Chemicals

"Companies would be required to report to the federal government all new uses of five groups of potentially harmful chemicals, whether in domestic or imported products, under a new policy proposed today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency."

"Ontario is poised to ban asbestos brake pads that release deadly fibres that can be inhaled by auto mechanics during repairs."

"WASHINGTON, DC -- For decades, affluent families have flocked to Spring Valley, a quiet neighborhood hugging the northwestern boundary of the nation’s capital. True to its name, magnolias are blooming and daffodils carpet the yards. But during World War I, soldiers called it Death Valley. It was here that the Army cooked up chemical weapons, launched poison-packed mortar shells and sent gas clouds billowing over the fields."

"The memory and attention problems plaguing thousands of veterans from the first Gulf War might be caused by low-level exposure to insecticides and nerve gas, said researchers at Georgia Health Sciences University."

"A new study finds that even low doses of hormone-disrupting chemicals -- used in everything from plastics to pesticides -- can have serious effects on human health. These findings, the researchers say, point to the need for basic changes in how chemical safety testing is conducted."

"What was killing all those honeybees in recent years?  New research shows a link between an increase in the death of bees and insecticides, specifically the chemicals used to coat corn seeds."

"Industry and public health groups are gearing up for a fight over the regulation of cosmetics, as the House begins consideration of sweeping Food and Drug Administration legislation."

"COLUMBUS -- Ohio lawn and garden care company Scotts Miracle-Gro has pleaded guilty to breaching federal pesticide laws by using an unapproved insecticide on bird seed sold nationwide for two years."

"It's a sunny morning in the Poconos. As residents prepare to head to work or school, some begin to feel dizzy or light-headed."

"The nonprofit group Friends of the Earth filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency today to force the regulation of lead emissions from general aviation aircraft under the Clean Air Act."