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Showing posts with label Polychlorinated biphenyl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Polychlorinated biphenyl. Show all posts

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Intersex fish found in Pennsylvania rivers spur search for chemicals


Delaware River
Delaware River

Shocking finding about the association of chemical pollution and the sex of fish. Today's post is shared from latimes.com

Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection has begun an extensive sampling of chemical contaminants in response to the discovery of intersex fish in three of the state's rivers, a department spokeswoman said.

Male fish carrying eggs were found in the Susquehanna, Delaware and Ohio river basins, a sign that the water may be tainted with chemicals, the U.S. Geological Survey found in research released Monday.

Amanda Witman, a DEP spokeswoman, said the agency is testing two tributaries of the Susquehanna River: Juniata River and Swatara Creek.

The USGS research said that two fish species, smallmouth bass and white sucker, were exhibiting intersex characteristics due to exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals — hormones and hormone-mimicking chemicals that caused the male fish to produce eggs.

"The sources of estrogenic chemicals are most likely complex mixtures from both agricultural sources, such as animal wastes, pesticides and herbicides, and human sources from wastewater treatment plant effluent and other sewage discharges," said Vicki Blazer, a fish biologist and lead author of the USGS study.

Intersex fish found in 3 Pennsylvania river basins
Intersex fish found in 3 Pennsylvania river basins

Estrogenic chemicals disrupt the endocrine system, which regulates the release of hormones such as estrogen and testosterone. This interferes with the fish's ability to reproduce.

Some of the compounds and contaminants found were new, and researchers had to develop new laboratory test procedures...
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Friday, November 8, 2013

Contractor to Remove PCB From Park in Bogota NJ

Unsafe disposal of contaminated contaminated soil and rock has historically been a common practice. Not only are employees exposed but so is the general public, including children. Today's post is shared from northjersey.com

Waterside Construction LLC, the company suspected of bringing in tainted material while cleaning up the contaminated Veterans Field, will remain the contractor on the project and pay to have the latest contaminants removed.

“I believe we need to work within the contract,” borough attorney Philip Boggia advised the council during a special meeting Wednesday. “Our experts are satisfied, at least at this point, that [the situation is] manageable and that all steps that need to be put in place have been put in place.”

Some residents have called for the firing of the contractor, but Boggia said that by having Waterside stay on and pay for the removal of the contaminants, the cleanup would take months. The alternative would be to sue the contractor for defaulting on work, which could lead to years of legal wrangling, he said.

The attorney also said the contract with Waterside includes a provision for the contractor to address improper materials brought onsite. “Defective work shall be made good; and unsuitable materials may be rejected,” states a clause in the contract

“The contractor has acknowledged responsibility and is willing to pay the cost of whatever is required to remediate the situation,” Boggia said.

The municipality shut down Veterans Field, the borough’s premier park, in September 2011 after discovering...

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Friday, November 1, 2013

EPA Fines Phoenix-based Company $95,000 for PCB violations

Today's post was shared by US EPA News and comes from yosemite.epa.gov


SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has required Veolia ES Technical Solutions, LLC to pay a $95,000 civil penalty for failure to properly manage PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) at its Jefferson Avenue facility in Phoenix, Ariz. 

The violations stemmed from two inspections in 2008 and 2010. EPA inspectors found the company used PCB-contaminated structures, and improperly stored and disposed of PCBs in violation of the federal Toxic Substances Control Act.“Our goal is to safeguard workers and nearby communities from the health hazards of PCBs,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest

“This settlement ensures that Veolia will take necessary steps to improve its storage and disposal practices.”Veolia Environmental Services North America, the parent company of Veolia ES Technical Solutions, LLC, employs over 5,400 staff generating $1.1 billion in revenues in 2012. 

The company specializes in the management, treatment and disposal of waste. PCBs are man-made organic chemicals used in paints, industrial equipment, plastics, and cooling oil for electrical transformers. 

More than 1.5 billion pounds of PCBs were manufactured in the United States before the EPA banned the production of this chemical class in 1978, and many PCB-containing materials are still in use today....
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