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OPPT NEWSBREAK Wednesday, January 6, 1999 Today's "Toxic News for the Net" Brought to you by the OPPTS Chemical Library http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/oppt_nb.txt NEWS "FDA Vows Top Priority for Food-Safety Items. "Wall Street Journal, 6 January 99, B10. As an incentive to food-additive producers, the Food and Drug Administration will prioritize and hasten the review of those food additives that are proposed to minimize the risk of food-borne illnesses such as E. coli, salmonella and cyclospora. Currently, applications that qualify for expedited review are being selected at the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Joseph Levitt, director of the Center, says that, currently, petitions are reviewed in the order they are received and their consideration is often delayed by lack of data initially submitted by companies. The push for research to improve food safety is supported by the Clinton Administration's proposal for an increase in the food safety budget. "Formaldehyde Risk Found In Many Products." USA Today, 4 January 99, 1D. Many common home products give off substantial amounts of formaldehyde, a possible carcinogen. It is found in the production of building materials, textiles, cosmetics and home furnishings. Peggy Jenkins, an indoor air expert at the California EPA says that a study by scientists hasn't determined just how much formaldehyde is 'too much.' It is a good idea to reduce exposure. "Taiwan Vague on Waste-Dumping History. "Washington Times 6 January 99, A13. Formosa Plastics Corp.'s recent admission that it shipped 3,000 tons of mercury-laden waste to Cambodia raises questions as to whether this was an isolated incident or part of a pattern that had gone undetected for years. Ting San-lung, head of the Environmental Protection Bureau in southern Kaohsiung city, said, "`While pursuing rapid economic development, we have never come up with effective measures to handle industrial waste...Our biggest problem is we can't find any places to store the industrial waste.'" A government report shows that nearly 1 million tons of toxic waste generated by companies in Taiwan in 1997 went unaccounted for. It is believed that a lot of the waste is dumped in Taiwan, with little regard for protecting the environment. EDITORIALS AND COMMENTORY "Interim Storage for Nuclear Waste Needed [Letters]." USA Today, 5 January 99, 16A. William H. Miller, professor Nuclear engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo., writes in response to the 31 December News article "With nowhere to go, nuclear waste piles up." He expresses dismay over the slow pace of establishing a permanent disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste, stating his reasons why he thinks a temporary storage facility should be created above-ground at the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada, while the underground permanent site is finished. One of his arguments is that delay might force some plants to close: "That might please some anti-nuclear groups, but it would require more fossil fuels to be used for power production, causing far greater quantities of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and fine particles of soot to be spewed into the atmosphere. Worse still, the burning of more coal and natural gas will cause the release of higher levels of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas linked to climate disruption.'" "Polluting Cruise Ships [Letters]." New York Times, 6 January 99, A26. Thomas E. Gass, an admiralty lawyer from New York, writes in response to the 3 January front page article about the Justice Department's plans to take action against polluting cruise ships. He explains how the problem could be taken care of by finally ratifying the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which has been "delayed because of partisan politics in the Senate." ACROSS THE USA, from USA Today "San Francisco, California [Across the USA]." USA Today, 4 January 99, 6A. An oil spill in the San Francisco Bay, between Alcatrez Island and Pier 39 (about one city block)was being investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard. There were no reports of injury to animals. "Lincoln, Nebraska [Across the USA]." USA Today, 5 January 99, 14A. The water quality of one of the state's trout streams could be adversely affected by animal-waste run-off and odors from six planned hog farms. The state Game and Parks Commission director, Rex Amack says wildlife along the Lone Pine Creek could also be harmed. "Seabrook, New Hampshire [Across the USA]." USA Today, 5 January 99, 14A. In the past five years, underwater tunnels at Seabrook nuclear power plant have caused the drowning of fifty-four federally protected seals. Environmentalists are demanding that the power plant be fined $25,000 per animal. The federal Fisheries Service may grant Seabrook an exemption for up to 34 seal deaths a year. "Raleigh, North Carolina [Across the USA]." USA Today, 5 January 99, 14A. State officials say that hundreds of deserted animal waste lagoons pose an environmental threat and an expensive cleanup. Statewide, inspectors claim that over 766 lagoons exist. "Providence, Rhode Island [Across the USA]." USA Today, 5 January 99, 14A. Federal regulations call for upgrading underground tanks and about 100 state gas stations are not in compliance with this regulation and have failed to replace them with tanks less likely to leak. These stations will not be allowed to sell gas. "Wytheville, Virginia [Across the USA]." USA Today, 4 January 99, 6A. Two buildings were destroyed and several thousand people were left without heat due to a leaking natural gas line which burst into flames; two Wytheville firefighters were injured. BIOTECHNOLOGY "Biomedical Breakthroughs Trace The Circle Of Life." USA Today, 5 January 99, 4D. There were several biomedical discoveries of 1998. The ability to control the aging of human cells was discovered in January. In July it was reported that a mouse was cloned for the first time. Another big breakthrough was the telomerase finding in November. Last month, scientists announced that they had determined the first complete genetic blueprint of a multicellular animal. Sidebar:Toward Creating Human Cells To Treat Disease, and Sidebar: Cellular Immortality CAR CORNER "Gas-sipping Honda Set For USA." USA Today, 5 January 99, 3B. The Honda VV will be the most fuel-efficient regular-production car sold in the USA. It will hit 80 mpg in steady highway driving. It will have anti-lock brakes, automotive climate control, power steering, dual air bags, an electric motor which operates on energy generated by braking and while cruising and the car will go 100 mph. This energy is stored in the car's battery pack, for use when needed. INTER ALIA "Totally Functional Food: Earthworms and Wafers Could Be Future Fodder [Cover Story]." USA Today, 4 January 99, 1D,2D. Some of the nation's top food scientists give their predictions as to what American's food supply will look like in the new millennium. Column focuses on the possible scenarios of using biotechnology to tailor foods to counteract people's genetic dispositions to various health problems. The problems of feeding a growing world population are also touched upon, possible solutions being better utilization of food sources such as insects and acorns. The idea of getting one's food from a wafer is floated but dismissed as unrealistic for humans used to getting pleasure from eating. But it might be possible to cater to cravings in a healthy way: "...it is possible to cultivate apples that contain the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee." * All items, unless indicated otherwise, are available at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxics Substances (OPPTS) Chemical Library Northeast Mall, Room B606 (Mailcode 7407) Washington, D.C. 20460 (202) 260-3944; FAX x4659; E-mail for comments: [email protected]. (Due to copyright restrictions, the library cannot provide photocopies of articles.) *Viewpoints expressed in the above articles do not necessarily reflect EPA policy. 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