Author: Tracy Samilton

Study: Banned Pesticides Affect Child Development

Columbia University professors say they have found the first evidence that two banned pesticides are harmful to humans. They say their study vindicates a decision by the Environmental Protection Agency to phase out the chemicals based only on preliminary research on animals. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports:

Transcript

Columbia University professors say they have found the first evidence that two banned pesticides
are harmful to humans. They say their study vindicates a decision by the Environmental
Protection Agency to phase out the chemicals based only on preliminary research on animals.
The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports:


Chlorpyrifos and diazinon were once found in over-the-counter products for
in-home pest control. The EPA started to phase out the chemicals four
years ago, after preliminary research showed the chemicals could be
harmful. The new study tracked a group of pregnant women in New York
before, during and after the ban. It found that women with the highest
concentration of the pesticides in their blood had smaller and shorter
babies than those with less exposure. Robin Whyatt is with Columbia’s
Mailman School of Public Health. She led the study. She says there’s no
question the research vindicates the EPA’s decision.


“It certainly supports that that was a good regulatory decision and this also shows that regulation
works.”


While Whyatt says the ban was good policy, she says more studies should be
done to confirm her results. Chlorpyrifos and diazinon are still widely
used in agriculture. Some environmental groups say the chemicals should
also be phased out there.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Tracy Samilton.

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Poultry Farmers Protect Flocks From Avian Flu

Poultry farmers in the Midwest are taking extra precautions after the discovery of avian flu among chickens in Pennsylvania and Delaware, but there are some things the industry can’t control, as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports:

Transcript

Poultry farmers in the Midwest are taking extra precautions after the discovery of avian flu
among chickens in Pennsylvania and Delaware. But there are some things the industry can’t
control, as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports:


Most commercial poultry farmers practice state-of-the-art biosecurity because of what’s at stake.
Some avian flu is relatively harmless, but if a lethal variety breaks out, the farmer’s entire flock
has to be destroyed. So birds are isolated from contact with visitors and delivery trucks, and
workers frequently change clothes and disinfect their shoes.


Paul Wiley is with Michigan State University’s agricultural extension service. He says
that’s not the case with city émigrés to the country who raise chickens as a hobby.


“The first thing they want to have is two horses, the second thing they want is some kind of flock
of poultry, and they are clueless about poultry!”


Wiley says more backyard flocks could threaten the health of the large commercial flocks. Still,
he says the situation is not nearly as bad as in some Asian countries. There, birds are sold live at
markets, which brings them into frequent contact with people, other birds and wild animals.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Tracy Samilton.

Epa Examines Midwest Insulation Processing Plants

The EPA is investigating more than two dozen insulation plants around the country that processed a dangerous form of ore called vermiculite. Five of the plants are in the Midwest. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports:

Transcript

The EPA is investigating over two dozen insulation plants around
the country that processed a dangerous form of ore called vermiculite.
Five of the plants are in the Midwest. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s
Tracy Samilton reports:


The processing plants converted an ore called vermiculite into insulation,
which was then shipped to millions of homes in cold areas of the country.
The vermiculite was laced with mineral fibers that can cause asbestosis and
lung cancer. The government is investigating if plant workers and people
who lived near the plants are at risk of becoming ill from exposure.
Early results from a plant in Illinois found that workers were at higher
risk, but not nearby residents.


Dr. Michael Harbut is an expert in occupational medicine. He says the investigation is long
overdue.


“This is a serious enough danger that the EPA is actually in the process of removing vermiculite
from some attics in some areas the country.”


Some of the processing plants have been shut down, but others have been
converted to other uses. The government plans to make sure those plants
are safe, and locate former workers to assess their health.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Tracy Samilton.

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Speedy Ferry to Ease Chicago Bottleneck?

The nation’s first high-speed ferry will soon carry passengers and cars across Lake Michigan between Muskegon and Milwaukee. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports:

Transcript

The nation’s first high-speed ferry will soon carry passengers
and cars across Lake Michigan between Muskegon and Milwaukee. The Great
Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports:


It took six hours to cross Lake Michigan in 1970, the last year a
passenger and auto ferry linked Muskegon and Milwaukee. The new ferry,
the Lake Express, will make the trip in about a third of the time. The
catamaran features a lightweight aluminum construction and four engines
with a combined 12,000 horsepower. Developer David Lubar says the biggest
customers are likely to be vacationing families and people who want to
bypass the Chicago commute.


“People are highly frustrated driving through Chicago, you don’t know if it’s going to take a half
hour or two hours.”


Lake Express is currently under construction and has a launch date of June
1st, 2004.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Tracy Samilton.

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Foreign Bug Chews Up Ash Tree Business

  • The Emerald Ash Borer is destroying hundreds of thousands of ash trees in Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, and Ontario. The Asian insect likely made its way to North America in wood packing materials. (photo courtesy of David Cappaert, Michigan State University)

An exotic pest called the emerald ash borer is laying waste to millions of trees in Michigan and Ohio. Now it’s affecting sales of ash trees across the entire country. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports:

Transcript

An exotic pest called the emerald ash borer is laying waste to
millions of trees in Michigan and Ohio. Now it’s affecting sales of ash
trees across the entire country. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tracy
Samilton reports:


The attractive, adaptable, and fast-growing ash tree is a favorite of
growers, landscapers and homeowners. But sales of the tree have plummeted
nationwide, even though the emerald ash borer has only infested trees in
Michigan, Ohio and Maryland so far. Dave Bender is President of the
Illinois Nurserymen’s Association. Bender says the city of Chicago, the
biggest buyer of trees in the state, recently issued a moratorium on
buying ash trees. One Illinois grower lost a big chunk of his business
almost overnight.


“Last year he sold 5,000 ash trees – a little over 5,000 ash trees. This year he sold one.”


Bender says the emerald ash borer is an energetic insect that travels
great distances quickly, so it’s only a matter of time before it arrives
in Illinois and beyond. He says Great Lakes growers are developing
contingency plans to try to slow and control its spread until researchers
find ways to eradicate it.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Tracy Samilton.

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New Contaminants in the Lakes?

The U.S. EPA is launching studies to look at a new class of chemicals that is being found in water and fish. So far, very little is known about these so-called emerging contaminants – including whether they’re dangerous to human health. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports:

Transcript

The U.S. EPA is launching studies to look at a new class of chemicals that is being found in water
and fish. So far, very little is known about these so-called emerging contaminants – including
whether they’re dangerous to human health. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s
Tracy Samilton reports:


The new chemicals include PBDE’s, used as flame retardants, and PFOS,
which are used in Teflon and other products. One study will look
at the levels of the chemicals in Great Lakes fish. Another will test
water in Lake Michigan for their presence. Canada is doing tests in the
other Great Lakes.


Melissa Hulting is an environmental scientist with the U.S. EPA. She says it’s a mystery how
PFOS in particular have spread so fast.


“People thought they were fairly inert and they would
stay put and what we’ve found is, they haven’t. They’re being found in
the Arctic and in remote areas.”


While the EPA studies the levels of the chemicals in fish and water,
Hulting says other researchers are trying to figure out if the chemicals
are harmful to human health – and if so, at what level they are dangerous.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Tracy Samilton.

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Pets Help Children Cope With Disease

There’s growing evidence that having pets is good for the well-being of their humans. A new study looks at the effect of pets on the lives of chronically ill children. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports:

Transcript

There’s growing evidence that having pets is good for the
well-being of their humans. A new study looks at the effect of pets on
the lives of chronically ill children. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s
Tracy Samilton reports:


This study of children living with diabetes was performed by researchers
at the Human-Animal Bond Initiative at Michigan State University. It
found that the children who had close, loving relationships with their
pets had better coping skills and were better at actively managing their
disease than other children.


Researcher Linda Spence says that may be because pets can improve children’s self-esteem and
reduce stress.


“They are consistently there, no matter how awful a day you have. When you come home, they’re
as happy to see you as if you were some sort of celebrity.”


Spence says the next step is to find out what these families are doing
that encourages their chronically ill children to develop close
relationships with pets. She suspects such families treat their pets as
members of the family rather than just animals.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Tracy Samilton.

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Cargo Ships Oppose Proposed Ballast Rules

A proposed bill requiring ocean-going foreign vessels to dump their ballast water before they enter the Great Lakes is receiving strong criticism from shipping groups. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports:

Transcript

A proposed bill requiring ocean-going foreign vessels to dump their ballast water before they
enter the Great Lakes is receiving strong criticism from shipping groups. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports:


Helen Brohl of the Great Lakes Shipping Association agrees that the introduction of invasive
species into the lakes from ballast water is a problem. Zebra mussels alone have caused about a
billion dollars in damage since they got into the Great Lakes from foreign vessels in the
1980s. But Brohl says a bill proposed by a Michigan Congresswoman is too radical. She says
requiring ships to dump virtually all their ballast water before entering the Great Lakes would put
an end to international shipping in the area.


“When you have no cargo on a ship you have to use ballast water to even out the vessel in rough
weather. It’s a very dangerous thing not to have ballast water on board.


Brohl says a better approach is to require ships to use stringent ballast water management. That
includes regular flushing and keeping sediment out of the water.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Tracy Samilton.

African Americans’ Environmental Beliefs

New research has dispelled some myths about African Americans and their concern for environmental issues. The study shows that African Americans are just as concerned about the environment as White Americans, if not more. The Great Lakes’ Radio Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports:

Transcript

New research has dispelled some myths about African Americans and
their concern for environmental issues. The study shows that African
Americans are just as concerned about the environment as White
Americans,
if not more. The Great Lakes’ Radio Consortium’s Tracy Samilton
reports.


University of Michigan researcher Paul Mohai says many people assume
African Americans are less concerned than White Americans about the
environment. That’s because many African Americans have to deal with
urban issues. Issues like crime, poverty, jobs and education. But
Mohai’s study finds that African Americans care more about neighborhood
environmental issues like pollution than White Americans – and just as
much about global issues like endangered species and global warming. He
says the biggest surprise is, it’s not a recent development.


“It’s not that African Americans caught up, they’ve been
concerned about the environment for a long time, we just haven’t looked
at
the data!”


Mohai also finds that African Americans in Congress have better
environmental voting records than their white counterparts. He says the
study shows that African Americans make natural allies for environmental
groups and for voters who want an environmental advocate to represent
them
in Congress. For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Tracy Samilton.

Epa Launches Insulation Education Campaign

The EPA is embarking on a new public education campaign about the dangers of vermiculite insulation. Much of the attic insulation was made with ore that is contaminated with asbestos. Critics say the EPA waited longer than it should have to notify the public. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports:

Transcript

The EPA is embarking on a new public education campaign about the dangers of vermiculite
insulation. Much of the attic insulation was made with ore that is contaminated with asbestos.
Critics say the EPA waited longer than it should have to notify the public. The Great Lakes
Radio Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports:


The loose silvery brown insulation is
found in the attics of many homes built in the
60’s, 70’s, and
80’s. The mine where the tainted
vermiculite came from was shut down
13 years ago, after miners began
falling ill and dying. But it wasn’t until this month that
the EPA warned
homeowners that vermiculite insulation is dangerous and should be avoided.


Andrew Schneider is a reporter at the St. Louis Post Dispatch. He broke a story last year that the
White House had directed the EPA not to issue a public warning. But Schneider says the EPA
came under even more pressure from other places.


“A lot of it came not just from the press hammering away at them, but really good people within
the EPA who were raising hell with their own administrators.”


The EPA will distribute notices to hardware stores and state agencies, telling people how to
identify the insulation and to stay away from it. Removal should only be done by professionals.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Tracy Samilton.