The Environmental Protection Agency for the first time has declared a public health emergency in a contaminated community, targeting a Montana town Wednesday for immediate federal attention and up to $130 million more for cleanup and medical care costs.
The declaration by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson involving Libby, Mont., will not result in an evacuation of its 2,600 residents, but will require an extensive cleanup and better health protections for residents with asbestos-related illnesses.
Jackson called Libby a "tragic public health situation" that has not received the recognition it deserves from the federal government for far too long.
Asbestos contamination from a now-closed vermiculite operations near Libby has been cited in the deaths of more than 200 people and illnesses of thousands more. Vermiculite is used to make insulation material but the ore found in Libby was eventually found to be contaminated with a toxic form of naturally-occurring asbestos.
Miners carried vermiculate dust home on their clothes, vermiculite once covered school running tracks in Libby and some residents used vermiculite as mulch in their home gardens.
Gayla Benefield of Libby, who suffers health effects from asbestos exposure and lost both parents to asbestos-related lung diseases, called the declaration a "a giant step forward" for improved medical care and clean up of the town.
"Right now the amount of money is relatively minimal, but overall the biggest thing is that it opens the door for future money to be available for medical care, research," she said.
Superfund and court cases
The operations produced 70 percent of all vermiculite sold in the U.S. before they were closed in 1990 by owner W.R. Grace. Federal cleanup began in 2000 and the area was declared a Superfund priority site in 2002.
W.R. Grace last year settled a lawsuit over the cleanup, agreeing to pay the U.S. government $250 million. The EPA has estimated the total cleanup and medical care cost could reach $350 million
Last month, a jury acquitted three former W.R. Grace executives of knowingly allowing residents to be exposed to asbestos-related disease.
Jackson said the public health emergency declaration was the first time the EPA has made such a determination under authority of the 1980 Superfund law that requires the clean up of contaminated sites.
Investigations performed by the federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry have found that occurrences of asbestosis, a lung condition, near Libby are staggeringly higher than the national average for the period from 1979 to 1998, the EPA said in a press release.
"While EPA’s cleanup efforts have greatly reduced exposure, actual and potential releases of amphibole asbestos remain a significant threat to public health in that area," it added.
$6 million medical grant
The EPA is working with the Department of Health and Human Services, which is making available a $6 million grant to provide asbestos-related medical care to Libby and residents of Troy, another Montana town.
Click for related content
Read more news from across the U.S.
"Based on a rigorous re-evaluation of the situation on the ground, we will continue to move aggressively on the cleanup efforts and protect the health of the people," Jackson said. "We're here to help create a long and prosperous future for this town."
Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., called the emergency declaration a great day for Libby, which he said "had to wait year after year as the last administration failed to determine that a public health emergency exists."
"Today is the day that after years of work we were able to succeed in getting this done," Baucus said. "We will continue to push until Libby has a clean bill of health."
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., called the declaration long-overdue. "We still have a long way to do right by the folks in Libby. Working together with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency, we're making very good progress," Tester said.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Your Gateway to Health & Environment Resources
Bring Your Own Bag Day
In order to encourage shoppers to bring their own shopping bags so as to help reduce wastage of plastic bags and promote resource conservation, the “Why waste plastic bags? Choose reusable bags!” campaign was launched on 11 February 2006.
This campaign was taken a step further on 18 April 2007 with the launch of the monthly Bring Your Own Bag Day (BYOBD) every first Wednesday of the month.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABC Waters Programme
ABC Waters Programme is a long term initiative to bring people closer to water so that they can better appreciate and cherish this precious resource.
By integrating the streams, rivers and lakes with the parks and gardens, new community spaces, bursting with life and activities, can be created. This helps transforms Singapore into a City of Gardens and Water, a vision outlined by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. more...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nursing Home Charges for private patients
Looking for a place in a nursing home? Check out the latest update on nursing home charges, and try the AIC step-by-step guide to choosing a nursing home.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dental Fees: What private patients pay at public institutions
Seeking dental treatment? Check out the average dental fees paid by private patients at the National Dental Centre (and other dentistry departments in public institutions) for dental procedures such as braces, crowns, implants, full dentures, root canal treatments and impacted wisdom tooth surgery.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Polyclinics: Webcams Queue Watch
Visiting the polyclinic? Get the latest queue and waiting time information at various polyclinics and avoid the crowds.
See real-time webcam images of waiting areas at polyclinics, the number in queues, and indicative peak/non-peak hours here. Find out about the latest month's waiting times at various polyclinics here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chronic Disease Management
Medical problems like diabetes, hypertension, high blood cholesterol or stroke are lifelong conditions. Take charge of your health and manage these conditions to lead a fulfilling life.
From 1 Oct 2006, the Ministry of Health will allow the use of Medisave to help pay part of the outpatient cost, and reduce out of pocket payment for patients with Diabetes. The programme will be extended to the other chronic diseases - hypertension, lipid disorders and stroke - from 1 January 2007. more...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Community Hospitals, Chronic Sick Hospitals and Nursing Homes
Make a more informed decision on where to seek care. Find out more about the different types of intermediate and long-term care (ILTC) residential facilities in Singapore and details on the bed situation and charges in these facilities. more...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Medisave/Medishield Calculator
Find out how much you can expect to claim from Medisave and/or MediShield if you are hospitalised. The online Medisave/MediShield Calculator helps you estimate what a typical patient can expect to claim. more...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In order to encourage shoppers to bring their own shopping bags so as to help reduce wastage of plastic bags and promote resource conservation, the “Why waste plastic bags? Choose reusable bags!” campaign was launched on 11 February 2006.
This campaign was taken a step further on 18 April 2007 with the launch of the monthly Bring Your Own Bag Day (BYOBD) every first Wednesday of the month.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABC Waters Programme
ABC Waters Programme is a long term initiative to bring people closer to water so that they can better appreciate and cherish this precious resource.
By integrating the streams, rivers and lakes with the parks and gardens, new community spaces, bursting with life and activities, can be created. This helps transforms Singapore into a City of Gardens and Water, a vision outlined by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. more...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nursing Home Charges for private patients
Looking for a place in a nursing home? Check out the latest update on nursing home charges, and try the AIC step-by-step guide to choosing a nursing home.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dental Fees: What private patients pay at public institutions
Seeking dental treatment? Check out the average dental fees paid by private patients at the National Dental Centre (and other dentistry departments in public institutions) for dental procedures such as braces, crowns, implants, full dentures, root canal treatments and impacted wisdom tooth surgery.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Polyclinics: Webcams Queue Watch
Visiting the polyclinic? Get the latest queue and waiting time information at various polyclinics and avoid the crowds.
See real-time webcam images of waiting areas at polyclinics, the number in queues, and indicative peak/non-peak hours here. Find out about the latest month's waiting times at various polyclinics here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chronic Disease Management
Medical problems like diabetes, hypertension, high blood cholesterol or stroke are lifelong conditions. Take charge of your health and manage these conditions to lead a fulfilling life.
From 1 Oct 2006, the Ministry of Health will allow the use of Medisave to help pay part of the outpatient cost, and reduce out of pocket payment for patients with Diabetes. The programme will be extended to the other chronic diseases - hypertension, lipid disorders and stroke - from 1 January 2007. more...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Community Hospitals, Chronic Sick Hospitals and Nursing Homes
Make a more informed decision on where to seek care. Find out more about the different types of intermediate and long-term care (ILTC) residential facilities in Singapore and details on the bed situation and charges in these facilities. more...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Medisave/Medishield Calculator
Find out how much you can expect to claim from Medisave and/or MediShield if you are hospitalised. The online Medisave/MediShield Calculator helps you estimate what a typical patient can expect to claim. more...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
POVERTY & ENVIRONMENT
Saint Ramakrishna had once said that pangs of hunger could be so acute that even youthful love becomes futile. Poverty vitiates the body and soul. A mother, who is a symbol of love and affection, is at times driven to sell her child because of poverty, and a young girl to sell her body. A country that can not provide the basic needs - food, clothing and shelter to its people cannot expect to improve its environment. If the main string of the Sitar is not properly tuned, the other strings can hardly create any music. Similarly, the state of the environment will automatically improve in developing countries if we succeed in eliminating poverty. Economic growth is closely related to education and education leads to a better environmental condition. So to improve our economy, we need better education. But who will bring about this change? Just as for Goddess Durga's worship even the soil from prostitute's house is needed and she uses her all ten hands to kills 'Asura', the evil sprit, millions of people from every walk of life, should come together to destroy the evil hands of poverty. Even after 50 years of independence, India's over all socioeconomic condition and the level of education in villages, where the majority of people live, have not improved to the extent it should have. India's poor and poverty stricken villagers remain neglected. Poverty makes a country sick just as malnutrition becomes the principal causative factor to many diseases. As cancer cells destroy healthy cells, poverty acts as neoplasm to the country. Still, there is a solution to the poverty-induced environmental crisis in India and many developing countries. The solution lies in treating the whole country as a single undivided family where all members work together for development and share responsibilities for the family's prosperity. Labor - no matter in what form - must be respected and this will ensure the country's prosperity by encouraging people's participation at every level.
CALCUTTA CITY IN POLLUTION PERSPECTIVE INCLUDING HEAVY METALS
Air pollution becomes acute in Calcutta during winter. Pollutants cannot disperse easily, mainly due to inversion, low wind speed and high congestion. Although Calcutta is known to be one of the world's most polluted cities; available data on pollutant pollution are scanty. So far, data on suspended particulate matter (SPM), SO2, NOx in Calcutta for a couple of years are available. Relatively small amounts of data are available on other parameters like CO, benzene soluble organic matter (BSOM), heavy metals, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). Almost no data are available on benzene-toluene-xylene (BTX), organolead, heavy metals in inhalable particulate matter (IPM) and acidity of moisture.
Samples were collected from five important street crossings in the core city. The average SPM (Suspended Particulate Mater) concentrations during the winter in 1992, 1993 and 1994 were 982 µg/m3, 1007 µg/m3 and 1181 µg/m3 respectively. High SPM in the city air also showed high BSOM (Benzene Soluble Organic Mater). High BSOM was associated with high value of PAH (Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons). Twelve PAH compounds were identified and quantified in the city air and some of them are suspected carcinogen. Among the ten heavy metals determined, lead concentration in SPM during winter for Calcutta was high in comparison to other cities of the world. The total organolead concentrations in ambient air were measured and indicated high value of organolead in the city air. The average organolead concentration for 1992, 1993 and 1994 were 303 ng/m3, 299 µg/m3 and 296 µg/m3 respectively. Concentrations of benzene, toluene and xylene were found to be much higher than in other studies elsewhere in the world. The average benzene concentration during winter in 1992, 1994 and 1996 were 1000 µg/m3, 708 µg/m3 and 491 µg/m3 respectively. Various factors like use of kerosene, coal as cooking fuel, coal in use by power plants surrounding the city, large number of cars, poor quality of fuel, bad condition of the city streets, small road area compared to the total city area, high population density, miserable slum conditions of habitation and overall poor socio-economic status of city dwellers are together responsible for the serious air pollution in the city [Chakraborti et al,Current Science, 75(2),123138, 1998].
WHO (World Health Organization) has estimated that the majority of five million children that die from diarrheal diseases in developing world are poor urban families [World Resource Institute (1996
Samples were collected from five important street crossings in the core city. The average SPM (Suspended Particulate Mater) concentrations during the winter in 1992, 1993 and 1994 were 982 µg/m3, 1007 µg/m3 and 1181 µg/m3 respectively. High SPM in the city air also showed high BSOM (Benzene Soluble Organic Mater). High BSOM was associated with high value of PAH (Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons). Twelve PAH compounds were identified and quantified in the city air and some of them are suspected carcinogen. Among the ten heavy metals determined, lead concentration in SPM during winter for Calcutta was high in comparison to other cities of the world. The total organolead concentrations in ambient air were measured and indicated high value of organolead in the city air. The average organolead concentration for 1992, 1993 and 1994 were 303 ng/m3, 299 µg/m3 and 296 µg/m3 respectively. Concentrations of benzene, toluene and xylene were found to be much higher than in other studies elsewhere in the world. The average benzene concentration during winter in 1992, 1994 and 1996 were 1000 µg/m3, 708 µg/m3 and 491 µg/m3 respectively. Various factors like use of kerosene, coal as cooking fuel, coal in use by power plants surrounding the city, large number of cars, poor quality of fuel, bad condition of the city streets, small road area compared to the total city area, high population density, miserable slum conditions of habitation and overall poor socio-economic status of city dwellers are together responsible for the serious air pollution in the city [Chakraborti et al,Current Science, 75(2),123138, 1998].
WHO (World Health Organization) has estimated that the majority of five million children that die from diarrheal diseases in developing world are poor urban families [World Resource Institute (1996
Status of groundwater arsenic contamination in the state of West Bengal, India: A 20-year study report
The 20-year study report on status of groundwater arsenic contamination in West Bengal by Jadavpur University, based on the analysis of water samples from tube wells in all 19 districts of West Bengal. Groundwater in nine highly affected districts had arsenic at concentrations of 300 lg/L and above.
Since 1988 we have analyzed 140 150 water samples from tube wells in all 19 districts of West Bengal for arsenic; 48.1% had arsenic above 10 g/L (WHO guideline value), 23.8% above 50 g/L (Indian Standard) and 3.3% above 300 g/L (concentration predicting overt arsenical skin lesions). Based on arsenic concentrations we have classified West Bengal into three zones: highly affected (9 districts mainly in eastern side of Bhagirathi River), mildly affected (5 districts in northern part) and unaffected (5 districts in western part). The estimated number of tube wells in 8 of the highly affected districts is 1.3 million, and estimated population drinking arsenic contaminated water above 10 and 50 g/L were 9.5 and 4.2 million, respectively. In West Bengal alone, 26 million people are potentially at risk from drinking arsenic-contaminated water (above 10 g/L). Studying information for water from different depths from 107 253 tube wells, we noted that arsenic concentration decreased with increasing depth. Measured arsenic concentration in two tube wells in Kolkata for 325 and 51 days during 2002-2005, showed 15% oscillatory movement without any long-term trend. Regional variability is dependent on sub-surface geology. In the arsenic-affected flood plain of the river Ganga, the crisis is not having too little water to satisfy our needs, it is the crisis of managing the water.
Since 1988 we have analyzed 140 150 water samples from tube wells in all 19 districts of West Bengal for arsenic; 48.1% had arsenic above 10 g/L (WHO guideline value), 23.8% above 50 g/L (Indian Standard) and 3.3% above 300 g/L (concentration predicting overt arsenical skin lesions). Based on arsenic concentrations we have classified West Bengal into three zones: highly affected (9 districts mainly in eastern side of Bhagirathi River), mildly affected (5 districts in northern part) and unaffected (5 districts in western part). The estimated number of tube wells in 8 of the highly affected districts is 1.3 million, and estimated population drinking arsenic contaminated water above 10 and 50 g/L were 9.5 and 4.2 million, respectively. In West Bengal alone, 26 million people are potentially at risk from drinking arsenic-contaminated water (above 10 g/L). Studying information for water from different depths from 107 253 tube wells, we noted that arsenic concentration decreased with increasing depth. Measured arsenic concentration in two tube wells in Kolkata for 325 and 51 days during 2002-2005, showed 15% oscillatory movement without any long-term trend. Regional variability is dependent on sub-surface geology. In the arsenic-affected flood plain of the river Ganga, the crisis is not having too little water to satisfy our needs, it is the crisis of managing the water.
Bangladesh and China top U.N. disaster risk index
Asian countries led by Bangladesh and China dominated an index produced on Monday by the United Nations that estimates which populations are most at risk from earthquakes, floods, cyclones and lanThe Mortality Risk Index was issued by the U.N. International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) before a four-day meeting of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction opening on Tuesday at which 1,800 officials and experts will examine natural catastrophes.
"There literally are no countries in the world that are not potentially affected by hazards," UNISDR chief Margareta Wahlstrom told a news conference. Wahlstrom said countries that were not major risks now could be in the future as climate change affects weather and sea levels.
The index, measuring where people are most likely to die in a disaster, looks at hazard -- the risk that the disaster will occur, but also exposure and vulnerability, which reflect how countries cope.
For instance vulnerability to earthquakes takes into account the rapidity of urban growth. Other factors would include hospitals and other infrastructure.
IMPACT OF DISASTERS
Wahlstrom said the index showed that countries could reduce the impact of disasters. For instance Japan has the highest exposure to cyclones but ranks as only a medium risk for the category because of civil defense and other mitigation measures.
"Our message is: you don't have to be defeated, because you have a choice," she said.
Four countries with big populations -- Bangladesh, China, India and Indonesia -- are in the extreme category for average number of people at risk in absolute terms.
But when the index is weighted for population the list is headed by Colombia, with a number of small nations such as Comoros, Dominica, Vanuatu and Fiji also high up.
A "multi" index averages these two to reflect both perspectives.
The index throws up some strange neighbors, with the United States, Haiti and Ethiopia all categorized as "medium high" risks overall. The United States is exposed to both earthquakes and cyclones, and as Hurricane Katrina showed, large groups of poor people in the United States are vulnerable to disasters
UNISDR Scientific Adviser Pascal Peduzzi said the one weakness of the index was that it excluded droughts, because their impact was often linked more to civil unrest or conflict than weather or other natural factors.
If drought were included, many African countries would be much higher in the index, he said.
The index draws on data from 1977 to 2007 for earthquakes and cyclones, and scientific modeling for other categories.
dslides
"There literally are no countries in the world that are not potentially affected by hazards," UNISDR chief Margareta Wahlstrom told a news conference. Wahlstrom said countries that were not major risks now could be in the future as climate change affects weather and sea levels.
The index, measuring where people are most likely to die in a disaster, looks at hazard -- the risk that the disaster will occur, but also exposure and vulnerability, which reflect how countries cope.
For instance vulnerability to earthquakes takes into account the rapidity of urban growth. Other factors would include hospitals and other infrastructure.
IMPACT OF DISASTERS
Wahlstrom said the index showed that countries could reduce the impact of disasters. For instance Japan has the highest exposure to cyclones but ranks as only a medium risk for the category because of civil defense and other mitigation measures.
"Our message is: you don't have to be defeated, because you have a choice," she said.
Four countries with big populations -- Bangladesh, China, India and Indonesia -- are in the extreme category for average number of people at risk in absolute terms.
But when the index is weighted for population the list is headed by Colombia, with a number of small nations such as Comoros, Dominica, Vanuatu and Fiji also high up.
A "multi" index averages these two to reflect both perspectives.
The index throws up some strange neighbors, with the United States, Haiti and Ethiopia all categorized as "medium high" risks overall. The United States is exposed to both earthquakes and cyclones, and as Hurricane Katrina showed, large groups of poor people in the United States are vulnerable to disasters
UNISDR Scientific Adviser Pascal Peduzzi said the one weakness of the index was that it excluded droughts, because their impact was often linked more to civil unrest or conflict than weather or other natural factors.
If drought were included, many African countries would be much higher in the index, he said.
The index draws on data from 1977 to 2007 for earthquakes and cyclones, and scientific modeling for other categories.
dslides
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)