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High Levels of Arsenic Found in Chicken BETHESDA, Maryland, January 20, 2004 (ENS) - People who eat chicken may be taking in greater amounts of arsenic than anyone has previously thought. Arsenic concentrations in young chickens are three times greater than in other meat and poultry products, U.S. government scientists report in the January issue of "Environmental Health Perspectives."Arsenic is an approved animal dietary supplement and is found in specifically approved drugs added to poultry and other animal feeds. It is fed to broiler chickens in the form of Roxarsone (4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl arsonic acid) to control intestinal parasites. Epidemiologist Tamar Lasky of the National Institute of Child Health and Development, led the study, working with a team that included scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service Office of Public Health and Science. At average levels of chicken consumption — 2 ounces a day, or the equivalent of a third to half of a boneless chicken breast — people ingest about 3.6 to 5.2 micrograms of inorganic arsenic, the most toxic form of the element. People who eat an average of 2.1 ounces a day of chicken, about half a chicken breast, will take in 3.62 to 5.24 micrograms of inorganic arsenic per day, Lasky and her team calculate. About one percent of the U.S. population eats as much as 10 times that amount of chicken, and takes in a proportionately larger amount of arsenic, the scientists found. Bladder, respiratory and skin cancers may result from a daily intake of 10 to 40 micrograms of arsenic. A joint expert committee from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization has determined that a tolerable daily intake of inorganic arsenic to be two micrograms per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight per day. People can also be exposed to arsenic in drinking water, or by breathing air containing dust or smoke from burning arsenic treated wood, but chicken consumption can make up a "sizable proportion of the tolerable daily intake," Lasky and her team report. More study is needed to find out exactly how the arsenic consumed in chicken is metabolized in the human body. The scientists say that the chemical forms of arsenic found in chicken muscle "have not been reported in the literature." It would be helpful to have more detailed laboratory information about the forms of inorganic and organic arsenic remaining in chicken muscle, they write, as well as the effects of cooking on these forms, and the metabolism of the ingested arsenic.
Four More Animals from Mad Cow Herd Located WASHINGTON, DC, January 20, 2004 (ENS) – U.S. agriculture authorities have located four more cows from the Canadian herd that harbored the mad cow discovered in Washington state in December. Three animals have been located at a facility in Tenino, Washington and one additional animal has been located in Connell. Both the Tenino and Connell herds have been placed under quarantine.The dairy cow was slaughtered in Mabton, Washington on December 9 because it was unable to walk following a rupture during calving. A test of the carcass for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), known as mad cow disease, was positive, and the cow was later traced back to a herd in Alberta, Canada. In total, 81 cows were in the Canadian herd, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is attempting to locate all of them because some of these animals were possibly exposed to the same feed source as the BSE positive cow. BSE spreads from the feeding of infected nervous tissue of cattle that is ground up or rendered and fed back to other cattle. Left to themselves, cattle are vegetarian. The USDA says it has now located 23 of the 81 cows that came from Canada, all of them in Washington state.
USDA investigators are still determining whether the remaining 14 heifers entered the United States. The three heifers were found at the Quincy, Washington, dairy where one of the 81 has been located. Selective slaughter of 129 animals from the index herd, which began on January 10, is complete. On January 17, the USDA began selective slaughter of the Mattawa herd. The USDA has transported and sampled a total of 20 animals from this facility. To date, 129 animals from the index premises have been euthanized and sampled. To date, 30 samples from the index herd have completed testing, but no other cases of BSE have been found. So far, about 600 cows have been killed in Washington as a precaution, including 449 bull calves in Sunnyside that included an offspring of the Mabton Holstein that tested positive for mad cow disease. The USDA said all 449 had to be killed because the calf from the Holstein had not been tagged and could not be identified.
Florida Sues to Recover $12 Million for Refinery Cleanup TALLAHASSEE, Florida, January 20, 2004 (ENS) - Now that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is cleaning up the polluted site of the old St. Marks Refinery, the agency is seeking payment of $12 million already spent in cleanup costs.Thursday, the DEP filed suit against former owners and operators of the St. Marks Refinery to recover the money. In a civil complaint filed with the Leon County Circuit Court, DEP is also seeking penalties for environmental violations and financial compensation to restore damage to natural resources. “The Department is cleaning up the site to protect the environment and public health,” said DEP Secretary David Struhs. “The companies that caused the pollution should pay for the cleanup, not Florida’s taxpayers.” Along with reimbursement, the lawsuit against American International Petroleum Company, St. Marks Refinery, Inc., Seminole Refining Corporation and James T. Young petitions the court for injunctive relief, which will allow the DEP to gain access to an area where the current owner has refused entry and continue cleanup of pollution at the 55 acre site. For half a century, operators produced and stored asphalt, pentachlorophenol and petroleum products at the facility in Wakulla County. During site evaluations, inspectors discovered runoff from oil lagoons and tar pits contaminating nearby water and soils. Built in 1954, the refinery processed crude oil for jet fuel and asphalt until it closed in 1985. Seminole Refining Corporation owned the refinery from 1985 to 1992. The site is now owned by American International Petroleum, Inc. Extensive assessment and monitoring at the property over the last three years revealed impacts to the St. Marks River, adjacent wetlands and the underlying groundwater, the DEP says. Florida officials discovered contaminants, including dioxins, at levels well above state standards. Despite continued negotiation, a string of facility owners failed to make significant progress cleaning up contamination and restoring damaged natural resources., the DEP says. To protect public health and safety, and to minimize environmental damages, the agency assumed responsibility for assessment and cleanup at the site. The state has invested over $12 million dismantling tanks, removing contaminated soil and disposing of solid and hazardous waste. In June 2002, the DEP asked the Florida Department of Health (DOH) if dioxins and pentachlorophenol in soil and water samples at the former petroleum refinery site are hazardous to human health. For the purposes of this report, the Florida DOH calculated exposure doses for adults. Based on interviews with site workers and local residents, there is no evidence that children currently are or ever have been exposed to contaminants on the St. Marks Refinery site, the DOH said. The DOH determined that adults exposed to contaminated soil and dust on site for 30 years would not be expected to suffer any adverse health effects. Adults who drink two liters of groundwater from the site each day for 30 years and which is contaminated at the highest level measured may suffer adverse health effects, including an increased risk of cancer. The Florida DOH recommends that people not drink the contaminated groundwater from the St. Marks Refinery site. A door-to-door survey of residents living in the St. Marks area determined that the City of Tallahassee supplies drinking water for the town, and groundwater wells are only used for irrigation purposes. There is no evidence to suggest that any local residents are drinking contaminated groundwater from the St. Marks Refinery site.
Empty Nuclear Fuel Shipping Trucks Crash After Delivery BERWICK, Pennsylvania, January 20, 2004 (ENS) - From the "It Could Have Been Worse" file, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission today released the report of an accident between two tractor trailers carrying empty shipping boxes from a nuclear fuel shipment that just had been delivered to the Susquehanna Nuclear Power Plant in central Pennsylvania.The two tractor trailers involved in the shipment were amongst the vehicles in the accident that occurred at 8pm local time on January 14. One of the truck drivers was seriously injured. The trucks were severely damaged. The Clinton County Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency was called to the scene by initial responders as well as the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Both surveyed the shipping boxes and found no indication of radiation contamination, according to the commission. The shipping boxes and vehicles are being held by the towing company until the shipping company can provide replacement vehicles. The commission states that the empty boxes were being shipped in accordance with U.S. Department of Transportation regulations. The Susquehanna plant, located on the Susquehanna River in Luzerne County about seven miles north of Berwick, is owned jointly by PPL Susquehanna LLC and Allegheny Electric Cooperative Inc. and is operated by PPL Susquehanna.
Golf Courses May Soon Be Planted With Biotech Turfgrass WASHINGTON, DC, January 20, 2004 (ENS) - The Monsanto and Scotts companies are seeking deregulation of a genetically engineered grass for golf courses, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is asking for public comment on the request through March 5.The Monsanto/Scotts petition states that the creeping bentgrass Agrostis stolonifera L. should not be regulated by APHIS because it does not present a plant pest risk. This creeping bentgrass has been considered a regulated plant by APHIS because it contains gene sequences from plant pathogens, including the cauliflower mosaic virus, among others. The grass has been field tested since 2000 in the United States. In the process of reviewing the notifications for the field trials, APHIS determined that the trials, which were conducted under conditions of reproductive and physical containment or isolation, would not present introduce or spread a plant pest. This turfgrass, which is genetically engineered to tolerate glyphosate, sold under the Monsanto trademark Roundup PRO, can be used on golf courses, landscaped areas, public recreation areas, residential property, roadsides, and school grounds. Monsanto and Scotts have filed a proposed supplemental label for Roundup PRO herbicide for uses in seed production of glyphosate tolerant creeping bentgrass. The companies have filed a separate supplementary label for Roundup PRO for general weed control in glyphosate tolerant creeping bentgrass turf, planted to golf course tees, greens, and fairways. A preliminary risk assessment conducted by APHIS has found that there appear to be no major unintended effects. The genetically modified turfgrass is not sexually compatible with any federal threatened or endangered species, nor is it sexually compatible with any species on the federal noxious weed list. Still, APHIS is asking for public comment on whether this herbicide tolerant turfgrass presents a plant pest risk. The agency is also interested in learning about the potential environmental effects of the genetically engineered grass. "In which environments, crops, and locations are creeping bentgrass and/or its sexually compatible relative controlled or managed by herbicides, mechanical measures or biological agents?" APHIS asks. "What are the intents and practices for the targeted or secondary control or management of creeping bentgrass and its sexually compatible relatives, to what extent is glyphosate used and what are alternative herbicides that could be used?" "What would be the cumulative effects from commercialization of glyphosate tolerant creeping bentgrass, and how might these effects be monitored and mitigated by deployment (release) strategies or management practices?" The petition is online at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/03_10401p.pdf and the preliminary risk assessment at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/03_10401p_ra.pdf APHIS documents are online at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html Email comments to: regulations@aphis.usda.gov. Comments must be contained in the body the message; do not send attached files. Please include your name and address in the body of the message and use "Docket No. 03-101-1," on the subject line.
Air Quality Fears Close Rhode Island Motor Vehicle Office PAWTUCKET, Rhode Island, January 20, 2004 (ENS) - Drivers from Pawtucket who have business with the Division of Motor Vehicles will have to go to nearby towns to get their licenses and registrations for at least a month. Burst pipes flooded the building, and dangerous particles were released into the air when damaged rugs, wall coverings and ceiling tiles were moved, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health.Three pipes froze and burst January 12 during the coldest part of a frigid weekend. The Motor Vehicle Registry was flooded when ice dams in pipes thawed and water began to flow again. Governor Donald Carcieri has ordered that three part-time satellite offices - in Warren, Westerly, and Wakefield - will stay open full time to manage the increased traffic. "We apologize for the inconvenience that this will cause to Rhode Island drivers, but the health and safety of our employees and of customers is our paramount concern," Governor Carcieri said. The building's landlord, Louis Yip of Lantau Island Inc., has secured the services of Providence Fire and Restoration Services, which has subcontracted with Commercial Drying Technologies of New Jersey, to conduct moisture remediation at the facility. This process involves the use drying and dehumidification equipment, air scrubbers, circulation fans, as well as the removal of carpets, wet insulation and drywall and the application of biocide to prevent mold growth. An industrial hygienist has been retained by the landlord to consult on the remediation. Workers in the building say a major concern is preventing or abating a buildup of mold, which means going behind the walls and shelving. The Department of Administration has contacted the Rhode Island Department of Health to help monitor the environmental conditions and ensure the health of the employees and the customers.
Colorado Honors Ranchers of the Roaring Fork Valley DENVER, Colorado, January 20, 2004 (ENS) - Bob and Tee Child purchased a 1,500 acre cattle ranch in Pitkin County in the early 1960s. They ranched the property quietly until 1969 when their way of life was threatened by a proposal to turn nearby Haystack Mountain into what would have been the Roaring Fork Valley’s fifth and largest ski resort. Bob Child led the battle against the proposal in the local political arena for 10 years until he convinced Congress to designate the public land in question as wilderness.When the ski area development proposal was withdrawn, the Child family still stood to make tens of millions of dollars by subdividing and selling their ranch in 50 and 30-acre lots. Instead, they took the conservation road and downzoned most of their property while achieving permanent protection for the wildlife habitat and agricultural heritage of the ranch in through easements. These choices have earned the Child family the 2004 Landowner of the Year title conferred by the The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW). Every year since 1982, the DOW has recognized a Landowner of the Year for the state of Colorado. The award is part of the Landowner Recognition Program, which works to enhance communications between landowners, the DOW and sportsmen in order to work toward common goals. The Childs have worked also to ensure the public has access to the ranch and to the neighboring wilderness by establishing a parking and trail easement on their property. Hunters, anglers, hikers horseback riders, cross country skiers, local school children and a variety of other recreational users have all benefited immensely from the Child’s vision of their property. The Childs have put in wildlife friendly fencing and drop down fencing that allows for deer and elk migration. They have left a second cut of hay and alfalfa in their meadows for wildlife, stocked Colorado River cutthroat, and established a naturally reproducing population at their own expense, and none of these efforts have gone unnoticed by the Pitkin County Board of Commissioners and the Western Colorado Agriculture Heritage Fund, which both nominated Bob and Tee for the Landowner of the Year award. “The Childs have sacrificed and worked tremendously hard to ensure that wildlife has a place on their ranch and in the Roaring Fork Valley,” said Ken Morgan, private lands habitat specialist for the DOW. “They have created an exemplary blend of productive cattle ranching and wildlife conservation while improving their local community by assuring public access for recreation. Both the Roaring Fork Valley and the state of Colorado have benefited due to their efforts.”
Washington Polluted Waters Assessment Open for Comment OLYMPIA, Washington, January 20, 2004 (ENS) - The Washington state Department of Ecology (Ecology) is inviting public comment on the largest assessment ever done of Washington’s waters.“This is our broadest look yet at the condition of Washington’s waters,” said Dick Wallace, manager of Ecology’s water quality program. “It will help us figure out which waterways need the most attention as we partner with local communities to address pollution.” According to the draft assessment, 56 percent of the 2,362 waters listed as polluted in 1998 have been placed into other categories. Nineteen percent no longer show evidence of pollution. Still, because more waters are being tested, the overall number of polluted water segments on the list has increased by 320 segments from 2,362 to 2,682. Ecology compiles its own water quality data for the assessment and invites other groups to submit data as well. Nearly 40,000 data submissions received in December 2002 were analyzed to be sure they were collected using sound scientific methods, then all were mapped and catalogued. The department is now inviting public comment on the 32,165 validated records in this year’s assessment. When Ecology published similar data in 1998, there were only 2,362 records. The assessment is used to identify polluted waters and set priorities for improving water quality so the water eventually can be used for swimming, fishing, fish habitat and drinking. The public now has a chance to review the assessment, provide comments and submit additional data. The state’s final list will then be formally submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has the authority to approve or disapprove it. A water cleanup plan, also known as a “total maximum daily load” or TMDL, must be developed for all of the waters that are classified as polluted. In 1998, to help resolve a lawsuit between environmentalists and the EPA, Ecology entered into an agreement to complete 1,566 water cleanup plans on approximately 700 water bodies over a 15 year period. Now, five years into that agreement, Ecology and its community partners have completed 293 cleanup plans and are working to finish the rest. “People are getting involved in understanding and improving water quality in their communities, and it is paying off,” said Wallace, citing progress in places such as the Nooksack River, the upper and lower Yakima rivers, the Chehalis and Stillaguamish rivers, Simpson Timberland streams and Yakima’s Granger Drain. “All of these are a result of cooperative efforts between local communities and Ecology." Public comment on the draft assessment and additional data will be accepted through March 15. More information, including comprehensive listings and an interactive map that shows all waters in the state for which data exist, is available at: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/303d/2002/2002-index.html. Information workshops are scheduled for:
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