CHE-Penn E-Newsletter #9, March, 2006
------------------------------------------ Table of Contents -------------------------------------- March 3-12 – Pesticide Information booth at Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show March 4 – All About Asthma Program in Monongahela March 7 – Pittsburgh Hospital Greening Roundtable meetings Launch March 11 – Sierra Club Spreading the Green at St. Patrick’s Day Parade March 14 – DEP hearing on the Pennsylvania Clean Vehicles Program March 25 – Global Warming 2006: An Activist's Primer in Coraopolis March 27 – Breast Cancer and Latinas at Pittsburgh Filmmakers March 27 – Pennsylvanians United for Singlepayer Healthcare Strategy Session March 31 – April 2 – The Precautionary Academy Workshop in New Brunswick, NJ April 16 – CleanMed Conference in Seattle, WA May 14 – Pittsburgh Race for the Cure
Join the www.ReducingRisk.org Team
Food Safety Laws National Children’s Study Cut in Federal Budget Proposal Steelworkers Outraged by OSHA's Betrayal on Chromium Dr. Dan Volz Appointed to Macedonian Environmental Committee ―Little Green Molecules‖ by Terry Collins in March issue of Scientific American Magee Women’s Hospital Green Newsletter Launched EPA Grant Opportunities Urbanization and Farming... A Human Health Challenge Mega Retailers Urged to Phase-out PVC Usage
------------------------ March 3 – 12, Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show ----------------------The Rachel Carson Homestead Association is hosting a booth at the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show (http://www.pghhome.com/), March 3 – 12, 2006, to promote healthy lawn care without pesticides. Information will be distributed on the health risks of common pesticides used on lawns and on safer techniques for controlling weeds and pests. To volunteer at this event, being held at the world’s largest green building, the David Lawrence Convention Center, please contact Nancy Gift, PhD at Ngift@chatham.edu --------------- Sierra Club Spreading the Green at St. Patrick’s Day Parade--------------The Sierra Club is marching in Pittsburgh’s St. Patrick Day parade, congregating at 10 AM at the Mellon Arena on Saturday, March 11, 2006. The work party to prepare for the parade is set for Friday, March 10, 2006 from 3:00 – 5:00 PM. For details, contact Randy Francisco at 412-802-6161 or randy.Francisco@sierraclub.org. ------------- March 7 – Pittsburgh Hospital Greening Roundtable Meetings -------------Here is the schedule for the hospital greening roundtable meetings. Please contact chepenn@comcast.net for more information.
―PVC & DEHP in Medical Devices‖ on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 1-3 PM at Children’s Hospital, DeSoto Wing, with Mark Rossi, PhD, from Health Care Without Harm. ―Engaging Nurses in Environmental Health‖ on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 1-3 PM at Magee Women’s Hospital, with Barbara Sattler, PhD, RN, University of Maryland School of Nursing. ―Green Chemistry and Chlorine‖ at the May meeting (date to be determined) with Terry Collins, PhD, Carnegie Mellon University. ―Healthy Food in Health Care‖ on Tuesday, June 6, 2006 (time and place to be determined) with Leslie Mikkelsen, MPH, RD, of the Prevention Institute. ------------ Pennsylvania Clean Vehicles Program Needs YOUR Support! ------------WHAT: Public hearing on Pennsylvania Clean Vehicle Program WHEN: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 at 1:00 PM WHERE: DEP Southwest Regional Office, 400 Waterfront Dr., Washington’s Landing If you cannot attend, you can submit written comments to the Environmental Quality Board (EQB), PO Box 8477, Harrisburg, PA 17105 or email regcomments@state.pa.us. For details and registration information, see: http://www.pennfuture.org/. ---------------------- Global Warming 2006: An Activist's Primer ---------------------―Global Warming 2006: An Activist Primer‖ comes to Coraopolis Saturday, March 25, 2006, from 10 AM to 3:00 PM. Learn the latest on federal and state legislation and global warming science; Discuss what Pennsylvania can do to slow global warming; Network with other activists from across the state and region; Hear experts and policymakers in global warming and clean-energy policy. The event is cosponsored by Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture) and the Felician Sisters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Province and will take place at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Convent Auditorium, 1500 Woodcrest Avenue in Coraopolis. Car pooling from Pittsburgh will be available. Registration and lunch is free. RSVP before March 22 by calling PennFuture toll free in PA 800-321-7775 or register online at www.pennfuture.org. ---------- March 27 – Breast Cancer and Latinas at Pittsburgh Filmmakers ---------On Monday, March 27, 2006, from 7:00 – 9:00 PM, the Latino Health Advocacy & Leadership and the Center for Environmental Oncology are cosponsoring a presentation, ―Environmental Health Risks, Breast Cancer and Latinas‖ at the Pittsburgh Filmmakers, 477 Melwood Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Dr. Irma Russo of Fox Chase Cancer Center, an Argentina trained doctor and researcher will present in Spanish, with English handouts. The program is underwritten by a grant from The Heinz Endowments to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer
Foundation, Pittsburgh Affiliate. The event is presented in association with an exhibit, ―Latino Photovoices,‖ also at the Filmmakers from February 25 through April 2, 2006 -- March 27 – Pennsylvania United for Singlepayer Healthcare Strategy Session -Pennsylvania United for Singlepayer Healthcare (PUSH) political action committee will meet on Monday March 27, 2006 at 6:00 PM at 33 Terminal Way in Pittsburgh, off Carson Street between Third and Fourth Streets at the ―Riverwalk‖ sign. Those attending will be strategizing how to get support in the Pennsylvania legislature for Pennsylvania SB1085. Part of the strategy will include building participation in a ―Citizens Hearing on Health Care Reform,‖ which is scheduled for Sunday May 21, 2006, 1:30 to 5:00, at Temple Sinai, 5505 Forbes Ave. in Squirrel Hill, in Pittsburgh. A speak out session will illustrate the problems in our current system, followed by education about single-payer and two bills set to create a single-payer health care system — one in Washington, D.C. (HR 676) and one in Harrisburg (SB 1085). State and U.S. representatives and senators will then respond to questions from the audience. During the Hearing, these elected officials and candidates running for office in the State Legislature or US Congress will each receive written testimonies from Pennsylvanians. If you feel strongly about this issue, support single-payer reform, and want to provide written testimony, submit your letter to: Western PA Coalition for Single-Payer Health Care, P.O. Box 81915, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. ------------- March 31 – April 2 – The Precautionary Academy Workshop ---------------The first Precaution Academy: Practical Training for Precautionary Action takes place March 31- April 2, 2006 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. This academy was created by the Science and Environmental Health Network (http://www.sehn.org ) and the Environmental Research Foundation (http://www.rachel.org, http://www.precaution.org) to offer an intensive weekend of training to prepare participants to apply precautionary thinking to a wide range of issues in their communities and workplaces. Presenters and discussion leaders include Carolyn Raffensperger, Nancy Myers, Ted Schettler, Katie Silberman and Peter Montague. The cost of the Precaution Academy is $350, which includes hotel for 2 nights, plus six meals, and all instructional materials. Participation is limited to 15 people. Please check with Sherri Seidmon (sherri@sehn.org) to learn whether space is available. ------------------------- Register NOW for CleanMed in Seattle ------------------------CleanMed, the premier health care conference on environmentally preferred products and green buildings is taking place on April 19 - 20, 2006 in Seattle, Washington. CleanMed 2006 agenda includes sessions on environmentally preferable products for health care, reducing waste and toxicity, healthy food in health care and a preconference workshop on green building. This will be the first year that Pittsburgh-area hospitals will be participating and several have submitted applications for mercury
reduction awards. See www.cleanmed.org for more information. --------------------- May 14 – ReducingRisk.org – Register Today ---------------------Join the ―ReducingRisk.org‖ team for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 14, 2006 by registering online at http://www.pittsburghraceforthecure.org. CHE-Penn is coordinating an environmental health booth on Flagstaff Hill where the race ends. Mark your calendars, register for the race and contact che-penn@comcast.net to volunteer your time at the “ReducingRisk.org” booth. The new website will be unveiled on Race day. ----------------------------------------- Food Safety Laws -----------------------------------------In the next few days, the US House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on H.R. 4167, a bill that would eliminate nearly 200 state and local food safety laws. These food safety laws were enacted by the state governments to provide additional protection for state residents when the federal government failed to do so. Concerned citizens are working with NRDC's Earth Action Center http://www.nrdcaction.org to urge Congress to vote ―no.‖ --------------------- National Children’s Study on chopping block ---------------------Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, once named as a "vanguard site" for a 21-year comprehensive study of children’s health, lost federal funding for the project as the National Children’s Study was cut in President Bush's 2007 budget proposal. The study planned to follow over 100,000 children from across the country, from birth to age 21, to examine the effects of environmental and genetic influences on health and development. Estimated to cost $2.7 billion dollars over 25 years, the study is considered to be the one of the largest and most comprehensive in US history and would provide invaluable health data on a whole generation of children. The effects of the cuts on Pennsylvania were covered in the Pottstown Mercury. ------------- Steelworkers Outraged by OSHA's Betrayal on Chromium ----------------February ended with a decision on chromium by the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) that outraged the United Steelworkers union. ―OSHA's decision guarantees that many more workers will get lung cancer," said Michael Wright, the USW's Director of Health, Safety and Environment. The new standard for hexavalent chromium is five times higher than the agency originally proposed, and twenty times higher than the level originally sought by the union. OSHA’s own risk estimates support the union’s assertion that the higher standard will cause between 500 and 2,500 additional cancer deaths in lifetime chromium workers than the standard allowing one fifth of the exposure. Hexavalent chromium exposure can occur in chrome plating shops, stainless steel welding, and in the production of some cements, chromate chemicals and pigments. OSHA only released the original proposed standard in 2002 after a lawsuit by the Oil,
Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union (OCAW) and the Public Citizen Health Research Group. The USW merged with OCAW in April, 2005 and became the successor to that suit. "We had to go to court to force OSHA to set a new chromium standard in the first place," Wright said. "It looks like we will have to go back to court to get a standard that truly protects workers." --------- Dr. Dan Volz appointed to Macedonian environmental committee --------CHE-Penn partner Conrad (Dan) Volz, DrPH, MPH, has been appointed to the steering committee and faculty of ―Strengthening National Public Health Preparedness and Response for Chemical, Biological and Radiological Agents Threats‖ in Skopje, Macedonia. This program will address these issues with the Balkans as a focus and is part of the NATO Public Diplomacy Division, ASI Course Series. Volz will focus on the fate and transport of radionuclides in the environment and also Plant Chemical Safety and Exposure Prevention. The actual program will be held in Skopje, Macedonia from June 16-30, 2006. Proceedings of the conference and program will be published. --------- “Little Green Molecules” in March Issue of Scientific American --------If you need a primer on green chemistry, Terry Collins, CHE-Penn partner, co-authored an introductory article on the topic, ―Little Green Molecules,‖ featured in the March 2006 issue of Scientific American. The article explores the development of an enzyme which can destroy pollutants as well as combine with hydrogen peroxide to help clean the environment. To learn more, see http://www.sciam.com. ---------------- Magee Women’s Hospital Green Newsletter launched ------------------Magee Women’s Hospital of Pittsburgh recently published the initial issue of the Magee Green Newsletter with updates on the activities of the hospital’s Green Committee. This group, with representatives from all departments, meets every other month to set goals and report back. Since joining forces with Healthy Hospitals and the Environment (h2e.org) last year, Magee’s Green Committee moved quickly to eliminate mercury from the hospital. Committee members Joe Losko and Eugene George submitted an application for the H2E ―Mercury Free Hospital‖ award which will be announced at the Seattle CleanMed Conference in April. -------------------------------- EPA Grant Opportunities ------------------------------------The Environmental Protection Agency offers a number of grant opportunities for qualifying organizations and researchers. For detailed information on projects and qualifications, see: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/grants.htm . -------------- Urbanization and Farming – A Human Health Challenge ---------------Urban sprawl has human health impacts along with changing our urban and rural communities. Landowner experiences in Virginia illustrate some of the challenges facing Pennsylvanians: The Virginia easements for farms held by the Virginia Outdoors
Foundation (VOF) includes 286,000 acres in 86 local jurisdictions. In the last five years over 150,000 acres have placed into easements. Despite the amount of land that has been rescued from urban sprawl, a new challenge is teaching stewardship to those now charged with the protection of open space. One concern is the preventable and unnecessary use of pesticides and the consequent impacts on human health. In just the last decade the number of vineyards in Virginia has increased from a handful to over 100. While this might sound like a success story on the surface, vineyards are large users of pesticides. Suddenly, there are instances of spraying adjacent to schools where children play. As stewards of the land we must take a complete look at our landscapes, our communities and our homes. We must examine how our actions, our choices, will impact the not only the environment but human health. By Bill Couzens, Next Generation Choices Foundation ---------------------- Mega Retailers Urged to Phase out PVC Usage -----------------------BeSafeNet.com is asking organizations to sign letters addressed to retailers urging them to eliminate the use of PVC. PVC (polyvinyl chloride or vinyl) is poisonous plastic used by retailers for production and packaging. PVC poses a health hazard to human and health and the overall environment. The goal of the effort is to get mega-retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Target and Sears, to take responsibility in leading the market toward manufacturing healthier and safer products for consumers. Wal-Mart pledged in October 2005 to gradually decrease the use of PVC packaging in the next 2 years. Now the campaign is asking Wal-Mart to encourage their competition to phase out PVC usage as well. To learn about PVC hazards, see: http://www.besafenet.com/pvc and http://www.pvcinformation.org.