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News :: Miscellaneous |
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TipSheet: weekly news tips for journalists on potential environmental stories |
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by James Jacobs
Email: jacobs (nospam) uiuc.edu (unverified!) |
14 Jul 2001
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Here is the latest "TipSheet" an electronic newsletter of Story Ideas for Environmental, Science and Health Journalists. It will be accessible via the web on the U-C IMC Library's soon-to-be-live website! |
TIPSHEET OF 11 JULY, 2001
TipSheet provides weekly news tips for journalists on potential environmental stories and sources. TipSheet is produced jointly by the Society of Environmental Journalists, the Radio and Television News Directors Foundation, and the National Safety Council\'s Environmental Health Center. TipSheet is posted to searchable archives on SEJ\'s Web site at http://www.sej.org/pub/index.htm and to EHC\'s Web site at http://nsc.org/ehc/jrn/tipindex.htm.
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IN THIS ISSUE...
-- Experimental GE Crops Widespread
-- Report Due on Rocket Fuel Pollution
-- Bush and Federal Labs Cross Wires on Energy
-- Uranium Recycling Risks Wider than Thought
-- Can States Be Trusted with Environmental Enforcement?
-- First Commercial Fish May Be Endangered
-- EPA Public Participation Goes On-Line
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U.S. HAS 1000s OF SECRET GE CROP TEST SITES
Nearly 29,000 field tests of more than 80 genetically engineered organisms, mostly crops, have been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture since 1987, says the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (June 14, 2001, report, \"Raising Risk: Field Testing of Genetically Engineered Crops in the U.S.,\" http://www.pirg.org/ge/press/raisingrisk/pr.html). More than 60% of field tests conducted in 2000 involved secret genes protected as confidential business information. USPIRG lists its results by state. Identifying specific sites may be possible with a FOIA request. USPIRG, Richard Caplan, 202-546-9707, ext. 329, rcaplan (at) pirg.org
USPIRG says that cross-pollination of non-GE crops is one of the risks posed by these test sites, and that regulation by USDA has been limited and is on the wane. USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service officials say their efforts are appropriate: Jim Rogers, 301-734-8563, jim.d.rogers (at) aphis.usda.gov, http://www.aphis.usda.gov/biotech
A workshop held July 13-14, 2000, by the National Research Council concluded in part that \"ecological monitoring of genetically engineered crops is warranted\" -- it\'s at http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10068.html. A book published in 2000 by the NRC also addresses GE crops: Genetically Modified Pest-Protected Plants: Science and Regulation, http://www.nap.edu/catalog/9795.html. The National Academy of Sciences is expected to release a report this fall on facets of USDA\'s role. NAS, Dave Schneier, 202-334-2138, news (at) nas.edu
Along with the test sites, genetically engineered crops themselves are widespread in the U.S., including an estimated 64% of cotton, 63% of soybeans, and 24% of corn: http://www.sej.org/go/010711-4.htm. GE crops vary in yield, profitability, and ability to help reduce herbicide use: http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aer786. USDA Economic Research Service, Ralph Heimlich, 202-694-5504, heimlich (at) ers.usda.gov
The U.S. General Accounting Office is contemplating a GE crops investigation, which may include the issue of field testing. GAO press, Jerri Hoy, 202-512-9936, hoyj (at) gao.gov
Monsanto (or a company it now owns) has applied to conduct the most field tests each year since 1987. Mark Buckingham, 314-694-5291, mark.buckingham (at) monsanto.com
-- Biotechnology Industry Organization, Lisa Dry, 202-857-0244, ldry (at) bio.org
-- Organic Farming Research Foundation, Mark Lipson, 831-426-6606, mark (at) ofrf.org
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COMING REPORT: ROCKET FUEL POLLUTES MANY STATES
On July 18, 2001, sites in 39 states that have known or suspected contamination from perchlorate, a component of rocket fuel and some fertilizers, will be highlighted in an Environmental Working Group report (Rocket Science: Perchlorate and the Toxic Legacy of the Cold War, available at http://www.ewg.org with a password on July 17, and to the public on July 18). Contamination is dominated by rocket fuel see page from defense contractor sites. The report also offers EWG\'s perspective on proposed drinking water standards for perchlorate under development by EPA. EWG, Bill Walker, 510-444-0973, bwalker (at) ewg.org or Liza Pike, 415-561-2325, liza (at) ems.org
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DOE LABS, WHITE HOUSE ENERGY VIEWS DIFFER
President Bush\'s proposed energy policy is somewhat at odds with a report issued by three national laboratories during the Clinton administration. Highlights of the conflicting energy views are presented in the July 2001 issue of Spectrum, published by The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The magazine summarizes the philosophies and conclusions of both President Bush\'s energy task force and a joint study by Oak Ridge Nat\'l. Lab., Lawrence Berkeley Nat\'l. Lab., and the Nat\'l. Renewable Energy Lab. IEEE: Nancy Hantman, 212-419-7561, n.hantman (at) ieee.org, http://www.sej.org/go/010711-3.htm
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CONTAMINATION FROM URANIUM RECYCLING IS FAR-FLUNG
U.S. Department of Energy studies show that uranium recycling at more than 100 locations around the country has exposed thousands more people than expected to potentially harmful doses of toxic substances. On June 24, 2001, USA Today published two articles by Peter Eisler on the issue, http://www.usatoday.com/news/poison/2001-06-25-hotnukes.htm, based in part on DOE studies released in March 2001: http://tis.eh.doe.gov/legacy/releases/pr01045.html. DOE press, Dolline Hatchett, 202-586-0608
-- For information on other recent DOE investigations of nuclear manufacturing contamination, see Sept. 20, 2000, TipSheet, http://www.sej.org/go/010711-2.htm
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REPORT: SOME KEY STATES FUMBLING ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT
Many key US environmental laws are implemented and enforced at the state level -- and the Bush Admin. wants to turn even more environmental laws over to state control. But are states up to the task? A June 11, 2001, Natl. Environmental Trust report charged three key states (OH, GA, and TX) with doing a lousy job: http://www.environet.org/cleanair/issue/whitepaper.pdf. NET: Joel Finkelstein, 202-887-1345, jfinkelstein (at) environet.org
NET examined the three states\' progress on implementing an air-pollution permit system required by the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act. Nearly half of all eligible facilities did not have permits 10 years after the states took over the program.
In April 2001, the Environmental Council of the States issued a parallel report: http://www.sej.org/go/010711-1.htm. ECOS considered slightly different issues -- primarily the role of states in enforcing federal environmental laws (states account for some 90% of enforcement actions), as well as problems in meeting reporting requirements. ECOS: Steven Brown, 202-624-3660, sbrown (at) sso.org
EPA\'s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance handles enforcement when states don\'t meet federal standards: 202-564-2440, http://es.epa.gov/oeca
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BOCACCIO SENDS RIPPLES THROUGH PACIFIC FISHERIES
On June 14, the National Marine Fisheries Service notified three environmental groups that their petition to list bocaccio (also known as Pacific red snapper) as an endangered species merited further consideration. The decision is significant because bocaccio, a species of rockfish, is caught incidentally along with many other groundfish species on the West Coast.
Bocaccio was once among the most common species caught by West Coast trawlers; industry, government and environmental groups agree that its numbers have declined by 98 percent in the past several decades. Overfishing and habitat degradation are the primary threats to the species.
Industry watchers say most of the fisheries in which bocaccio gets caught as bycatch are already effectively shut down. If bocaccio is listed (the final decision would be made in March 2002), it would be the first commercial marine species to receive protection under the Endangered Species Act.
-- NMFS: Jim Lecky, 562-980-4015, jim.lecky (at) noaa.gov; or Marta Nammack, 301-713-1401, marta.nammack (at) noaa.gov
-- Natural Resources Defense Council: Karen Garrison, 415-777-0220, kgarrison (at) nrdc.org. Center for Biological Diversity: Brendan Cummings, 510-848-5486, bcummings (at) biologicaldiversity.org
-- Fishermen\'s Marketing Association: Pete Leipzig, 707-442-3789; fma (at) trawl.org
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EPA PUBLIC PARTICIPATION GOES ON-LINE
The Environmental Protection Agency is holding a \"national dialogue\" online to get views on its public participation programs -- including right-to-know issues affecting journalists. It runs July 10-20, 2001, at http://www.network-democracy.org/epa-pip/
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Next TipSheet: July 18, 2001
Journalists: Please tell your colleagues about TipSheet. For free subscription send name and full contact information to sej (at) sej.org. Have a tip? Comments? Contact Joe Davis, editor, at 202-974-2464, davisja (at) nsc.org, or Beth Parke, associate editor, at 215-884-8174 or sej (at) sej.org. TipSheet is posted to searchable archives on SEJ\'s Web site at http://www.sej.org/pub/index.htm and on EHC\'s Web site at http://nsc.org/ehc/jrn/tipindex.htm.
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