Environmental Health
The Pump Handle
Category archives for Environmental Health
Colorado community demanded health impact review of 200 proposed natural gas wells
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on May 16, 2013 The residents of Battlement Mesa didn’t want their “Colorado Dream” to turn into a nightmare because of a proposed hydrofracking project. They turned to a Health Impact Assessment for help.
“It was up to the locals,” insists State officials about explosion risk at West Fertilizer
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on May 1, 2013 The first public hearing to examine the circumstances that led to the catastrophic April 17 explosion at West Fertilizer was held. Texas State lawmakers heard testimony from eight State agencies.
Flavored java, coffee bean workers, and deadly lung disease
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on April 30, 2013 This week’s MMWR describes cases of bronchiolitis obliterans diagnosed in two individuals who worked— not at a microwave popcorn plant—-at a Texas coffee bean processing company.
Study: Banning smoking in subsidized housing could save millions in health care costs
Posted by The Pump Handle on April 26, 2013 Another day, another study that shows investing in public health interventions can make a serious dent in health care spending. A new study has found that banning smoking in all U.S. subsidized housing could yield cost savings of about $521 million every year.
Will Tom Vilsack’s USDA keep its promise to poultry plant workers about their grueling, disabling work?
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on April 25, 2013 The USDA Secretary tells Congress that his agency still plans to implement a new poultry slaughter inspection system that will allow producers to drastically increase line speeds, while a disturbing new report on poultry workers in Alabama explain the harmful effects of the current working conditions.
Preventing fire fighter deaths, learning from the fallen
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on April 23, 2013 CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has a special role in the West Fertilizer plant explosion. Its Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program will be investigating the factors that led to the deaths of the 10 volunteer fire fighters.
Trying to make the unacceptable acceptable: New books by Dan Fagin and Sarah Vogel illuminate our flawed history of controlling chemical hazards
Posted by The Pump Handle on April 8, 2013 Two new books illustrate how and why the US system for regulating chemicals often fails to adequately protect human health.
Are manufacturing by-product PCBs an occupational health hazard?
Posted by The Pump Handle on March 27, 2013 Although EPA banned commercially manufactured PCBs in 1979, it still allows PCBs that occur as manufacturing by-products. Recent research has found these by-product PCBs in air and water samples from across the US. Are workers at risk from exposure to these substances?
Preventing breast cancer: the cancer free economy
Posted by The Pump Handle on March 25, 2013 The Interagency Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Coordinating Committee called for an urgent acceleration in environmental research on cancer prevention – identifying which chemicals and physical factors cause breast cancer. We agree, and we urge one more step in breast cancer prevention research: figuring out how to wean our economy from dependence on cancer-causing chemicals.
Public health and hydrofracking
Posted by Liz Borkowski on February 27, 2013 How can we bring a public health perspective to shale gas production? The latest issue of the journal New Solutions (now free online) has some suggestions.