The new Earthjustice/EIP/Sierra Club report (PDF, 6MB) shows that at every one of the coal ash dump sites equipped with

Coal ash contamination

groundwater monitoring wells concentrations of heavy metals such as arsenic or lead exceed federal health-based standards for drinking water, with concentrations at Hatfield’s Ferry site in Pennsylvania reaching as high as 341 times the federal standard for arsenic.

A February 2010 EIP/Earthjustice report documented 31 coal ash dump sites in 14 states. The 39 additional sites in today’s report along with the 67 already identified by the EPA bring the total number of known toxic contamination sites from coal ash pollution to 137 sites in 34 states.

Together, the independent reports and the EPA’s own findings make clear the growing number of waters known to be poisoned by poor management of the toxic ash left over after coal is burned for electricity.

“There is no greater reason for coal ash regulation than preventing the poisoning of our water. We now have 39 more good reasons for a national coal ash rule,” said Lisa Evans, Senior Legislative Counsel at Earthjustice. “The mounting number of contaminated sites demonstrates that the states are unable or unwilling to solve this problem.”

“The contamination of water supplies, threats to people, and damage to the environment documented in this report illustrate very real and dangerous harms that are prohibited by federal law but are going on in a largely unchecked fashion at today’s coal ash dump sites,” said Jeff Stant, director, Coal Combustion Waste Initiative, Environmental Integrity Project.

“The health risks from exposure to this toxic waste are real and we cannot afford to ignore them any longer,” said Lyndsay Moseley, Federal Policy Representative with Sierra Club. “It is clear from this report that the closer we look the worse this problem becomes. The only real solution is for the EPA to adopt federally enforceable protections as part of its push to improve public health.”

Report Highlights:

Coal ash pollution poses serious health risks. People living near unlined coal ash ponds can have an extremely high 1 in 50 risk of cancer. That’s more than 2,000 times higher than what the EPA considers acceptable by coal ash (including scrubber sludge) now is at least 137 in 34 states.

Coal ash is putting drinking water from private wells at risk. Contaminated groundwater underneath at least 15 of the 39 sites is moving toward private water wells within two miles of site boundaries, according to monitoring data and public information on private well locations.

Coal ash threatens public water wells and intakes. At least 18 of the 39 contaminated sites are located within five miles of a public groundwater well that could potentially be affected by pollutants from these sites. At nine of those sites, there are at least five public water wells within a five-mile radius.

Coal ash toxins are threatening surface waters. In several cases coal ash dump sites are leaking their toxic cargo into rivers just upstream from the intakes for public water systems. Often, metals like arsenic are discharged to rivers through adjacent groundwater.

Most damaged sites are still active and virtually all show recent evidence of contamination. The damaged sites identified cannot be dismissed as a legacy of past practices that are no longer allowed today. Almost all of the facilities described in the report are active disposal sites.

Nearly 40 years after coal ash disposal stopped at the Montville site (CT), average concentrations of arsenic in groundwater collected in 2007-2009 still exceed the MCL by 21 times and are higher than measurements taken ten years ago.

Very good reasons for stricter regulations!

Meanwhile you need to take care of your health!

New research suggests a link between women’s exposure to household insecticides — including roach and mosquito killers — and the autoimmune disorders rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

The scientist did not find a direct cause-and-effect relationship between insecticide exposure and the illnesses, and it’s possible that the women have something else in common that accounts for their higher risk. But epidemiologist Christine Parks, lead investigator of the study, said the findings do raise a red flag.
“It’s hard to envision what other factors might explain this association,” said Parks, an epidemiologist with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences who was to present the study over the weekend at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting in Philadelphia.

Previous research has linked agricultural pesticides to higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, two diseases in which the immune system goes haywire and begins to attack the body. Farmers, among others, appear to be vulnerable.

Parks and her colleagues wanted to find out whether smaller doses of insecticides, such as those people might encounter at home from either personal or commercial residential use, might have a similar effect.
The researchers examined data from a previous study of almost 77,000 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79.

Women who reported applying insecticides or mixing them — about half — had a higher risk of developing the two autoimmune disorders than women who reported no insecticide use. This was the case whether or not they had lived on a farm. Those who used or mixed the insecticides the most — judged by frequency or duration — had double the risk.
Even so, the risk of developing the diseases remained very low. Overall, Parks said, about 2 percent of older adults develop the conditions.
Parks said the insecticides that the women used included insect killers, such as those designed to eradicate ants, wasps, termites, mosquitoes and roaches. They didn’t include insect repellents.It is hard to avoid the chemicals in our lives. But we should be aware of risks.

Also I would suggest the product we are taking for two years now.

• Because the typical diet consists of many foods unintended for digestion, maintaining a healthy digestive tract is important to the overall health of the body. Ultimate Aloe contains over 200 nutrients including enzymes, vitamins and essential minerals needed for good nutrition. Studies have shown that aloe consumed orally promotes normal digestion and supports a healthy immune system.* 
• Aloe vera juices help to improve general immune system and organism condition improvement. Keeps keeping your stomach cool.
• Aloe vera juice benefits include prevention from the cancer and fight with cancer.
• It is used to control the stomach acids and maintain the balance in the stomach. This is one of the important benefits of drinking Aloe vera juice.
• Aloe juice stimulates tissue regeneration- help stomach and other body parts also. Highly effective and shooting for your skin.
• Aloe vera juice benefits include absorption of nutrients and neutralizing toxic and bad elements. This is also one of the benefits of drinking Aloe vera juice.
• Aloe vera juice is also helpful for diabetic patients.

What is HFCS

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PR debacle for HFCS: Care for some mercury with your oatmeal?

That much-debated sweetener, high-fructose corn syrup, is going to need more than a pricey PR campaign to fix this one.

After one set of scientists found mercury — yes, everyone’s favorite brain-impairing element — in almost half of commercial HFCS, another bunch of scientists decided to get specific and tested 55 common consumer products that use HFCS. And guess what? Almost a third of them contain mercury.

How did the heavy metal get in there? In making HFCS — that “natural” sweetener, as the Corn Refiners Associaton likes to call it — caustic soda is one ingredient used to separate corn starch from the corn kernel. Apparently most caustic soda for years has been produced in industrial chlorine (chlor-alkali) plants, where it can be contaminated with mercury that it passes on to the HFCS, and then to consumers.

David Wallinga, M.D., and his co-authors of “Not So Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup,” are naming brand names in their report from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. At the top of the list: Quaker Oatmeal to Go, Jack Daniel’s Barbecue Sauce from Heinz, Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup, Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce, and Nutri-Grain Strawberry Cereal Bars. Oy!

Abstract

Mercury cell chlor-alkali products are used to produce thousands of other products including food ingredients such as citric acid, sodium benzoate, and high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup is used in food products to enhance shelf life. A pilot study was conducted to determine if high fructose corn syrup contains mercury, a toxic metal historically used as an anti-microbial. High fructose corn syrup samples were collected from three different manufacturers and analyzed for total mercury. The samples were found to contain levels of mercury ranging from below a detection limit of 0.005 to 0.570 micrograms mercury per gram of high fructose corn syrup. Average daily consumption of high fructose corn syrup is about 50 grams per person in the United States. With respect to total mercury exposure, it may be necessary to account for this source of mercury in the diet of children and sensitive populations.

Diet Dos for Glowing Skin
By Tamar Nordenberg

Discovery health.
Long for smooth, supple skin to go along with that slimmer waistline? Then step up to the plate — of salmon and asparagus, that is — to get a double shot of good effect. Living on some more typical low-fat meals, on the other hand, will ravage your body and your brain, leaving you wrinkled as well as fat and fatigued, according to dermatologist Nicholas Perricone, M.D.
Eating right can improve our looks “to a tremendous extent,” says Perricone, an expert on eating your way to superb skin. On his anti-inflammation diet, his patients start to look younger — and what’s more, their acne clears up and their eczema improves. If you long to look better, too, know the elements of Perricone’s “wrinkle-free diet.”

Eat generous portions of the right kinds of protein. Protein is necessary for cell repair and helps keep aging in check. On the best-choices list, fish ranks first, followed by these other protein-packed animal products: egg whites, skinless chicken and turkey breast.
Don’t fear fat — believe it or not, some is healthy — even essential. Fats and oils can provide anti-inflammatory protection and youth-preserving antioxidants. Fatty fish provides hefty helpings of anti-aging omega-3 fatty acids; salmon, mackerel and albacore tuna are among your best bets for staying beautiful. Also tops among anti-inflammatories: extra virgin olive oil. It’ll make you look lovely, and meanwhile could lower your bad cholesterol.
Steer clear of inflammation-inducing sugar and high-glycemic carbohydrates. This category of food includes potatoes, rice and pasta. These foods can cause blood sugar to spike and lead to dangerous chemical changes in your body. Their ability to fuel creation of age-accelerating free radicals and to break down collagen has earned them high rank among skin’s greatest foes. Your body needs carbohydrates, though, so get your fill from low-glycemic fruits and vegetables. Choice picks run from arugula to zucchini — they’re packed with youth-preserving antioxidants.
Know three more keys: Drink water, drink water, drink water. At the risk of repeating himself, the doctor himself drinks glass after glass — eight to 10 glasses of water each day, he reports, to help his own organs and cells function efficiently. Spring water’s better than the kind from the tap with all its chlorine and heavy metals.