Governor Cuomo Signs Superfund Site Statute of Limitations Bill in New York
Statute of Limitations Bill. New legislation provides long-term, New York State-wide implications for companies and other responsible entities, allowing potentially previously time-barred causes of action with increased opportunities for viability and justice. Our firm is investigating potential lawsuits on behalf of individuals … [Read more...]
Chemical Spills Side Effects May Result In Cancer Lawsuits
Toxic Substances Chemical Spills. Each year, thousands of chemical spills occur in the United States. Many companies who feel they are above the law in the United States on a daily basis violate environmental and worker safety laws at all levels (local, state and federal) that are set-up to protect workers and the public from toxic … [Read more...]
U.S. Army Edgewood Arsenal Medical Experiments
Edgewood Arsenal Medical Experiments Compensation. Parker Waichman LLP is investigating secret medical experiments that were conducted on U.S. soldiers from 1955 to 1975 at the U.S. Army's Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland. Recent reports indicated that as many as 7,000 soldiers may have been subjected to these experiments in a top secret … [Read more...]
Flint is Not the Only City with Lead-Tainted Tap Water
The city of Flint, Michigan is not alone in facing drinking-water contamination issues, New York Times reports. After budget cuts led to a switch in water source, as many as 8,000 children under age 6 have been exposed to dangerously high levels of lead. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no safe … [Read more...]
Senate Passes Reforms to Toxic Substances Control Act
The U.S. Senate voted on December 17 to approve a sweeping chemical safety bill after months of negotiations. The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, named after the late New Jersey senator, updates the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act to give the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) broad new powers to … [Read more...]
Melamine leaches from heated dinnerware, new research finds
A new study finds that eating from heated plates or bowls with plastic melamine can have adverse health effects. According to a new study from researchers in Taiwan and published in the recent edition of the journal, JAMA Internal Medicine, people who ate from heated bowls that contained melamine had high levels of it in urine … [Read more...]
Group calls on Veteran’s Administration for help with military family birth defects
A group advocating for the health of U.S. military veterans and their families is launching a campaign to call attention to the birth defects suffered by those service members. According to a statement from Birth Defect Research for Children (BDRC), there are a growing number of children born into military families who believe the … [Read more...]
Florida homeowners say toxic spray foam insulation making them sick, forcing them from homes
Some Florida homeowners believe that spray foam insulation that fills the gaps in their walls and roof leak toxic gas that is making them sick. And this problem may already be affecting thousands of people nationwide. Many more homeowners across the country are opting for a spray foam insulation to either keep the cold air out of … [Read more...]
Indian Point Nuclear Reactor in New York Most Vulnerable to Earthquakes
The nuclear crisis in Japan has many in the U.S. wondering how any of the 104 nuclear reactors in this country would hold up in the event of a natural disaster like a strong earthquake. Surprisingly, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) says the U.S. nuclear reactor that faces the highest earthquake risk is not located anywhere … [Read more...]
Japanese Nuclear Crises Sparks Worry over General Electric Nuclear Reactor Design
In the wake of the Japanese nuclear emergency spawned by last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami, questions are being raised about the design of the a General Electric nuclear reactor known as the Mark 1. Nuclear opponents have criticized the Mark 1 as inferior to other reactor designs, USA Today reported, saying that its … [Read more...]
Texas Fracking Fluid Disclosure Bill Has Wide Support
The state of Texas is considering a bill that would require natural gas drillers to disclose the ingredients of the fracking fluid that is used in hydraulic fracturing. According to the Star-Telegram, the Texas fracking fluid disclosure bill is supported by both environmentalists and the natural gas drilling industry. Fracking, … [Read more...]
PCBs in Massachusetts Harbor will be Capped and Buried, EPA Says
To deal with PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) and heavy metal contamination in Massachusetts' New Bedford Harbor, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has plans to bury and cap toxic silt at the bottom of the harbor via the deployment of an underwater Confined Aquatic Disposal (CAD) cell. According to the agency, dredging … [Read more...]
10 Years Too Long for Removing PCBs from New York City Schools, EPA Says
Federal regulators have rejected New York City's timetable for removing PCBs, also known as polychlorinated biphenyls, from public schools there. Last month, New York City announced a $708 million, 10 year plan to remove PCB-tainted light ballasts from 772 school buildings in the city. According The New York Times, however, the U.S. … [Read more...]
Toxic Airplane Cabin Air Sickening Flight Crews, Flight Attendant Says
A flight attendant for U.S. Airways claims toxic airplane cabin air is making flight crews sick. The toxic airplane cabin air, which some say can lead to an illness known as Aerotoxic Syndrome, has been linked to problems with the bleed air systems used on most aircraft to recirculate cabin air during flight. Most commercial … [Read more...]
Secondhand Smoke Exposure Raises Risk of Stillbirth
Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in America, is linked to some 443,000 fatalities and $100 billion in healthcare costs annually, and kills some 1,200 Americans every day. Now, says the BBC, University of Nottingham researchers revealed that pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke—at work or home—have a 23 … [Read more...]
Fracking “Halliburton Loophole” Too Broad, Former Bush EPA Official Says
The regulatory exemption granted to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, that has now become known as the "Halliburton Loophole" went too far, according to a former George W. Bush administration official. Benjamin Grumbles, who served as assistant administrator for water at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), also told … [Read more...]
BP Texas City Refinery Named in Benzene Lawsuit
Eight contractors who worked at the BP Texas City refinery have filed a lawsuit over a benzene leak that occurred in 2009. In addition to BP Products North America Inc., the $500 million lawsuit also names Pasadena Tank Corp., a contractor at the Texas City refinery, as a defendant. The benzene leak at the BP Texas City refinery … [Read more...]
NFS Nuclear Plant Blamed for Radioactive Contamination in Tennessee’s Nolichucky River
The Nolichucky River in Tennessee, located downstream from a Nuclear Fuel Services (NFS) plant, is contaminated with enriched uranium. The radioactive material in the Nolichucky River was discovered last year by Michael Ketterer, a chemistry professor at Northern Arizona University who specializes in uranium contamination, according … [Read more...]
Fracking Suspended in Quebec Following Release of Government Report
The Canadian province of Quebec has decided to suspend new natural gas drilling that involves hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, until its environmental impacts are better understood. Environment Minister Pierre Arcand’s announcement of the Quebec fracking halt followed yesterday’s release of a government report that recommended … [Read more...]
Camp Lejeune Toxic Water May Have Caused Breast Cancer in Men
A man raised at the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base has blamed his breast cancer on tainted water he drank while growing up there. According to a CNN report that aired in 2009, at least 20 men who were either lived at or where stationed at Camp Lejeune between the 1960s and 1980s have been diagnosed with breast cancer, a disease that … [Read more...]
Children’s Jewelry may Contain Dangerous Levels of Cadmium
Cadmium, considered an even more dangerous toxic metal than lead, is a known carcinogen and can interfere with brain development in very young children; longer-term effects of cadmium might not always be immediately evident. The federal government has long been concerned about toxic metals which could be ingested by children who … [Read more...]
Dish, Texas Takes on Barnett Shale Fracking, Names Six Companies in Lawsuit
The people of Dish, Texas are fed up with natural gas drilling in the Barnett shale, and what it's done to their community. The small Denton County town, home to 200 residents and 60 natural gas wells, has filed suit against six natural gas or pipeline companies, claiming compressor stations associated with hydraulic fracturing … [Read more...]
Dumping of Radioactive Fracking Waste in Pennsylvania Waters Creates Uproar
How natural gas drillers dispose of possibly radioactive fracking wastewater in Pennsylvania has gotten the attention of many in the state. Senator Bob Casey, a Democrat, is asking questions after The New York Times reported that some Pennsylvania natural drillers are shipping potentially toxic and radioactive hydraulic fracking … [Read more...]
PCBs in Caulk Pose Significant – and Expensive – Problem
The threat from PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) in light ballasts found in schools built prior to 1979 been making news the past several months, with New York City just announcing a 10-year plan to remove PCB-tainted ballasts from schools there. But according to a report from the American Recyler, PCBs in caulk - found around … [Read more...]
Fracking Wastewater another Natural Gas Drilling Hazard
Over the past several days, we've been writing about the issues surrounding the wastewater produced as a result of hydraulic fracturing. How the toxic wastewater left over from the natural gas drilling technique is disposed of raises serious questions about the overall environmental safety of fracking. Frackers can send this … [Read more...]
Disclosure of Radioactive Fracking Wastewater Prompts Outcry
A hydraulic fracturing expose published over the weekend by The New York Times continues to spark controversy and calls for reform. The Times' fracking investigation, which drew on thousands of previously secret government and industry documents, reported that potentially unhealthy levels of radioactive chemicals in the wastewater … [Read more...]
Big Tobacco Files Suit Over FDA Menthol Cigarette Panel
In the ongoing war with Big Tobacco, a lawsuit has been filed against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by two leading players from industry: Lorillard Inc and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. The cigarette makers allege that “conflicts of interest and bias” existed on an advisory panel that may recommend menthol cigarettes be … [Read more...]
PCB Removal Plan Prompts EPA to End Inspections of New York City Schools
PCB inspections at New York City schools are being suspended today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in wake of the city's announcement that it has a plan to remove light ballasts tainted with the toxic chemicals from buildings. New York City and the EPA had previously been at odds over what to do about PCBs, also … [Read more...]
Stainless Steel Brandy Flasks Recalled for Lead Risk
E&J Brandy just announced a voluntary recall of a number of its stainless steel brandy flasks after laboratory tests revealed that brandy stored in these flasks, under specific conditions, could indicate elevated lead levels, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just wrote. Lead is a toxic heavy metal linked to a broad range … [Read more...]
Secret Fracking Documents Show Radioactive Wastewater Threatens Drinking Water
A blockbuster New York Times investigation of hydraulic fracturing has uncovered a cache of undisclosed government documents that show fracking wastewater containing radioactive chemicals and other toxic substances is being discharged into rivers and streams that serve as sources of drinking water. According to the Times, these … [Read more...]
PCBs Linked to IVF Failures
A new study finds that polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in concentrations typically found in the blood of people living in the U.S. could make successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) more difficult to achieve. The study was published this week in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). According to a statement from … [Read more...]
Plan to Remove PCBs from New York City Schools Finally Announced
After months of wrangling, New York City has finally announced a plan to remove PCB-laden light fixtures from almost 800 schools. According to The New York Times, $708 million has been allocated to the plan to remove PCBs from New York City schools, which will also involve broad improvements in energy efficiency at those … [Read more...]
Benzene Lawsuit Claims Shell Oil, BP to Blame for Woman’s Leukemia Death
A benzene lawsuit alleges an Illinois woman developed leukemia and died as a result of exposure to the toxic chemical. The lawsuit, filed by the family of Debra Ochs, names Shell Oil Company and BP Products North America Inc. as defendants. According to the Ochs family lawsuit, which was filed last month in Madison County Circuit … [Read more...]
Feds Want Light Cigarette Confession, Other Admissions From Tobacco Industry
The Justice Department just announced that it is seeking some public, honest disclosure from Big Tobacco, including admission that the industry lied about so-called light cigarettes and the addictiveness of nicotine. The Justice Department also noted that smoking Cigarettes leads to an array of medical issues and kills some 1,200 … [Read more...]
Benzene Cancer Verdict Upheld in California
A California appeals court refused to overturn an $8 million verdict levied against an Exxon Mobile Corp. subsidiary in a benzene cancer lawsuit. According to Law360.com, the plaintiff claimed to have developed kidney cancer from benzene exposure that occurred on a tanker operated by Exxon's SeaRiver Maritime Inc. The original … [Read more...]
BPA on ATM Receipts May Pose Risks
Bisphenol A (BPA), the ever-present polycarbonate plastic hardener has been implicated in a growing range of consumer products. We recently wrote that the Toxic Chemical was found in ordinary thermal paper receipts, further intensifying its ubiquity. Now, NBC Connecticut says that Connecticut lawmakers are looking to increase bans … [Read more...]
Cigarettes May Be Linked To Lou Gehrig’s Disease
Cigarette smoking, long linked to a growing array of adverse health effects, could increase risks for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), popularly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. WebMD wrote that a new study adds to existing evidence about the smoking-ALS link, noting that prior study results have either been conflicting or … [Read more...]
Two Pesticides Linked To Parkinson’s Disease
The risk for Parkinson's Disease has been linked to two more toxic substances: Rotenone and Paraquat. The link was made in recent research in which people who used either pesticide developed Parkinson's Disease some 2.5 times more than nonusers, said Science Daily. The research, said Science Daily, was a collaboration between the … [Read more...]
PCBs Turn Up in Three More New York City Schools
PCBs, polychlorinated biphenyls, have turned up in three more New York City schools. To date, spot checks of New York City schools by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have turned up PCBs leaking from light ballasts in all five New York City school buildings tested so far, and all of the tests have confirmed leakage of … [Read more...]
BPA Ban Debated In Oregon
The state of Oregon is joining a number of other states and entities in implementing a BPA ban in baby bottles, sippy cups, baby formula cans, and reusable sports beverage containers. Unlike other moves, Oregon is seeking an additional rule: That manufacturers include that items contain BPA - bisphenol A - have that indicated on … [Read more...]
Camp Lejeune Toxic Water Lawsuits Consolidated
Lawsuits involving toxic water at Camp Lejeune have been consolidated in a multidistrict litigation and transferred to the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia. The Camp Lejeune toxic water lawsuits will be presided over by Judge J. Owen Forrester. For years, Marines who served at Camp Lejeune have blamed their … [Read more...]
PCBs Turn Up At Bronx School
The official response to the PCB contamination turning up in a growing number of New York City schools has been, in the eyes of the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), inadequate, leading the agency to take matters into its own hands. Now, says The Associated Press (AP), yet another New York City school has been found to … [Read more...]
Train Derailment, Explosion Near Arcadia, Ohio Forces Evacuations
A train derailment and explosion near Arcadia, in Hancock County, Ohio has resulted in the evacuation of about 20 homes. According to local media reports, the 62-car Norfolk Southern train was transporting ethanol, and the 18 cars involved in the Ohio train derailment carried 320,000 gallons of the highly volatile chemical. Norfolk … [Read more...]
PCBs in New York City Schools Spark Worry, Confusion among Parents
The specter of PCBs in New York City schools has many parents worried. Over the past several months, the toxic chemicals have turned up in the ballasts of light fixtures at several public schools around the city, and many parents have complained that the official response to the PCB contamination has been … [Read more...]
EPA Moves to Regulate Perchlorate, Other Toxic Chemicals in Drinking Water
Standards for perchlorate in drinking water supplies will be developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the first time in the agency's history. Perchlorate, which is both man-made and naturally occurring, is a component of rocket fuel, fireworks and explosives. The toxic chemical, which can disrupt the … [Read more...]
EPA Fracking Study May Not Bring New Regulation
A soon-to-be launched study of hydraulic fracturing, also called fracking, by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is no guarantee that the natural gas drilling technique will be subject to more federal regulation, the head of the agency said yesterday. The fracking study was ordered by Congress, and since March, the EPA … [Read more...]
PCBs Among Toxins Found in New York’s Gowanus Canal
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed its investigation of the Gowanus Canal Superfund site in Brooklyn, N.Y. The investigation confirmed the widespread presence of numerous contaminants, including PCBs, identifying the sources of contamination. A companion human and ecological risk assessment found exposure to … [Read more...]
Chlorinated Pools May Pose Cancer Risk
The health affects of chlorine are making headlines for their potential links to increased risks of cancer in bathers according to research conducted at Barcelona’s Center of Research in Environmental Epidemiology and Research Institute Hospital del Mar (CREAL), said the Mother Nature Network (MNN). The study appears in … [Read more...]
Bannister Federal Complex Reports Raise Specter of Beryllium Contamination
Two reports are raising concerns about beryllium contamination at the Bannister Federal Complex in Kansas City, Missouri. The Bannister Federal Complex, part of which was used to make parts for nuclear bombs, has been the focus of growing alarm over pollution and worker health, according to the Kansas City Star. The complex is … [Read more...]
Xylitol Sugar Substitute Can Harm Dogs
With consumers dieting and looking to reduce sugar intake, a variety of products contain xylitol, which is, explained the San Francisco Gate, a “plant-based sugar-alcohol sweetener.” Although a dietary benefit for some, xylitol is toxic to dogs. Xylitol can be found in sugar-free gum and vitamins, baked foods, and even some oral … [Read more...]
BPA Exposure May Damage Sperm Health
Another emerging study has linked the hazardous chemical substance, bisphenol A—BPA—with yet another adverse physical effect. According to Natural News, the toxic substance, BPA, has been linked, again, to sperm health issues but, this time, the study involved humans. The research was conducted by Kaiser Permanente and published … [Read more...]
