Publication Items

Chemical Safety: Right-To-Know? No — Not Exactly [1]

The system for informing Americans about the threats to their health and safety posed by chemical plants is seriously broken, a Reuters investigation revealed August 10, 2013. Facilities often misidentify chemicals or their location, or fail to report the existence of the substances. But there are tools to help reporters.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Planning & Growth [3]
People & Population [4]
Laws & Regulations [5]
Health [6]
Disasters [7]
Chemicals [8]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Chemical Safety: Right-To-Know? No — Not Exactly [1]
NIOSH Withholding Locations Where Fracking Sand Threatens Workers [10]

Studies by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health show silica used in hydraulic fracturing of tight oil and gas formations can endanger workers. But a FOIA request seeking to know the sites where workers had been endangered has met with no response, independent journalist and SEJ member Elizabeth Grossman reports.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
People & Population [4]
Health [6]
Government [11]
Energy & Fuel [12]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about NIOSH Withholding Locations Where Fracking Sand Threatens Workers [10]
Judge Rejects Industry Suit To Omit Styrenes from Carcinogens Report [13]

Styrene (used to make plastic packaging) was listed in June 2011 as "reasonably anticipated" to be cancer-causing in the biennial federal Report on Carcinogens. Industry not only challenged, but also mounted a political campaign, persuading a powerful House Appropriations subcommittee chairman to withhold spending for the report until NTP reconsidered the styrene listing.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [5]
Health [6]
Chemicals [8]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Judge Rejects Industry Suit To Omit Styrenes from Carcinogens Report [13]
"Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation" [14]

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [15]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [8]
Health [6]
Pollution [16]
Region:
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [17]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about "Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation" [14]
Voluntary Fracking Disclosure Database Gets 'F' from Harvard Study [18]

We told you so. But now a Harvard study also says it: the FracFocus registry designed and operated by the drilling industry (and its close friends) fails to meet the public's right to accountability and complete disclosure of chemicals pumped into underground formations that may impact people's drinking-water wells.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [19]
Health [6]
Environmental Health [20]
Energy & Fuel [12]
Chemicals [8]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Voluntary Fracking Disclosure Database Gets 'F' from Harvard Study [18]
White House OMB Secretly Weakened Food Safety Rule [21]

It may come as little surprise that an unknown number of Americans could die as a result of White House weakening of food safety rules mandated by Congress. The Office of Management and Budget has been secretly weakening environmental health and safety at industry request for years. The surprise is that we found out.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
People & Population [4]
Laws & Regulations [5]
Health [6]
Government [11]
Food [22]
Environmental Politics [23]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about White House OMB Secretly Weakened Food Safety Rule [21]
Exxon "Unified Command" Locks Down Ark. Spill Site; Threatens Reporter [24]

The March 29, 2013, spill from ExxonMobil's Pegasus Pipeline near Mayflower, Arkansas is a big deal for several reasons. But the most important thing about the Mayflower spill may be that ExxonMobil and the federal agencies involved seem to be trying to keep news media from getting close enough to see what is going on. Read SEJ's letter protesting the media treatment, and EPA's response.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [7]
Energy & Fuel [12]
Environmental Health [20]
Environmental Politics [23]
Government [11]
Health [6]
People & Population [4]
Region:
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [25]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Exxon "Unified Command" Locks Down Ark. Spill Site; Threatens Reporter [24]
Are We Ready for the Next Superstorm? [26]

Francesca Lyman asks "What does Hurricane Sandy tell us about coping with human health and consequences of climate change?"

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [27]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [8]
Climate Change [28]
Disasters [7]
Environmental Health [20]
Health [6]
People & Population [4]
Planning & Growth [3]
Pollution [16]
Region:
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [17]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Are We Ready for the Next Superstorm? [26]
Children's Health Report Released after Reporter Exposes OMB Blockade [29]

Sunlight cures many ills. A month after watchdog Sheila Kaplan exposed a White House blackout of an EPA report on children's environmental health, the Obama administration uncorked it. Of course, the timing may have had something to do with the election as well; EPA announced its publication January 25, just a few days after the inauguration.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Health [6]
Government [11]
Environmental Politics [23]
Environmental Health [20]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Children's Health Report Released after Reporter Exposes OMB Blockade [29]
EPA Withdraws Rule on Reporting Cadmium Health Studies [30]

EPA had on December 3, 2012, published a final rule requiring reporting of unpublished cadmium-related health and safety studies by manufacturers and importers. This rule prompted industry objections, resulting in EPA's withdrawal of the rule less than 2 weeks later.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Health [6]
Government [11]
Economy & Business [31]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about EPA Withdraws Rule on Reporting Cadmium Health Studies [30]

Pages