PROTECTING ACCESS TO ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION

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News In Brief

TAKE ACTION - Tell EPA to Strengthen Monitoring of Lead Pollution in Air (NRDC)

Urge the EPA to protect children’s health by strengthening monitoring requirements for airborne lead pollution. Exposure to lead endangers children, but the EPA does not require monitoring near all industrial sources that emit unsafe amounts of airborne lead.

(05 Feb 2010)

Report Finds Underreporting of Toxic Emissions, Increase in Benzene from Refineries (Environmental Integrity Project)

The nonprofit Environmental Integrity Project used TRI data to identify an 8% increase in benzene emissions from refineries between 2007 and 2008. But the figures may be too low due to problematic underreporting to TRI.

(05 Feb 2010)

Tell EPA How to Clean Up Closed Auto Industry Sites (U.S. EPA)

COMMENT NOW on EPA's blog: What can EPA do to help communities understand the environmental conditions at former auto sector sites? And what can EPA do to help communities revitalize those sites?

(05 Feb 2010)

Coal Ash Action Plans Disclosed (U.S. EPA)

The EPA has disclosed action plans from 22 electric utility facilities to improve the safety of their coal ash impoundments. The following utilities are still hiding critical information as trade secrets: Alabama Power Company, Duke Energy Corporation, First Energy Generation Corporation, Georgia Power Company, Gulf Power Company, and Mississippi Power Company.

(05 Feb 2010)

Groups Fight for Transparency of Toxics in Cleaning Products. (Earthjustice)

Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, Church and Dwight and Reckitt-Benckiser are in court defending their alleged noncompliance with NY state disclosure law. "It's time for these companies to stop hiding behind a veil of secrecy and give consumers the information they need to protect themselves and their families."

(05 Feb 2010)

Public Hearings on Stricter Smog Rule (U.S. EPA)

Three public hearings are scheduled to gather comments on EPA's proposed tighter standards for ground-level ozone - a main component of smog. The hearings are:

  • Feb. 2: Arlington, Va.
  • Feb. 2: Houston, Texas.
  • Feb. 4: Sacramento, Calif.
(29 Jan 2010)

Guidance for EPA Staff on Using Social Media (Federal Computer Week)

EPA officials have issued interim policies on how the agency's employees should use social media to interact with members of the public in a memo published on the Internet.

(29 Jan 2010)

More Monitoring of NO2 in Works (Environment News Service)

EPA is establishing new monitoring requirements in urban areas to measure NO2 levels around major roads and across the community. Monitors must be located near roadways in cities with at least 500,000 residents. However, evidence suggests the OMB interfered with the monitoring requirements.

(29 Jan 2010)

Companies To Disclose Toxics In Toys Under New Washington Pilot Program (Washington Toxics Coalition)

Children’s health advocates today applauded the Washington State Department of Ecology’s first-in-the-nation program that will require manufacturers of toys and other children’s products to report whether their products contain certain harmful chemicals.

(28 Jan 2010)

More News >>

Action Alerts and Campaigns

Help Strengthen America's Toxic Chemicals Standards

Please take action to support legislation to protect our families from dangerous toxic chemicals.

(19 Nov 2009)

TAKE ACTION – Tell Congress to Force Disclosure of Toxic Drilling Chemicals

A controversial natural gas drilling technique is suspected of contaminating drinking water across the country, but more research cannot be done because the drilling companies won't disclose what toxic chemicals they are pumping into the ground. Congress is now considering legislation that would force drillers to disclose what chemicals they are using, but it needs our support against Big Oil and Gas.

(17 Sep 2009)

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