Roundup pesticides to have special review
West Coast Environmental and Josette Wier have obtained a court order requiring Health Canada to conduct a special review of one use of common glyphosate-based pesticides (such as Roundup) mixed with an ingredient known as POEA. There is conflicting evidence about the toxicity of the mixture…
View the post titled Roundup pesticides to have special reviewPerc in your dry cleaned sweater?
Perchloroethylene (also called tetrachloroethylene, PCE or PERC) is a common dry cleaning solvent. It is also used in textile processing and degreasing. Exposure to this chemical is associated with a host of adverse effects. So we were struck by a recent study that shows PERC residues buildi…
View the post titled Perc in your dry cleaned sweater?Lead from airplanes still widespread
In 2003, Friends of the Earth petitioned the US EPAto get lead out of aviation gasoline. While there had been much discussion about taking lead out of racing vehicle gasoline, aviation gasoline actually releases much more lead into the environment than racing.
View the post titled Lead from airplanes still widespreadLead: Another reason to worry about car races
Exposure to lead from competition vehicle emissions is a health concern for people who live near and/or attend races.
View the post titled Lead: Another reason to worry about car racesEnvironment Canada: more cuts, less science?
Sometimes, it feels like the 1990s again. In both Canada and the US, budget shortfalls and political preferences are resulting in significant cuts to environmental scientists and regulators. For example, Environment Canada has announced that its current round of cuts will eliminate approxima…
View the post titled Environment Canada: more cuts, less science?Consumer products banned for lead- in the US
The US is far more active than Canada in detecting lead in consumer products, and in requiring that they be withdrawn from the market. The Centers for Disease Control post a fascinating list of high lead consumer products, many of them marketed for children, which can no longer be sold in th…
View the post titled Consumer products banned for lead- in the USOzone: health or money?
Despite strong scientific evidence that current permitted ozone levels cause harm to human health, President Obama has decided not to cut them. This will likely lead to lawsuits, as the Clean Air Act requires EPA to set air levels that protect human health. And Canada, as usual, will probabl…
View the post titled Ozone: health or money?$80,000 water discharge fine
Torbear Contracting Inc., Woodbridge, had a contract to complete upgrades at a sewage treatment plant. The project required that the outdoor containment area surrounding the chemical storage tanks of sodium hypochlorite be expanded and a drain be installed to allow for easy removal of rainw…
View the post titled $80,000 water discharge fineUpdated air pollution standards
Ontario’s air standards and ambient air quality criteria (AAQC) have been updated for a series of carcinogens and other toxic substances, including 1,3-Butadiene. EBR Registry Number: 010-6214 Manganese and Manganese Compounds: EBR Registry Number: 010-6253 Hexavalent Chromium, and Ch…
View the post titled Updated air pollution standardsEPA cuts: return of the 90s?
The US Congress has cut the budget of the American Environmental Protection Agency by 16%, with especial cuts to programs to fight climate change and pollution of air and water. Other agencies with environmental mandates, such as the National Ocean Administration, also saw large cuts, such a…
View the post titled EPA cuts: return of the 90s?Receive Blog Posts
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