EPA Issues New Information on Old and New Fluorescent Light Bulbs

January 19, 2011–Some light bulbs require special handling to reduce toxic exposures. EPA's latest guidance for old fluorescent bulbs that contain PCBs and current generation CFLs that contain mercury both provide important fodder for consumer-awareness stories.

Chasing Molecules: Poisonous Products, Human Health, and the Promise of Green Chemistry

January 15, 2011–

Radon an Issue in Drinking Water as Well as Indoor Air

December 22, 2010–The President's Cancer Panel singled out radon, a radioactive gas found in water systems and leaching from soil into houses via foundation cracks, as one of America's "grossly underestimated" environmentally caused cancer risks.

SLAPP Win: Court Awards Legal Fees to Filmmaker in Dole Case

December 15, 2010–The makers of "Bananas!," which claimed that Dole's use of pesticides had caused harm to farm workers in Nicaragua, were awarded $200,000 in court costs and attorney fees.

EPA Releases Reports on Toxics at Selected Schools

November 24, 2010–Following a December 2008 USA Today report on outdoor air pollution at hundreds of schools, EPA began a monitoring process. Final reports for 21 (of the small number of schools selected) have now been released; the results are mixed.

More Cool Data Tools from EPA

November 17, 2010–TRI-CHIP assembles a great deal of toxicity and hazard information from many sources and makes it easy to search. TRI.NET allows you to construct complex queries into the Toxics Release Inventory database, and to map the results in ways that can be used for publishable graphics or layered on maps with other environmental and demographic information.

Pavement Sealcoat Contaminates Lakes and Streams

November 10, 2010–A soon-to-be-published study has found elevated levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, probable human carcinogens toxic to fish and other aquatic life, in waterways are originating from coal tar-based pavement sealcoats.

As TRI Goes Electronic, Speed Records Fall

November 3, 2010–The new record for getting raw data reported by industry to the general public: 28 days. Nearly 95 percent of reporting companies filed their reports electronically.

Cool Tools for Reporters Showcased at 2010 TRI Meeting

November 3, 2010–The WatchDog attended EPA's annual training conference for government workers on the Toxics Release Inventory, Nov. 1-3, 2010. See a preview of the showcased offerings, which have extra emphasis on environmental justice and EPA data tools ranging far beyond TRI. 

Envirofacts Warehouse Gets Geographic Makeover, Update

November 3, 2010–This newly powerful, easy-to-use mapping tool can help environmental journalists find and report great local and regional stories.