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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Society of Environmental Journalists Weekly TipSheet for July 25th |
Current rating: 0 |
by James Jacobs (forward)
Email: jacobs (nospam) uiuc.edu (unverified!) |
25 Jul 2001
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Below is the Weekly TipSheet of the Society of Environmental Journalists. |
TIPSHEET OF 25 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, as well as on EHC\'s Web site
at http://nsc.org/ehc/jrn/tipindex.htm, and on RTNDF\'s site at
http://www.rtndf.org/resources/tipsheet/index.shtml.
**************************************************** IN THIS ISSUE...
-- House Bugged by School Pest Control Measure -- Keeping Track of Asthma -- Or Not -- Don\'t
Expect Superfund Savings Anytime Soon
-- Getting Rescued from \"Heat Islands\"
******************************************* HOUSE BUGGED BY SCHOOL PEST
CONTROL MEASURE
House Republicans vowed to derail Senate-passed legislation that would mandate disclosure of pesticide
use in schools. The measure, a compromise backed by both environmentalists and pesticide industry
groups, was attached to the Senate education bill.
On July 18, 2001, during a meeting of a House Agriculture subcommittee, Republicans declared their intent
to kill the School Environment Protection Act (SEPA): http://agriculture.house.gov/press/pr010718.html
The bill aims to protect students, teachers, and staff from excessive pesticide exposure on school grounds.
Some states now regulate use of pesticides in schools, but SEPA would mandate federal standards.
Many major pest-control projects are done during the summer break while school buildings and grounds
are empty -- what\'s happening now in your district?
SEPA is the result of a June, 2001 bipartisan agreement among pest control and chemical mfrs., school
officials, and green groups. Some critics contend that SEPA could discourage pest control by making it
more difficult and costly.
Some SEPA highlights that could have major impacts on school operations and budgets around the country:
-- Schools could not apply pesticides while facilities are in use. No occupation of school facilities within 24
hours of a pesticide application.
-- At the beginning of the school year, each school would have to inform parents about its IPM plan and list
pesticides that may be used.
-- Schools would have to maintain records (including pesticide labels) of pesticide applications, and provide
that info on request.
SOURCES:
-- SEPA, Amendment 805 to the Senate education bill (S1). See the Congressional Record, June 19,
2001: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces150.html. The House education bill (H1) contains no
similar language.
-- FL School IPM Advisory Board, backgrounder on SEPA: http://schoolipm.ifas.ufl.edu/leaf.htm.
Directory of school IPM contacts around the country: http://schoolipm.ifas.ufl.edu/ipm_org.htm
-- EPA Office of Pesticide Programs, school IPM info: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/ipm. Kathy Seikel,
703-308-8272. Directory of state IPM programs, with contacts: http://www.ep
a.gov/reg5foia/pest/matilla/ipm_dir.html
-- Beyond Pesticides: Jay Feldman, 202-543-5450, jfeldman (at) beyondpesticides.org,
http://www.beyondpesticides.org/SEPA_Background.htm
-- American Crop Protection Assoc.: Pat Getter, 202-872-3893, pgetter (at) acpa.org,
http://www.acpa.org/public/news/nrs/nr071801.html
-- Natl. Pest Mgmt. Assoc. (press): Catherine Imus, 703-573-8330, cimus (at) pestworld.org,
http://www.pestworld.org/media/press/061901.html
-- In November 2000, the IPM Inst. (608-232-1528) published its recommended IPM practices for
schools: http://www.ipminstitute.org/school.htm
********************************************* ASTHMA AND AIR POLLUTION:
MISSING INFORMATION
Spotty data-gathering practices may make it impossible to show how air pollution influences asthma trends
in your state. In a July 10, 2001, report, the Trust for America\'s Health claims that 12 out of 20 states with
high levels of three kinds of air pollution that affect asthma (particulates, ozone, and suspected respiratory
toxicants) do not track asthma at state or community levels. TFAH release:
http://www.sej.org/go/010725-1.htm. Full report: http://www.sej.org/go/010725-2.htm. Jennifer Haefeli,
202-777-3501.
**************************************************** SUPERFUND COSTS LIKELY
TO REMAIN HIGH, SAYS NEW BOOK
In a July 2001 study conducted at Congressional request, Resources for the Future found that EPA\'s
Superfund costs probably will not decline before 2006 -- and then only by a little bit. This may affect the
ongoing debate over whether and how to reauthorize Superfund. For comprehensive results, see RFF\'s
latest book, \"Superfund\'s Future: What Will It Cost?\"
http://www.rff.org/books/descriptions/superfunds_future.htm. Some free copies available for journalists.
RFF: Melinda Wittstock, 202-328-5019.
**************************************** EPA, DOE HELP URBAN HEAT ISLANDS
FIND RELIEF
If you gasp every time you step outdoors into the summer heat, you may be living in an urban heat island.
Many cities are as much as ten degrees F hotter than the surrounding countryside. The extra heat increases
air pollution and raises energy bills -- and global warming will only make things worse. EPA and DOE have
launched a Heat Island Reduction Initiative to help cities and states identify ways to mitigate the problem
(e.g. reflective roofs, more trees). Pilot programs are running in Sacramento, Baton Rouge, Salt Lake City,
Chicago, and Houston.
-- A new web page gives local examples:
http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/actions/local/heatisland/index.html
n DOE Lawrence Berkeley Nat. Lab.: Hashem Akbari, (510)486-4287, H_Akbari (at) lbl.gov,
http://eetd.lbl.gov/HeatIsland/
n **************************** Next TipSheet: August 1, 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, as well as on EHC\'s Web site
at http://nsc.org/ehc/jrn/tipindex.htm, and on RTNDF\'s site at
http://www.rtndf.org/resources/tipsheet/index.shtml. |
See also:
http://www.sej.org/index.htm
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