community right-to-know

Where you live may be hazardous to your health: Two reports show “place matters”

User Image egrossman | June 4, 2014
Where you live may be hazardous to your health. This is the conclusion of several recent reports and studies, among them a supplement to the most recent examination of health disparities by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and an analysis by the Environmental Justice and Health Alliance for Chemical Reform of those who live in communities most vulnerable to hazardous chemical exposures. Together the two paint a disturbing picture of how the neighborhoods in which Americans live and work play a significant role in determining their residents' health. There should be no…

"It was up to the locals," insists State officials about explosion risk at West Fertilizer

cmonforton | May 1, 2013
Steve McGraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), told members of the Texas legislature that responsibility for informing residents about the chemical hazards in their communities----such as at the fertilizer plant in West, Texas----falls to local officials.  The Dallas Morning-News' Brandon Formby reports from the first public hearing to examine the circumstances that led to the catastrophic April 17 explosion.  The inquiry was held by the Texas Legislature's House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety. “It’s a local up,” DPS Director Steve McCraw said…