• PCB Exposure in Womb May Affect Behavior
  
• Suit Challenges EPA's Inaction on Ohio Air Quality
  
• Exotic Diseases Require Better Health System
  
• $50 Million Available for Private Conservation Efforts
  
• Rooftop Solar System Unveiled in New York City
  
• Grizzly Shootings Prompt Investigation
  
• Bills Would Ban Transport of Exotic Pets
  
• Minnesota Maps Twin Cities Area Resources
  

PCB Exposure in Womb May Affect Behavior

The Dutch study has been tracking various impacts of exposure to these toxicants on a group of children since 1990. It appears today in "Environmental Health Perspectives," the journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"Higher prenatal exposure to PCBs was associated with less masculinized play behavior in boys and more masculinized play behavior in girls. In boys as well as in girls, higher prenatal dioxin levels were associated with more feminized play behavior," the study's authors wrote. "We therefore suggest that these results may indicate behavioral effects of steroid hormone imbalances early in development related to prenatal exposure to PCBs and dioxins, their metabolites, and/or related compounds."

In the latest leg of the study, 189 children with an average age of 7.5 years were evaluated using the Pre-School Activities Inventory, a questionnaire that asks parents 24 questions about how their children prefer to play, including types of toys, activities and interests.

The children were evaluated based on their parents' answers to the questions on the inventory. Representative questions include whether a child prefers playing with tools versus playing with dolls, taking care of babies versus climbing, and avoiding dirt versus taking risks.

These data were then cross referenced with data on each child's exposure to four PCBs and 17 dioxins in the umbilical cord blood and the mother's blood and breast milk. The researchers also evaluated which children were breastfed and which children were formula fed.

Breastfeeding was not associated with behavioral changes, suggesting that PCBs and dioxins may act to disrupt hormones related to childhood play behavior during fetal development.

This is the first human behavioral study to show the effects of PCB and dioxin exposure on behavior that reflects marked gender differences, according to the authors. Gender specific effects of background prenatal studies have not been reported in prior human PCB studies. The authors plan to continue to evaluate the study participants to assess potential implications on later development.

The study team was headed by Hestien J. I. Vreugdenhil of Erasmus University and Sophia Children's Hospital of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. More information is available at: http://www.ehponline.org/

Suit Challenges EPA's Inaction on Ohio Air Quality

The nonprofit law firm sent court papers today to initiate the suit on behalf of Ohio Public Interest Research Group (Ohio PIRG). Earthjustice attorney Keri Powell said the goal of the case is to compel the EPA to take steps towards withdrawing Ohio's authority to regulate its own industrial polluters.

If the case is successful, the federal agency would take over administering the clean air program for Ohio and could tighten controls on major sources of air pollution that are functioning with illegal or nonexistent permits.

"Ohio has some of the worst air pollution in the country," said Powell. "Large facilities contribute tremendously to the state's dirty air and it's essential that they be held to operating permits that reflect Clean Air Act standards."

The permit program is required by amendments to the Clean Air Act signed in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush. The law requires major air pollution sources to obtain detailed operating permits that must spell out pollution limits, monitoring requirements, compliance schedules, and other provisions to implement clean air laws.

Facilities must report any permit violation and must certify each year that they are complying with all air pollution limitations. Falsifying these reports, which are used by both the EPA and concerned citizens to track air pollution, can lead to civil and criminal penalties.

"Without good permits, we can't ensure the public's safety, because we don't know whether polluters are complying with the Clean Air Act," said Amy Simpson of Ohio PIRG. "The permitting process is supposed to inform the public and EPA about polluters - which facilities are violating pollution limits. In Ohio, the process is being sidestepped and the public is kept in the dark."

In response to comments submitted to the EPA last year by Ohio PIRG and other Ohio environmental groups, the agency admitted that Ohio is not properly implementing the Title V program. The EPA cited lax requirements for reporting violations and the lack of federal new source review requirements in Ohio's Title V permits. In addition, the state missed permitting deadlines for 40 percent of its major pollution sources.

But the EPA has refused to issue a notice of deficiency that would put Ohio on a strict 18 month deadline to either resolve the problems or lose authority to administer the program. The agency has relied on informal assurances from Ohio that it will rectify the problems.

"EPA has acknowledged the problems with Ohio's Title V program, but has failed to take steps required by the Clean Air Act toward addressing the issue," said Powell. "EPA has a responsibility under the law to ensure these clean air programs are administered in all states."

Exotic Diseases Require Better Health System

Speaking before a U.S. House subcommittee, Dr. Mohammad Akhter, executive director of the APHA said the emergence of West Nile Virus in the United States and bioterrorist threats require a new strategic approach to public health.

"The globalization of disease has changed the world. And with it, public health must change," said Dr. Akhter. "Last century's model of protecting ourselves from disease is no longer sufficient. We need to look at new, more strategic models of doing business."

Akhter testified before the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources, on the emergence of West Nile Virus in the United States. He said while federal and state health agencies are handling the outbreak well, most of the activity has occurred after the disease reached the U.S.

"We work on vaccines and cures for diseases that currently exist and after they arrive in our country," said Akhter. "But we are not aggressively addressing key questions to get ahead of the curve: What is next? Where will our next outbreak be located? What can we do to prevent it?"

Akhter argued that public health needs to develop a proactive, global approach. He cited four key components to this strategy:

• The U.S. public health system needs an increased presence outside of the United States to track infectious diseases and assess their risk of coming to the U.S.
• U.S. health officials need to do a better job of studying these emerging diseases and new versions of old diseases, and employ new science to track diseases as they change when they hit a new environment. Federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, need to integrate their work.
• The U.S. needs a war college for public health, an institution where long term, futuristic battle plans can be mapped in a coordinated effort to attack difficult disease scenarios and advise Congress and administration on appropriate action.
• Lawmakers must ensure that the nation's public health system and the public health systems of other nations are prepared for outbreaks of new and altered diseases.

$50 Million Available for Private Conservation Efforts

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced last week it is seeking proposals for funding under the Bush administration's Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) and its Private Stewardship Grants Program.

"Private landowners and conservation groups want to help conserve fish and wildlife but the costs of protecting, restoring, and managing habitat can be prohibitive," said USFWS Director Steve Williams. "The Bush Administration is lending a hand to support the efforts of our valued partners."

The Landowner Incentive Program, a $40 million competitive grant program for state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies and tribes, supports collaborative efforts with private landowners interested in conserving natural habitat while they continue to engage in traditional land use practices. It establishes or supplements existing landowner incentive programs that provide technical or financial assistance to private landowners for the protection, restoration and management of habitat to benefit species at risk, including federally listed endangered or threatened species as well as proposed or candidate species on private land.

Landowners interested in participating in the LIP should contact their state fish and wildlife agency. The deadline for states to submit proposals to the USFWS is December 2, 2002. Further guidance specific to tribes is being developed.

The Private Stewardship Grants Program provides $10 million in federal grants and other assistance on a competitive basis to individuals and groups engaged in voluntary conservation efforts on private lands that benefit at risk species. To be eligible, projects must be voluntary conservation efforts carried out on private lands, including Native lands.

A minimum of 10 percent of the cost of the project must be provided by non-federal sources. Landowners and their partners should submit proposals to the USFWS by December 2, 2002.

"We look forward to using these funds to help our partners conserve at risk species on private lands," said Dave Allen, regional director for the USFWS in Alaska, where $472,976 in Private Stewardship grants will be disbursed.

For more information, visit: http://endangered.fws.gov/grants/private_stewardship.html, or visit: http://www.fws.gov and click on "grants."

Rooftop Solar System Unveiled in New York City

The solar panel array, which is located on the roof of two Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center (GMDC) buildings in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn, transforms sunlight into electricity, generating clean electrical power. The total solar system includes a 59 kilowatt (kW) array at GMDC's Humboldt Street location and a 56 kW array that will be operational at GMDC's Manhattan Avenue building within the next several months.

GMDC, Clean Air Communities, the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA), Con Edison, and PowerLight Corporation joined with U.S. Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and other dignitaries to launch the project today.

"This is an important event for our community," said Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, who represents Greenpoint. "Solar power reduces emissions from fossil fuel burning power plants where children's asthma and other respiratory ailments are high. It introduces innovative technology for environmental justice by reducing the number of power plants in our community. And, it demonstrates renewable energy sources to move us away from dependence on foreign fuel sources. I am very excited about the future that I see here!"

The $900,000 system was built and installed by PowerLight Corporation of Berkeley, California, using state of the art solar technology and zinc bromide batteries. The photovoltaic panels and advanced battery will work as a solar energy system to generate and store electricity in coordination with Con Edison's network system.

The 115 kilowatt solar power system covers 11,500 square feet of roof area and reduces the peak electricity demand on New York's power grid while improving local air quality. When fully powered, the solar system will generate the equivalent energy to light 100 homes.

The system will avoid thousands of tons of harmful emissions that contribute to fine particle pollution, smog, global warming, acid rain and haze. Fine airborne particles and soot cause thousands of premature deaths and asthma attacks in New York each year.

To the extent the system displaces fossil fuel electricity, it will eliminate 1,456 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over its 25 year lifetime - a reduction equivalent to planting 16 acres of trees.

"This project demonstrates that preserving urban manufacturing can be compatible with community revitalization and environmental responsibility," said David Sweeny, GMDC's CEO. "We're particularly excited that we can do this in Greenpoint, which has historically been home to some of the City's worst environmental problems."

GMDC is a non-profit organization that rehabilitates industrial buildings and focuses on creating and maintaining high quality, blue collar jobs for low income New Yorkers. Funding for the project is provided through a joint partnership of NYSERDA, GMDC and a Clean Air Communities grant stemming from Con Edison.

"Governor George Pataki's mandate to NYSERDA is clear: Improve New York's energy efficiency, while protecting our environment and solidifying our state's economic base," said NYSERDA president William Flynn. "This project addresses all three of those goals, and NYSERDA has contributed $300,000 to see it become a reality."

Grizzly Shootings Prompt Investigation

The two bears were found dead last week by a bowhunter in the Rock Creek drainage on Sawtelle Peak near Henry's Lake. A preliminary examination indicates that the animals had been shot with a firearm.

Unlike other recent incidents involving human bear encounters, the bears did not appear to have been killed in self defense. Both bears will be sent to the USFWS National Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Oregon for forensic analysis.

The grizzly bear is listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.USFWS special agent Scott Bragonier noted that, "The killing of a threatened or endangered species is a crime punishable by law. A person convicted of this crime may be imprisoned for up to one year and be fined as high as $100,000 for each offense."

Chuck Schwartz, leader of the USGS Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, said the seven year old female bear, F364, was a valuable research animal. Her activity has been tracked since she was collared in the fall of 1999.

Collar monitoring these past few years has indicated that the 300 pound female traveled between Yellowstone National Park and the Sawtelle Peak area in Idaho. The sow had given birth to two cubs in the spring of 2001, but lost one of the cubs that same summer.

The yearling cub found dead near her mother was the sow's first successful attempt at raising offspring. The sow and her cub had never been involved in human encounters.

"The loss of these two bears is a definite setback for Idaho's grizzly bear recovery. Not only was this bear valuable because she had reached reproductive maturity, but she was passing knowledge to her female offspring," said Schwartz. "Few reproductive females have been found in the last two decades in the Idaho portion of the Yellowstone Recovery Zone."

Bragonier is asking for the public's help with the case.

"The person or persons responsible for this egregious act must be held accountable," he said. "We encourage anyone who may have information about the illegal bear killings, or anyone who may have observed suspicious behavior in the area of the crime or may have overheard conversations regarding the incident, to please contact our law enforcement division immediately, or call the Citizens Against Poaching hotline at 1-800-632-5999."

Bills Would Ban Transport of Exotic Pets

Senator Jim Jeffords, the Vermont Independent of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and the committee's ranking member Senator Robert Smith, a New Hampshire Republican, authored the legislation. Representative George Miller, a California Democrat, introduced the House version of the bill, HR 5226, in July.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is urging the Congress to pass the legislation this year, noting the humane and public safety arguments in favor of the measure. Several recent incidents demonstrate the public safety threat posed by these animals:

In Quitman, Arkansas, authorities shot and killed three African lions after they terrified the local community on September 19 and 20. The lions were found near a lion and tiger farm called Safari Unlimited, though the operator denied that the animals belonged to him. He speculated that the animals were dropped off by someone who had contacted him asking him to take several animals.

On October 1, police in Bloomington, Illinois, shot and killed a Bengal tiger who escaped from a roadside truck stop. In Lexington, Texas, a three year old boy was killed by his stepfather's pet tiger.

The legislation seeks to amend the Lacey Act, which addresses shipments of fish and wildlife, by barring the interstate movement of dangerous exotics for use as pets. Facilities that operate under a U.S. Department of Agriculture permit, such as zoos and circuses, are exempt.

There are at least 5,000 tigers in private hands in the United States - a population that may surpass the world's wild tiger population. Exotic animal dealers traffic in these animals and other big cats and bears that are easy and inexpensive to procure. Yet tigers cost thousands of dollars a month to keep.

"There is no justifiable reason for a person to have a tiger or a lion as a pet," said Wayne Pacelle, HSUS senior vice president. "These are powerful and potentially dangerous animals, and they don't belong languishing in a dirty cage in someone's backyard in Arkansas or New Jersey or Ohio."

Twelve states already ban private possession of large exotic animals and seven states have partial bans.

"You can take these animals out of the wild, but you can't take the wild out of them," said actress Tippi Hedren, who runs the 80 acre Shambala Preserve as a sanctuary for exotic animals in southern California. "Not one more child or adult should be harmed or killed. This is a public safety issue that needs to be dealt with immediately."

There are few options for placing a full grown exotic animal raised as a pet. The animals have no value to the conservation of wild species since they are often inbred and inappropriate for breeding programs designed to restore wild populations.

"Wild animals, even if they are raised by hand from infancy, grow up to be unpredictable and dangerous," adds Pacelle. "No matter how well you think you might know an animal, there's always the potential of serious injury to yourself or someone else."

The legislation is backed by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, the American Sanctuary Association, the Association of Sanctuaries, the Animal Protection Institute, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Minnesota Maps Twin Cities Area Resources

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Metro Natural Resource Assessment identifies important natural resource areas in the seven county Twin Cities region including large patches of forest, wetlands and grasslands, or smaller parcels that contain rare species. Such areas could be priorities for protection as the region around Minneapolis and St. Paul faces intense development pressures, said DNR regional planner Sharon Pfeifer.

"With a half-million new metro households expected in the next 30 years, this natural resource assessment is clearly needed in order to balance growth with conservation," Pfeifer said.

The assessment uses geographic information systems (GIS) technology and a variety of existing data layers to create a map that identifies about 230,000 acres of terrestrial and wetland areas - about 12 percent of the total acreage within the seven county metropolitan area. Only about 37 percent of these areas now have any level of protection.

"With the Met Council now revising its Blueprint for the region's growth, this is a particularly apt time for this information to become available," Pfeifer said. "It offers the Council and local units of government much better guidance on land use and conservation decisions and investments."

More information on the DNR Metro Natural Resource Assessment, including a preliminary map of natural resource areas, is available at: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/greenways/nra/index.html