toxics

[This blog entry has been cross posted from Toxic Free North Carolina's weblog, Fair Ground, where it was originally posted by Toxic Free NC guest blogger Allen Spalt.]

Today is the 25th anniversary of the disaster at Bhopal, India.

When the badly designed and improperly maintained chemical tank failed at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal and sent a cloud of deadly methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas over the city killing thousands in the middle of the night, it was the world's works industrial "accident." It also poisoned thousands of others with health effects that linger today (for those who have survived that long).

For me, it is a strong reminder and impetus for our work. It was also totally unnecessary in at least two ways.

First, the pesticides being manufactured there, carbaryl (Sevin) and Aldicarb, can be made with a 'flow through' process that does not require the use of intermediate holding tanks for the MIC which is used in the manufacture of the final products. In fact, at the time, Bhopal's sister plant in Institute, West Virginia, did not contain such tanks. Better oversight and maintenance might have prevented the leaks, of course, but in fact the tanks were not even necessary. Just cheaper. So to save a few bucks on the process and on maintenance, Union Carbide risked the lives of tens of thousands.

Second, we work to promote alternatives which would make the manufacture of such deadly pesticides unnecessary. You don't need Sevin or Aldicarb or other similar deadly poisons in sustainable or organic agriculture. Every acre that is converted means fewer pounds of poison manufactured, sold, used, or disposed of. Fewer people at risk. Less residues in the water, soil, and food. Safer environments for our children and wildlife.

Someday it will be recognized that what has been called "conventional agriculture" for the last few decades was anything but. It is horribly out of sync with the tradition of agriculture over the centuries. With chemical intensive monocultures, it is depleting the soil and poisoning the water. It is not sustainable. The latest gasp of bioengineered crops, which promised more productivity and fewer chemicals, are proving to provide neither. They are less productive and require more herbicides and other pesticides. You know, if there is one thing the geniuses from Monsanto could select for besides Roundup-resistance, it would be greater productivity. But they haven't found it in any genetically engineered crop. More than a few critics from our side of the barn predicted this.

It is not a question of whether will we replace "conventional" agriculture with sustainable production, it is when. Otherwise we will not be sustained as a civilization.

Most indicators, fortunately, are not as dramatic as Bhopal, but they are pointing in our direction. I am proud to work with all of you on this important work to promote health and safety and to point the way to a sustainable future. Getting rid of pesticides is one important part of the struggle.

Union Carbide did not survive the aftermath of the incident, though it never paid fully for its responsibility. Its assets were sold. Work continues under other owners in RTP. The Bhopal plant was bought by Dow, which contends it has no responsibility to the victims.

On the tenth anniversary I was giving a workshop at a meeting in Atlanta and asked for a moment of silence for Bhopal. I was moved when one participant introduced himself as having grown up in Bhopal. He is one of three or four people I've met from there, the others are survivors of the disaster. Today I will take time out to remember them and others and rededicate to the task.

Join us in commemorating the Bhopal anniversary by taking action for justice in Bhopal.

The Environmental Working Group has all sorts of great information on toxics, their effects on humans, and how to best avoid them. I can easily spend hours browsing around their website reading reports and news coverage on all of their issue work.

One thing I found today is their Everyday Pollution Solutions. It's a sort of top 10 list for going green and keeping healthy. Check it out for yourself, here. In addition to their top 10 tips, you can take a body burden test and a "step-by-step tour of your home to learn the toxic truth about how household products contribute to your body burden of industrial chemicals."

Happy Friday!

I was proudly swigging water from my green SIGG aluminum bottle the other day at work, when my coworker came in to burst my bubble.

Ever since the BPA scare over the past few years (see this blog post from 2007 and this blog post from 2008), the public has been demanding that companies make resusable water bottles without liners that contain BPA. Thus, after I threw out my old Nalgene bottle last year, I invested in the aluminum SIGG bottle...

Of course, since then, Nalgene has come out with BPA-free products, so many folks have gone back to Nalgene (after entire shelves in stores were cleared of the old bottles). What I didn't realize (and what my coworker told me yesterday), is that even the SIGG bottles manufactured before 2008 have trace amounts of BPA in them. Just think--all this time I've been under a false impression that my beloved water bottle was safe from these nasty little toxins.

After doing some research, I found out a few interesting things:

• According to a public letter from the SIGG CEO, many tests have ensured that SIGG bottles manufactured before August 2008, while they do have trace amounts of BPA, showed no actual leaching of BPA (which, as far as I can tell, is where the company makes the distinction between their product and other products that both contained and leached BPA). From the letter:

  "SIGG bottles manufactured prior to August 2008 have the former water-based epoxy liner which contains trace amounts of BPA. These bottles have been thoroughly tested and showed 0% leaching of BPA."

• Bottles manufactured since August 2008 have SIGG's their new BPA free "EcoCare" liner.
• Through October 31, 2009, consumers who own one of the older-style bottles can mail in (at their own expense) their old bottle for a similar replacement with the new liner. For more info, see their exchange program. Also, check here to see which liner your SIGG bottle has.

SIGG has also released a newer bulletin dated September 1, 2009 to further clear things up. Although I must say that I'm beginning to think I should fore-go all bottles completely and just begin drinking water straight out of the faucet from here on out...

I just ran across the article “Are We Being Bamboozled?” from emagazine.com and it alerted me to a little known fact! Apparently our beloved renewable bamboo isn’t exactly the best material for us to be using as a cloth alternative…or at least it isn’t so good for us due to the intense chemical dousing it goes through to commercially process the bamboo fibers. Check out the article here: http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4801

PS This article caught my eye not only for calling out bamboo – but I couldn’t resist the “bamboozling” reference! (Recall our latest campaign to “Stop the Big Oil Bamboozle”)

This past weekend, my family exchanged fruits and veggies from their home-grown gardens. We ended up with a big pot of eggplant, peppers, basil, tomatoes, and cucumbers; and this started me thinking about pesticide use in small family gardens such as these. Then, today I ran across an article that addresses the toxicity of some of the "inert" ingredients in the common pesticide, Roundup. From Environmental Health News:

"Used in yards, farms and parks throughout the world, Roundup has long been a top-selling weed killer. But now researchers have found that one of Roundup’s inert ingredients can kill human cells, particularly embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells.

The new findings intensify a debate about so-called “inerts” — the solvents, preservatives, surfactants and other substances that manufacturers add to pesticides. Nearly 4,000 inert ingredients are approved for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Glyphosate, Roundup’s active ingredient, is the most widely used herbicide in the United States. About 100 million pounds are applied to U.S. farms and lawns every year, according to the EPA.

Until now, most health studies have focused on the safety of glyphosate, rather than the mixture of ingredients found in Roundup. But in the new study, scientists found that Roundup’s inert ingredients amplified the toxic effect on human cells—even at concentrations much more diluted than those used on farms and lawns.

One specific inert ingredient, polyethoxylated tallowamine, or POEA, was more deadly to human embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells than the herbicide itself – a finding the researchers call 'astonishing.'"

What I found most interesting about the article is the idea that it's not the main toxic chemical compound in the solution that is causing these specific problems--it's the combination of the toxic chemical compounds and inert" ingredients. Which brings about a question....what are "inert" ingredients? From the article:

"The term “inert ingredient” is often misleading, according to Caroline Cox, research director of the Center for Environmental Health, an Oakland-based environmental organization. Federal law classifies all pesticide ingredients that don’t harm pests as “inert,” she said. Inert compounds, therefore, aren’t necessarily biologically or toxicologically harmless – they simply don’t kill insects or weeds.

[...]But some inert ingredients have been found to potentially affect human health. Many amplify the effects of active ingredients by helping them penetrate clothing, protective equipment and cell membranes, or by increasing their toxicity."

Check out the article; then let us know what you do in your home gardens to eliminate or reduce weeds without the use of pesticides.

As we've been talking more and more about a green economy, green energy, and green business, I wanted to pass along a free, online resource for information about asbestos. Many of you may already know that asbestos was used as insulation for homes and buildings prior to 1980. Although naturally occurring, asbestos is toxic and is known to cause a form of cancer called mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Cancer Center (http://www.asbestos.com) recently released an interesting article entitled "Green Modifications Lead to Reduction of Asbestos Exposure in Homes." From the article:

"With a growing amount of resources devoted to eco-sustainable technologies, many homeowners are removing asbestos and replacing the substance with environmentally friendly alternatives."

"Replacing asbestos with an alternative insulation material such as cotton fiber, lycnene foam or cellulose will provide energy efficiency and will reduce the risk of asbestos exposure."

"Implementing green methods when constructing a building can have positive environmental, health and economic benefits including energy sustainability, increased property value, enhanced air quality, improved pulmonary health and the conservation of natural resources."

So if you're about to remodel an older home--or if you just want ideas for greener, safer building options, check out the site for more info!

You’ve probably heard by now that Titan Cement Company wants to build a coal-fired cement plant near Wilmington, NC. And you’ve probably heard that this cement plant and mining operation would destroy around 1,000 acres of North Carolina wetlands and the coal fired cement plant would emit hundreds of pounds of the neurotoxin mercury. (And if you haven’t heard about this yet, help us stop Titan’s plans by sending a quick message to your legislators.) Mercury contamination is of great concern to North Carolinians because currently the state Department of Health is advising most women and children to avoid eating over 2 dozens types of fish because of dangerous levels of mercury found in those species (read the fish consumption advisory here).

But don’t worry [insert sarcasm here] - a new report says that the toxic mercury emissions from the cement plant won’t be a problem!

Not surprisingly, this report was a study funded by...the Titan Cement Company. I’m SURE they would have released the report even if the results said something different. But what’s most revealing is what the company and their report actually say about how people can protect themselves from mercury poisoning:

"The best way to alleviate their risk is to help them make better dietary choices, the report concludes."

In other words – the mercury emissions won’t threaten public health...as long as the public stops eating most fish. I’ve got a better idea. How about we stop creating new sources of mercury emissions that add to the growing problem of dozens of toxic fish in our state. Then we won’t have to worry about being poisoned by our plate of fried catfish AND can have a thriving commercial fishing industry.

For over 90 years, ALCOA, one of the world’s leading aluminum companies, operated a smelter at Baden on the Yadkin River. [See last week's blog post for more information.] ALCOA shut down the smelter in 2002, but has sought to renew its license for the dams for another 50 years. The proposed license has one step left to become legal: the company must obtain a certification from the state that operation of the dams won’t violate water quality standards.

Here’s the problem: for years, ALCOA dumped toxic wastes in various places around the Yadkin. The company has admitted to 53 sites along a 38 mile stretch of the river, but has only agreed to clean up 6 of them so far. Known contaminants include cyanide, fluoride, PCBs, solvents, metals, hydrocarbons, benzene, naphthalene and methane, all of which are toxic to humans and the environment.

Please take action today by clicking here. Let the state Division of Water Quality – and your legislators – know that (1) ALCOA’s contamination needs to be cleaned up, and (2) the license shouldn’t be approved until we know for certain that dam operations won’t spread contaminants around the river system.

Take action!

The new Yadkin Riverkeeper along with river organizations across the globe, have recently released a worldwide pollution map denoting the environmental damage that the company, Alcoa, has done in communities.

The Alcoa Worldwide Pollution Google map is an interactive tool. A click on any pin pointing out a community in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa or Australia pops up a summary on what environmental damage the company did in the community and how it responded, along with a link to a news source for more information. Alcoa, one of the world's largest aluminum smelting company, has been cited numerous times for air, soil, and water pollution violations in these areas.

The Yadkin Riverkeeper, Dean Naujoks, has been reviewing reports of existing contamination at Badin Lake, a 5,300-acre body of water that flows into the river in Stanly County via Narrows Dam. Reports of decades of pollution in the area associated with a now-defunct smelter Alcoa operated near it, including data that Alcoa discharged such contaminants as PCBs into the air, land, and waterways, prompted Naujoks to investigate other items regarding the firm's activities. The results were so widespread that he created a map as the best way to keep track of what had happened and where it was located.

From their press release, Dean Naujoks said:

"...Alcoa’s world wide environmental damage is absolutely staggering, and this map helps put it all into perspective... The company is on notice that we are holding them accountable for their actions. They need to be responsible corporate leaders and take appropriate actions...whether it is on the Yadkin River or elsewhere in the world. They will no longer be allowed to operate in relative isolation while they cause wide scale environmental damage across the globe."

For more information on the Alcoa issue in the Yadkin-Pee Dee watershed, click here.

On December 22, 2008 a coal ash spill took place at the Kingston Fossil Plant, a Tennessee Valley Authority generating plant. Truly, the stories that have come out since that morning have shown what sort of environmental catastrophe we are dealing with.

For some of the best coverage of this issue, I urge you to check out our friends at App Voices who are waist-deep in this issue (literally). They have done an amazing job covering every angle of the story since the dam broke. They have even created a website to specifically cover the TVA spill, which includes photos and videos. Below is one video taken on the Emory River documenting the spill and the lack of any clean-up by TVA.

Our respect and admiration go to App Voices and all who are involved in telling the truth about the spill.