ABOUT

Smart discussion of the latest science and news on toxins in your food, water, and air, and what government agencies should be doing to protect public health. Written by EWG staff.

DONATE TO EWG!

Help us protect your health and environment!  Please donate $5 to EWG today.

GET EWG'S TIPS & ACTION ALERTS

Sign Up here to receive email updates and tips from EWG and stay informed on the issues that matter most to you.

ENVIROBLOG VIA EMAIL

Delivered by FeedBurner

 Enviroblog in your Reader

Get EWG widgets & blog badges.

SEARCH ENVIROBLOG

FIND PAST POSTS

select month January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004

FEATURED

Toxins in our Kids' Foods: Where is the FDA?

Why, oh why is there plastic in my aluminum water bottle?

Fluoride in Your Water: How much is too much?

Borax: Not the Green Alternative It's Cracked Up to Be

Test Your Knowledge of Cosmetics Safety: 8 Myths Debunked

EWG's Healthy Home Tips

EWG's Tips to avoid BPA exposure

EWG on TV

Cutting the Pork from U.S. Farm Bill

Toxic Tub?

Sunscreen safety & DC drinking water

Perchlorate in people, kids' personal care products & plastics, and sunscreen

BPA in baby formula & safe cosmetics

Ask EWG

What can I do about fluoride in my water?

What is new carpet treated with? What can I do?

What is "fragrance"?

Which infant formula is best?

Are stainless steel water bottles safe?

Is mineral-based makeup safer?

Ask EWG Archives

PEOPLE TALKING TOXICS

Breast Cancer Fund

The Daily Green

Eco Child's Play

Environmental Defense Fund

Grist

Healthy Child, Healthy World

Huffington Post Green

NRDC's Switchboard

Organic.org

Safer States

TreeHugger

TALK TO US

Did we miss something? Email Enviroblog.

Monthly Archive

Incredible Sulk

By EWG

When the Senate voted Dec. 21 to block his bid to force open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling by breaking Senate rules and tacking the measure onto the annual defense spending bill , Sen. Ted Stevens told reporters “this has been the saddest day of my life.” The second saddest would now officially be the day in December, 1978, when a Lear Jet carrying Stevens crashed in high winds at Anchorage Airport, injuring the senator and killing five people, including his first wife, Ann. -- KC

Newspaper Tests Fish for Mercury

By EWG

The Chicago Tribune is running a powerful series this week on mercury in seafood, including test results for eight different kinds of fish purchased in Chicago-area fish markets and supermarkets. The authors discuss mercury's health risks, interview government, industry and independent experts and even offer readers a calculator that lets people enter their weight and find out how much fish they can safely eat.

Three points the authors make in today's installment:

> Officials with the Food and Drug Administration, which is responsible for the safety of commercial seafood, told the Tribune that the agency has neither the time nor the money to routinely test fish.

> The FDA, for instance, does not require exporting countries to maintain safety, sanitation and inspection programs comparable with the U.S. system, even though 80 percent of the seafood that Americans consume is imported. By contrast, the Department of Agriculture, which monitors meat and poultry, requires every exporter to meet such standards.

> The FDA has issued warnings for canned albacore tuna, which has averaged 0.35 parts per million in the agency's testing. Yet the agency has not issued warnings for orange roughy, which averaged 0.57 parts per million in the Tribune testing, or walleye, which was at 0.51.

EWG's research on mercury in seafood is viewable online at http://www.ewg.org/issues/siteindex/issues.php?issueid=5010.

Use EWG's tuna calculator to see how much tuna is safe for you: http://www.ewg.org/issues/mercury/20031209/calculator.php.

Clear Lies Initiative

By EWG

The independent Congressional Research Service has put out a report stating that the EPA skewed its research on air pollution to favor the Bush administration's Clear Skies Initiative, exaggerating the costs of pollution curbs and downplaying the health and economic benefits. Clear Skies is currently stuck in the Senate.

The Washington Post has the full story, and EWG's analysis of the costs of pollution in California, Smoggy Schools, is here.

Does 3M Run Minnesota Health Agency?

By EWG

A legislative hearing last week revealed that 3M managers called the shots during a meeting at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). When state scientists laid out plans to study Scotchgard chemical water contamination, 3M reps told them not to bother – and MPCA bosses sat by and said nothing. The agency is run by former 3M manager Sheryl Corrigan. Last week marked the second hearing on 3M pollution that Corrigan refused to attend, sending her deputy to take the heat from frustrated senators.

Local Coverage of the Hearing:
Pioneer Press
Star Tribune
Local NBC Affiliate
Minnesota Public Radio

All coverage of Scotchgard and Teflon Chemical Contamination

« November 2005 | Main | January 2006 »