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A chemical compound that’s been linked to a number of health problems in animal studies may also damage tooth enamel in humans. BPA is found in many resins and plastics that people use everyday, such as water and baby bottles and food containers.
BPA, or Bisphenol A, can leach from the plastic and into food, water or snacks – and from there into us. A U.S. Centers for Disease Control survey in 2003/2004 found detectable levels of the chemical in 93 percent of more than 2,500 urine samples tested. It can also contaminate the environment, with countless plastic bottles littering many landscapes and waterways.
The NIH, the National Institutes of Health, says, “Animal studies indicate BPA may cause adverse effects, such as obesity, behavioral changes, diabetes, early onset puberty, asthma, cardiovascular diseases, reproductive disorders and development of prostate, breast and uterine cancer.”
It adds there is “reason for concern, especially for parents, because some animal studies report effects in fetuses and newborns exposed to BPA.” There’s ongoing research on whether BPA does indeed affect people the way it can animals.
French researcher Sylvie Babajko is the lead author of an article on BPA appearing in the American Journal of Pathology. She said that BPA is an endocrine disruptor.
Boston Pushing legislation that would add new requirements for gas companies to repair certain leaky pipes, Rep. Lori Ehrlich voiced skepticism on a similar bill backed by Rep. John Keenan.
“Our natural gas infrastructure is the second oldest in the country and has the highest per capita amount of corroded cast iron,” Ehrlich told the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, where Keenan serves as House chairman. “There are over 20,000 known leaks of flammable natural gas in the infrastructure throughout the state.”
Ehrlich’s bill, H 2933, would require even the most minor leaks to be repaired if the street above the pipe is dug up, if it is in a school zone, or if the leaking methane is killing trees. The bill would also set into law a grading system for the severity of leaks, which companies currently set on their own.
Read more: http://www.wickedlocal.com/marblehead/news/x793337975/With-natural-gas-leaks-widespread-lawmakers-revisit-fixes#ixzz2Vxqnonez
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Boston Pushing legislation that would add new requirements for gas companies to repair certain leaky pipes, Rep. Lori Ehrlich voiced skepticism on a similar bill backed by Rep. John Keenan.
“Our natural gas infrastructure is the second oldest in the country and has the highest per capita amount of corroded cast iron,” Ehrlich told the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, where Keenan serves as House chairman. “There are over 20,000 known leaks of flammable natural gas in the infrastructure throughout the state.”
Ehrlich’s bill, H 2933, would require even the most minor leaks to be repaired if the street above the pipe is dug up, if it is in a school zone, or if the leaking methane is killing trees. The bill would also set into law a grading system for the severity of leaks, which companies currently set on their own.
Read more: http://www.wickedlocal.com/marblehead/news/x793337975/With-natural-gas-leaks-widespread-lawmakers-revisit-fixes#ixzz2VxqwGna9
A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee approved legislation June 6 that would add deadlines for states to issue coal ash permits and strengthen the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to assess potential deficiencies in state ash management programs.
The bill (H.R. 2218), introduced June 3 by Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.), also would require periodic evaluations of the structural integrity of coal ash impoundments. The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy approved it by voice vote.
The Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2013 would clarify that EPA still has the authority to investigate and remediate sites under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, clarify that closure of deficient structures occur as quickly as “practicable,” and mandate that high-hazard structures prepare an emergency action plan.
EPA and committee staff conferred on the legislation after a senior agency official told the subcommittee April 11 that aspects of the discussion draft of the legislation needed “further clarity” (44 ER 1064, 4/12/13).
Massachusetts was ranked one of the top 10 leading states of cleantech, according to a report by Clean Edge, a research and advisory firm focused on cleantech.
The Bay State, home to large cleantech businesses such as A123 Systems, First Wind and EnerNOC, ranked number two on an index of the top 10 states behind California, which took the number one slot. Boston ranked number 10 on the Metro index.
The state index measured each of the 50 states using a 100-point scale, calculated by percentage based on a several indicators including clean electricity, clean transportation, green building, policy, incentives and venture capital. Massachusetts scored 77.8, which pushed Oregon out of second place for the first time since Clean Edge began tracking activity four years ago.
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