Other Stories
During a chemical fire, evacuation may not be best
At a fire in a plastics factory in southwest England, some people were evacuated then it was decided to tell the remainder to remain in their homes. Evaluation of the health effects on both groups found that the evacuees fared worse. It may be safer to remain in your home, close windows and block gaps with towels than to leave, particularly if a fire is causing the noxious gases to rise and disperse.
EU fights groundwater pollution, sets quality rule
The European Union has agreed new standards for groundwater. Opponents said that the standards did not go far enough, covering only nitrates and pesticides. The Netherlands and Ireland are struggling to meet standards on nitrates.
Appeals Court Sides With EPA on Plants
Thirteen states sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), saying that letting older power plants emit more pollution into the air harms public health in violation of the Clean Air Act. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia disagreed.
A week ago a Richmond, Va., appeals court ruled that it is OK for plants to output more pollution annually because they run for more hours. Another lawsuit concerning plant maintenance and upgrade is still pending.
EU sets 2011 deadline to ban mercury exports
The European Union is the world's largest producer of mercury. It has called for a ban on the export of mercury by 2011. It also hopes to phase out mercury in thermometers and global dumping of the toxic metal.
Jordan River threatened by dams and sewage
The Jordon River is full of sewage and is less than a tenth of its former volume thanks to irrigation and dams, canals and pumping stations built by Israel, Jordan and Syria. As a result the Dead Sea is falling by a meter (yard) each year and may disappear in 50 years. This in spite fo the fact that the river is revered by Christians, Muslims and Jews alike and tourists fill souvenir bottles with unhealthy water, and some even take a dip in it. Israeli-Jordanian-Palestinian group Friends of the Earth Middle East (FOEME) is publicizing the problem and says the river should be designated a UNESCO world heritage site, with a place for baptism (Jesus is believed to have been baptized in the river) on both sides.
Navy to Reviews Landing Field Sites
The Navy is working preparing for an appeal (scheduled to begin July 20) to a judge's ruling that it did not research the possible affects on the environment of its choice of about 33,000 acres near Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in eastern North Carolina for a proposed jet landing field. It is also looking further into the environmental effects, and considering four other sites.
Afghan heroin output growing rapidly, Russia says
Russia says that Afghanistan's heroin output is growing apace, which should be of European and world concern. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said that output would fall by up to 40 percent this year. Russia has just ended patrolling the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border, but may resume if drug traffic gets through.
EU ministers uphold sovereign right to ban GMOs,
Officials Nix Efforts to Lift Biotech Bans
The European Union environment ministers have upheld eight national bans on genetically modified maize and rapeseed types. The European Union's executive Commission wanted the bans lifted within 20 days. The United States, Canada and Argentina have filed a suit at the World Trade Organization (WTO) saying that the bans harm trade and are not founded on science. The WTO is likely to rule in early October. The EU's member states have failed to agree on authorisation of new GMO products recently, so the Commission will now decide.
Mass. Aid Request for Red Tide Turned Down
The Federal Emergency Management Agency says that the red tide algae bloom does not rate as a major disaster, so emergency funds cannot be released.
Wildlife Smuggling a U.S. Border Problem
People have tried to smuggle all sorts of wildlife across the U.S.-Mexico border, including an African elephant. Many of the animals are from endangered species, so the trade puts the whole species at risk. Others may be carrying diseases due to humans and/or livestock, such as avian influenza. Many animals don't make it, and if they do, end up in unsuitable homes. The trade is part of organized crime. The penalties are so low that the trade is much more profitable than drugs.
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