More EPA OPPT Newsbreak
Y2K & Environmental News
OPPT NEWSBREAK Wednesday, 10 February 1999 Today's "Toxic News for the Net" Brought to you by the OPPTS Chemical Library http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/oppt_nb.txt NEWS "Oil Pours From Ship Aground Off Oregon Coast. 300 Workers Begin Cleanup of Sensitive Beach Habitat." Washington Post, 10 February 99, A6. Cleanup crews are working to remove thousands of gallons of oil and diesel fuel that spilled from the Japanese-owned cargo ship, New Carissa, which ran aground 150 yards offshore in Coos Bay, Ore., on February 4. Some oil-covered birds have been found, and special crews are standing by to prevent the slick from threatening the habitat of Western Snowy Plovers, a threatened bird. Separately, the panel overseeing the restoration of Prince William Sound in Alaska said that only two of the nearly two dozen species hurt by the Exxon Valdez oil spill have fully recovered. "Anthrax Hoax Gets Attention of State. Envelope Opened on Albright's Floor." Washington Times, 10 February 99, A11. A letter delivered to the State Department, and opened on the seventh floor where Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright has her office, contained pellets the letter claimed were anthrax pellets. The FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the District of Columbia police were called to the scene, and field tests determined that the pellets were harmless. The incident is still under investigation. " Intrusive' Iraq Check Proposal." New York Times, 10 February 99, A8. Claiming that Iraq is withholding information needed to document abandonment of its nuclear weapons program, the International Atomic Energy Agency proposed to develop a long-term monitoring system that would initiate unannounced inspections of new and previously uninspected locations for signs of banned nuclear activities. Whether or not Iraq will agree to this, having been angered by Special Commission investigations for chemical and biological weapons, is pending. ACROSS THE USA, from USA Today "Jasper, Alabama [Across the USA]." USA Today, 9 February 99, 5A. Drummond Coal Company plans to mine coal 1,100 feet below the Black Warrior River. Concern for harm to the environment has surfaced. "Anchorage, Alaska [Across the USA]." USA Today, 9 February 99, 5A. About 420 gallons of crude oil leaked from a tanker into the Cook Inlet waters. Officials said that a quarter-mile sheen was created by the oil, which broke up before it could be recovered. "North Providence, Rhode Island [Across the USA]." USA Today, 9 February 99, 5A. Next week, another 250 spots along the Woonasquatucket River will be tested by federal scientists in an an effort to determine dioxin levels and corresponding health risks. "Madison, Wisconsin [Across the USA]." USA Today, 9 February 99, 5A. The first dredging of the Fox River to remove cancer-causing pollution in the silt is complete. In the process, the state reported that virtually no harm was done to the water's quality. EPA is urging contaminated silt removal from 39 miles of river. AROUND THE BELTWAY: DC/VA/MD REGIONAL NEWS "13 Hospitalized After Odor Detected in Kensington Clinic." Washington Post, 10 February 99, B9. An odor forced the evacuation of about 50 people from Kaiser Permanente's Kensington Center in Montgomery County, Md., yesterday. People were complaining of shortness of breath, nausea, watery eyes, and other symptoms. Seventeen people were evaluated on the scene, and 13 of them were taken to local hospitals. Fire officials were unable to determine the cause of the odor. "Ducks Find New Life. Saved From Fuel-Soaked Creek in Laurel." Washington Times, 10 February 99, C4. On January 22, a car hit a parked truck on Cherry Road in Laurel, Md. spilling diesel fuel into a storm sewer that empties into a creek that runs beside the Dominion Electric Power Supply Co. warehouse. EPA was called to clean up the spill, and the Chesapeake Wildlife Sanctuary rescued 52 oil-slicked ducks and took them to a sanctuary in Bowie where they were cleaned inside and out (some had ingested the oil). Forty-six of the ducks were released at Allen Pond yesterday. Three ducks died during their stay at the sanctuary, and three were not ready to be released. TOXICS IN THE NEWS: ASBESTOS "The Asbestos Epidemic: Poland, Part 2 of 4, Town Choked by Asbestos Struggles to Overcome a Homemade Disaster." USA Today, 9 February 99, 8A. Deaths due to asbestos are expected to increase until at least 2010 in the former Soviet bloc. During Communism, asbestos was used unsafely. The time between contact and death can lag. INTER ALIA "A Smoker, but No Cigar." New York Times, 10 February 99, A25. A 2,000 pound rocky, chimney-like structure that spews toxic smoke from the Earth's interior has been moved from the Pacific Ocean floor to the American Museum of Natural History's Planet Earth display in Manhattan. Known as the black smoker, the structure may offer scientists clues to the origins of life. * All items, unless indicated otherwise, are available at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxics Substances (OPPTS) Chemical Library Northeast Mall, Room B606 (Mailcode 7407) Washington, D.C. 20460 (202) 260-3944; FAX x4659; E-mail for comments: [email protected]. (Due to copyright restrictions, the library cannot provide photocopies of articles.) *Viewpoints expressed in the above articles do not necessarily reflect EPA policy. Mention of products does not indicate endorsement.* To subscribe to OPPT Newsbreak, send the command subscribe OPPT-NEWSBREAK Firstname Lastname to: [email protected] To unsubscribe, send the command signoff OPPT-NEWSBREAK Also available on the World Wide Web (see banner for address) The OPPTS Chemical Library is operated by GCI Information Services
Website maintained by Michael R. Meuser
Copyright � 1996-2009 MapCruzin.com
