCBs (a known carcinogen). Additionally, residents and business owners say that they are being punished for balking at the measures taken to cap contamination. In response, owners of two local businesses are suing GE and the U.S. federal government, "seeking to compel them to fully remove PCBs from their properties and pay them damages".

If the EPA is not accountable for holding corporations responsible for environmental damages and cleanup who is?

Living in a Teflon world

Every day, Americans use products made with C-8 (also known as PFOA), one of the chemicals used to make Teflon. From walking on a carpet treated with StainMaster to scrambling eggs, to using paper plates at an outside barbeque, consumers are constantly partaking in what DuPont calls "the Teflon World." In the Teflon world, health risks are prevalent, environmental degradation rampant, and calls for accountability don't stick.

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) the Teflon chemical does not break down in the environment and has been linked to several kinds of cancer and other health problems. DuPont and other companies have derailed past investigations by the EPA. However, the EPA announced on June 24 their decision to re-launch their investigation rather than wait on industry data.

Known Carcinogen and Reproductive Toxin Found in Tuna

Californians are enraged that methylmercury compounds, a known cancer-causing chemical and reproductive toxin are being detected at levels above the approved threshold, in canned tuna. In a civil suit naming Del Monte Foods (maker of StarKist tuna) Bumble Bee Seafoods, and Tri-Union Seafoods (maker of Chicken of the Sea tuna), Californians seek to bar these companies from selling tuna in California without providing warning labels. Signage noting the high levels of mercury in the tuna could take the form of signs posted in grocery store aisles or labels on the can.

Attorney General Bill Lockyer states, "We're not trying to eliminate tuna from people's diet. We're trying to enforce the law and protect the health of California women and children." Testing has shown that mercury levels in both canned albacore and light tuna are higher than the threshold that requires a warning.

Despite the fact that firms may have no incentive to provide consumers with information, consumers have the right to know. And companies must adhere to the health and safety regulations especially when there known health consequences of consumption. Although the U.S. Tuna foundation says that the canned tuna is safe and the industry is in full compliance with California law, local grocers and restaurants have posted an interim warning developed by the attorney general's office.

Suspect Substances

Suspect substance polybrominated diphenyl ether, better known as fire retardant PBDEs, has similar chemical attributes as its banned cousins, polychlorinated biphenyls (a.k.a PCBs). Despite the alarming rate of accumulation in people's blood and mothers' breast milk, manufacturers continue to produce products treated with PBDEs in the name of consumer saftey.

According to The Boston Globe exposure to PBDEs most likely comes from a person's diet. PBDE pollutants, found in the air, are absorbed by fish, animals and other wildlife which in turn are consumed by human beings as they move up the food chain.

Joel Tickner from Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, advocates for the banning of PBDEs and use of safer alternatives. He argues, "By the time we actually do know (the effects of PBDEs), we're going to be dealing with 25 or 30 years of legacy and we can't do anything about it." Dell and Ikea, two well known companies, have already stopped using PBDEs, replacing them with safer alternatives.

We know that the levels of PBDEs in our blood are steadily increasing, but we don't know what that will do to us? Without concrete evidence of the effects, the question arises: how much do we need to know before we take action? Does the convenience of continuing to use PBDEs outweigh the unproven but very likely threat?