Fw: GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS 020501

[Guest guest]

: GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS

:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

: {*} NJ GETS 'F' FOR AIR QUALITY FOR 3RD STRAIGHT YEAR

: {*} EPA PUSHING IMPROVED AIR QUALITY IN SCHOOLS

: {*} EPA PROPOSES AIR POLLUTION LIMITS ON OCEANGOING SHIPS

: {*} CAUTION URGED USING INSECT REPELLENTS CONTAINING DEET

: {*} BUSH CHOKES REACTIVE CHEMICAL REGULATIONS

: {*} CHEMICAL PLANT SECURITY GLOSSED OVER

: {*} $5B ASKED TO SECURE U.S. WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS

: {*} WEST MILFORD DEVELOPMENT BACKERS RUNNING SHORT OF TIME

: {*} NJDEP OUTLINES DETAILS FOR LIMITED LAWN WATERING

: {*} MOBILIZING THE REGION #363

: {*} EXPLORE THE MARVELS OF THE VANISHING RAINFORESTS - MAY 11

: {*} OLMSTED PARKS ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE - MAY 16-19

:

: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

:

: NJ GETS 'F' FOR AIR QUALITY FOR 3RD STRAIGHT YEAR

:

: Date: 020501

: Wrom: GGMEPYOQKEDOTWFAOBU

:

: MONMOUTH COUNTY HAD 33 DAYS IN THREE YEARS RATED UNHEALTHY

:

: By Bob Jordan, Staff Writer, Asbury Park Press, 5/01/02

:

: For the third straight year, the Garden State received failing grades

: for ozone pollution in the American Lung Association's State of the

: Air 2002 report. Ocean County got the second worst rating in the state

: of 19 monitored counties.

:

: The third annual report to be released today is an effort to give

: people easy-to-understand summaries on air quality in their

: communities. Air quality in cities and counties nationwide get a grade

: of " A " to " F " based on how often air pollution exceeded " unhealthful "

: levels using 1998-2000 data generated by Environmental Protection

: Agency ozone monitors. Essex and Bergen counties had incomplete data

: and were not included in the report.

:

: It also showed that throughout the United States, monitored counties

: that got an " F " climbed, from 382 last year to 391 this year.

:

: Ocean County, with 51 days rated " unhealthy for sensitive groups, "

: ranked second worst in the state behind Camden. Monmouth had 33 such

: days.

:

: Not a surprise to , 17, of Ocean Township, who has

: struggled with severe asthma most of her life.

:

: " The quality of air in New Jersey, you can tell, it's inferior. When

: I came home from a trip to Colorado, I had trouble breathing right

: away, " said. " Air pollution is an irritant and a major trigger

: if you have asthma. "

:

: " It's difficult to say New Jersey is trending one way or the other,

: except it's clear New Jersey is not getting better fast enough, " said

: Billings, the Lung Association's assistant vice president for

: government relations.

:

: " In some areas we saw slight improvement in the new report but we

: attribute that to different weather conditions. We still see far too

: many days of high ozone. Ocean County is one of the worst in the

: state, and Monmouth County also gets a solid 'F' in our grading

: scheme. "

:

: The monitoring stations in Monmouth County are at 5 West Main St.,

: Freehold, and at Monmouth University's Edison Science Building. In

: Ocean County, the stations are at the elementary school on Hooper

: Avenue and at the Colliers Mills Fish and Wildlife Management Area in

: .

:

: According to the report, more than 142 million Americans - 75 percent

: of the population living in counties with ozone monitoring - are

: breathing dirty air based on concentrations of ground-level ozone from

: 1998 through 2000.

:

: Billings said ozone not only forms in the state but is blown into New

: Jersey by winds from states to the south and west, which contributes

: to the dirty air in the Shore area.

:

: " Air pollution is a regional problem, " he said. " Often we see areas

: that are downwind of urban and industrial areas that are worse off

: than the industrial areas. "

:

: Ozone, a gas that in the upper atmosphere screens the sun's harmful

: radiation, is a powerful lung irritant at ground level and the chief

: ingredient in smog. Ozone can cause shortness of breath, chest pain,

: throat irritation, coughing and wheezing.

:

: Ozone forms after hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides react in strong

: sunlight.

:

: Motor vehicles and a variety of commercial and industrial sources

: emit hydrocarbons, while the burning of fuels such as coal and

: gasoline releases nitrogen oxides. High temperatures speed the

: hydrocarbons' evaporation and the chemical reactions that create

: ozone, which reaches its highest levels in New Jersey from May through

: September.

:

: " Definitely in more-populated areas, where there's more diesel

: exhaust and more industry, you find more people who need more medical

: care, " said Dr. Ellen Sher of Atlantic Allergy, Asthma & Immunology of

: NJ, which has offices in Middletown and Ocean. " I'm not sure if it's

: gotten worse or how much worse, but I would hope in the interest of

: health that legislators would channel resources to getting our air

: cleaner. "

:

: A spokesman at the state Department of Environmental Protection said

: officials would not comment until having a chance to review the

: report.

:

: Billings said, " We have fantastic pollution control technology in

: this country. We are the world leader, and our cars and trucks are

: much cleaner than they were 10 years ago. The question is, do we have

: the political will to re-quire that all of that technology be used?

:

: " As people drive their cars more and more miles, the technology gains

: are limited. We have seen over time a big jump in pediatric asthma and

: all cases of asthma. This study shows that more peo-ple in the asthma

: epidemic are subjected to triggers caused by dirty air. "

:

: , a junior at Ocean High School, is scheduled to appear in

: Washington today at a Congres-sional field hearing hosted by the

: Allergy & Asthma Net-work/Mothers of Asthmatics. teaches

: breathing tech-niques and nasal washes to young children in a weekly

: class she founded in partnership with the Asthma and Allergy

: Foundation of America.

:

: " The report that we have dirty air doesn't surprise me, " 's

: mother, Carol Itskowitz, said. " Studies show that the type of asthma

: and lung disease that's occurring now is more damaging and deadlier

: that what was found 20 years ago, and the researchers feel the reason

: is the worsening environmental quality and trig-gers. "

:

: * * *

:

: Copyright © 1997-2002 IN Jersey

:

<snip - see seperate page>

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:

: EPA PROPOSES AIR POLLUTION LIMITS ON OCEANGOING SHIPS

:

: Date: 020501

: Wrom: ZXUWLSZLKBRNVWWCUFPEGAU

:

: By H. f Hebert, Associated Press Writer, May 1, 2002

:

: Washington - The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing the

: first federal limits on air pollution from large oceangoing ships, but

: environmentalists said the proposal would provide little improvement

: over existing voluntary standards.

:

: " It's a sham regulation. It's a very toothless standard, " said

: Long, executive director of the California-based Bluewater

: Network. The environmental group had filed a lawsuit that forced the

: EPA to act against pollution from the ships, including oil tankers and

: cruise ships.

:

: The proposed regulation was approved late Tuesday by EPA

: Administrator Christie Whitman, an agency spokesman confirmed after

: the Bluewater Network issued a statement Wednesday criticizing the

: plan.

:

: The proposal, if made final later this year, would codify by 2004 an

: existing voluntary agreement by engine manufacturers that already has

: reduced emissions from new engines by about 11 percent. The standard

: would apply only to new engines that are put into vessels that operate

: under the U.S. flag.

:

: In addition, the EPA said it may consider later a second round of

: actions that would require cleaner engines, possibly to cut emissions

: by at least 30 percent after 2007. It also is asking comments on

: actions aimed at dealing with pollution from ships carrying foreign

: flag and using U.S. ports.

:

: The rule would not require engine manufacturers to retrofit existing

: engines on ships.

:

: Oceangoing vessels, including oil tankers, container ships and cruise

: ships are major contributors to air pollution in many cities with

: large commercial ports. Many of the same cities have yet to meet

: federal air quality standards, the EPA noted in a summary of the

: proposed regulation.

:

: The ships account for 5 percent to 7 percent of smog-causing nitrogen

: oxide from moving sources in such port cities as New Orleans; Baton

: Rouge, La.; Wilmington, N.C.; Miami; and Corpus Christi, Texas, and as

: much as 37 percent in Santa Barbara, Calif., the EPA said.

:

: In addition, the vessels account nationwide for about 3 percent of

: microscopic soot released from all mobile sources because of the high

: sulfur content of the fuel used by the marine engines, said the

: agency.

:

: The Bluewater Network sued the EPA in January 2000 under the federal

: Clean Water Act, maintaining that the agency had refused to deal with

: air pollution from large ships.

:

: The EPA had been under a court-ordered deadline to issue a proposed

: rule by midnight Tuesday of this week, Long said. But he said the

: proposals would do little to improve what engine manufacturers already

: had achieved in their new engines.

:

: " The oil tanker owners and the oil industry have relentlessly lobbied

: the administration to weaken or delay this regulation, " said Long.

: " Clearly they've succeeded. "

:

: - - -

:

: On the Net: Environmental Protection Agency:

: http://www.epa.gov

:

: Bluewater Network:

: http://www.bluewaternetwork.org/

:

: * * *

:

: Copyright © 2002, The Associated Press

:

: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

:

: CAUTION URGED USING INSECT REPELLENTS CONTAINING DEET

:

: Date: 020501

: Wrom: TFJMVRESKPNKMBIPBARHDMN

:

: AScribe Newswire, May 1, 2002

:

: DUKE UNIVERSITY PHARMACOLOGIST SAYS ANIMAL STUDIES ON EFFECTS ON BRAIN

: OF INSECTICIDE DEET WARRANT FURTHER TESTING AND CAUTION IN HUMAN USE

:

: Durham, NC - A Duke University Medical Center pharmacologist is

: recommending caution when using the insecticide DEET, after his animal

: studies last year found the chemical causes diffuse brain cell death

: and behavioral changes in rats after frequent and prolonged use.

:

: Mohamed Abou-Donia, Ph.D. has also called for further government

: testing of the chemical's safety in short-term and occasional use,

: especially in view of Health Canada's recent decision to ban products

: with more than 30 percent of the chemical. Every year, approximately

: one-third of the U.S. population uses insect repellents containing

: DEET, available in more than 230 products with concentrations up to

: 100 percent.

:

: While the chemical's risks to humans are still being intensely

: debated, Abou-Donia says his 30 years of research on pesticides' brain

: effects clearly indicate the need for caution among the general

: public.

:

: His numerous studies in rats, two of them published last year,

: clearly demonstrate that frequent and prolonged applications of DEET

: cause neurons to die in regions of the brain that control muscle

: movement, learning, memory and concentration. Moreover, rats treated

: with an average human dose of DEET (40 mg/kg body weight) performed

: far worse than control rats when challenged with physical tasks

: requiring muscle control, strength and coordination. Such effects are

: consistent with physical symptoms in humans reported in the medical

: literature, especially by Persian Gulf War veterans, said Abou-Donia.

:

: " If used sparingly, infrequently and by itself, DEET may not have

: negative effects - the literature here isn't clear, " he said. " But

: frequent and heavy use of DEET, especially in combination with other

: chemicals or medications, could cause brain deficits in vulnerable

: populations. "

:

: Children in particular are at risk for subtle brain changes caused by

: chemicals in the environment, because their skin more readily absorbs

: them, and chemicals more potently affect their developing nervous

: systems, said Abou-Donia. Commonly used preparations like

: insecticide-based lice-killing shampoos and insect repellents are

: assumed to be safe because severe consequences are rare in the medical

: literature. Yet subtle symptoms - such as muscle weakness, fatigue or

: memory lapses --might be attributed erroneously to other causes, he

: said.

:

: With heavy exposure to DEET and other insecticides, humans may

: experience memory loss, headache, weakness, fatigue, muscle and joint

: pain, tremors and shortness of breath, said Abou-Donia. His earlier

: research, examining the brain effects of three chemicals used during

: the Persian Gulf War, clearly demonstrated that chickens exhibited

: similar signs that the Gulf War veterans complained of upon returning

: from service. (Journal of Toxicology and Experimental Health, May,

: 1996, Volume 48, p. 35 - 56).

:

: Such overt symptoms are not seen immediately after use but may

: manifest themselves months or years after exposure, making a

: cause-and-effect relationship difficult to establish , said

: Abou-Donia. By studying animals such as chickens and rats, however,

: researchers are able to compress the time between exposure and the

: onset of symptoms: 10 months of a rat's life is several years in a

: human's life. Moreover, researchers can study layers of the rats'

: brains at various stages after exposure to measure the chemical's

: effects on the brain.

:

: Indeed, Abou-Donia's two most recent studies demonstrate the severe

: brain and behavioral deficits that rats experience after two months of

: daily skin applications with DEET and permethrin, another common

: insecticide, (Experimental Neurology, 2001, volume 172 , p.153- 171);

: and following 60 days of exposure to DEET and permethrin, and 15 days

: of pyridostigmine bromide, an anti-nerve gas agent (Journal of

: Toxicology and Environmental Health, 2001, volume 64, p. 373-384).

: Both studies examined the effects of each drug alone and in

: combination.

:

: In each study, the treated animals initially appeared to be normal,

: just like the control group, said Abou-Donia. But when challenged with

: neurobehavioral tasks that required muscle control, strength and

: coordination, the rats demonstrated serious impairments. Moreover, a

: detailed analysis of their brains clearly showed that large numbers of

: brain cells were dying within three critical brain structures: the

: cerebral cortex, which controls muscles and movement; the hippocampal

: formation, which controls memory, learning and concentration; and the

: cerebellum, which synchronizes body movements.

:

: In addition, many of the surviving brain cells showed signs of

: degeneration and damage consistent with the presence of harmful

: byproducts called oxygen free radicals (also known as reactive oxygen

: species), which can damage DNA and cell membranes in the brain and the

: nervous system.

:

: The most severe brain cell changes and sensorimotor deficits were

: seen among rats exposed to combinations of DEET, permethrin and the

: anti-nerve gas agent pyridostigmine bromide, which reduces the body's

: normal ability to inactivate pesticides. Such findings confirmed

: Abou-Donia's 1996 and 2001 animal studies demonstrating that harmless

: doses of these three chemicals proved highly toxic to the brain and

: nervous system when used in combination.

:

: " The take home message is to be safe and cautious when using

: insecticides, " said Abou-Donia. " Never use insect repellents on

: infants, and be wary of using them on children in general. Never

: combine insecticides with each other or use them with other

: medications. Even so simple a drug as an antihistamine could interact

: with DEET to cause toxic side effects. Don't spray your yard for bugs

: and then take medications. Until we have more data on potential

: interactions in humans, safe is better than sorry. "

:

: * * *

:

: AScribe - The Public Interest Newswire / 510-653-9400

:

: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

:<snip - see separate post>

: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

:

: CHEMICAL PLANT SECURITY GLOSSED OVER

:

: Date: 020501

: From: http://notes.ire.org/sej/

:

: Society of Environmental Journalists, May 1, 2002

:

: The 9/11 attacks have yet to prompt better security at all of the US

: chemical plants that could pose a threat to surrounding

: communities. An investigation of 30 Pittsburgh-area plants by Carl

: Prine of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review published April 7, 2002,

: revealed that " anyone has unfettered access to more than two dozen

: potentially dangerous plants in the region. " This was despite repeated

: warnings from federal intelligence agencies. A follow-up planned for

: May 5, 2002, will reveal further lapses across the nation.

:

: Many U.S. chemical plants are physically secure from walk-in

: terrorists. But the possibility that a spill, leak, or explosion could

: injure or kill tens of thousands of neighbors prompted Congress in

: 1990 to require plants to draw up " Risk Management Plans. " The RMPs

: for your community are still on public record, although industry

: lobbied successfully to restrict internet access to them.

:

: No U.S. law or regulation yet requires chemical plants to fence their

: perimeters or lock their gates, much less screen employees or use

: safer technology. A Senate bill (S.1602) introduced after 9/11 by New

: Jersey Democrat Jon Corzine would require plants to take specific

: security measures. It is pending before the Senate Environment

: Committee, which has taken no action on it since Nov. 14, 2001,

: hearings. Corzine staff: Darius Goore, (202) 224-4744.

:

: Industry so far appears to have successfully derailed federally

: mandated chem-security legislation by coming out quickly with its own

: voluntary " Site Security Guidelines for the U.S. Chemical Industry " :

: executive summary and link to document. American Chemistry Council:

: K. Roth, 703-741-5805.

:

: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

:

: $5B ASKED TO SECURE U.S. WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS

:

: Date: 020501

: From: http://notes.ire.org/sej/

:

: Society of Environmental Journalists, May 1, 2002

:

: After the 9/11 attacks, EPA officials downplayed the vulnerability of

: US drinking water supplies (press release of Oct. 18, 2001). But the

: agency is now fronting $89 million to public water and wastewater

: providers around the country to begin finding out if its first-blush

: pronouncement was accurate. Dolgin, 202-564-9895.

:

: In addition, the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies told the

: U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations on April 11, 2002, that $4

: billion will be needed for basic security improvements at the nation's

: 54,000 drinking water systems and 16,000 wastewater systems. AMWA also

: said that another $700 million will be needed for vulnerability

: assessments and $19.5 million will be needed to research water

: security issues and begin developing related communications networks

: and training programs. AMWA: Arceneaux, 202- 331-2820, Apr.

: 11th press release.

:

: All parts of water and wastewater systems (supply, treatment,

: distribution, and release) may be vulnerable to some extent. One

: potential benefit of the new focus on vulnerability may be that all

: water and wastewater pollutants may be better monitored and

: controlled. Luthy, 650-725-9170, Luthy Statement to the House

: Committee on Science on the Safety of Our Nation's Water.

:

: Public water and wastewater providers serving more than 100,000

: people are eligible for EPA grants up to $115,000 each to study how

: vulnerable their system may be. The application deadline was April 29,

: 2002. Grants will be awarded in May and June. EPA is also trying to

: figure out how to help small and medium-sized public providers, as

: well as private providers of all sizes, undertake similar efforts.

:

: Other funding may be available through Drinking Water State Revolving

: Fund programs. Congress is considering funding for a variety of water

: security issues, and may wrap up individual proposals into a larger

: bill. Some of the players: Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) staff, Jim

: Philipps, 202-225-3665 (HR 3178); Sen. Jim Jeffords (I-VT) staff,

: Smulson, 202-224-5141 (S 1593).

:

: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

: MOBILIZING THE REGION #363

:

: Date: 29 Apr 2002

: From: Tri-State Transportation Campaign {tstc@...}

:

: [Excerpt: Full text at http://www.gsenet.org/newsstnd/mtr.htm]

:

: April 29, 2002

:

: - - -

:

: THIS WEEK'S NEWS

:

: . . .

:

: NJ REVERSES: BUSES WILL USE LOW-SULFUR DIESEL

:

: Environmental wisdom seems to have prevailed over other

: considerations within the McGreevey Administration over NJ Transit's

: choice of bus fuel.

: http://www.tstc.org/bulletin/20020429/mtr36303.htm

:

: . . .

:

: ATTACK ON U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL LAW UNDERWAY

:

: Last Wednesday, the House Committee on Transportation and

: Infrastructure approved an airport " streamlining " bill sponsored by

: committee chair Don Young of Alaska.

: http://www.tstc.org/bulletin/20020429/mtr36306.htm

:

: . . .

:

: TRENTON: SPRAWL LEGISLATION DEVELOPING

:

: Central New Jersey State Senator Inverso is sponsoring three

: bills that seek to address development and sprawl-related problems.

: http://www.tstc.org/bulletin/20020429/mtr36209.htm

:

: - - -

:

: CALENDAR OF EVENTS

:

: May 14, 8-10am Regional Business Partnership's Annual Transportation

: Award, presented to Dr. Saul Fenster, New Jersey Institute of

: Technology President. 973-242-4219 or rbp@...

:

: Upcoming Conferences http://www.tstc.org/calendar.html

:

: * * *

:

: MTR#363

:

: Contributing: Schreibman

: Editors: Jon Orcutt,

: Executive Director: Janine Bauer

:

: Tri-State Transportation Campaign

: 240 West 35th Street #801

: New York, NY 10001

: tel. 212-268-7474

: fax 212-268-7333

: tstc@...

: http://www.tstc.org

:

: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

:

: Back issues of the Garden State EnviroNews are available at

: http://www.gsenet.org/library/11gsn/11gsn.htm

:

: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

:

: Garden State EnviroNet, Inc.

: 19 Boonton Ave, Boonton NJ 07005

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