The battle over America's long-awaited ban on asbestos has reached a critical juncture in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, where the 2024 EPA rule faces fierce industry challenges that could determine the fate of worker safety protections nationwide.
Showing posts with label Public health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Public health. Show all posts
Friday, September 19, 2025
Thursday, September 11, 2025
Jersey Fights COVID Workplace Risks
New Jersey's bold move to expand COVID-19 vaccine access represents a critical step forward in workplace safety and pandemic preparedness at a time when other states are moving in the opposite direction. The Garden State's recent Executive Directive No. 25-003 and accompanying Standing Order demonstrate how state-level leadership can protect workers and communities when federal guidance falls short.
Sunday, June 8, 2025
Great Falls: Asbestos Abatement Underway
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) commenced a significant $4 million project in June 2025 to remove hazardous materials, including asbestos and lead, from the Allied Textile Printing (ATP) site in Paterson, New Jersey.
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
National COVID-19 Aerosol Workplace Standard Urged
Leading public health and workplace safety experts have urged the Biden Administration to invoke immediate measures to reduce the aerosol spread based COVID-19 virus. In a letter to the national pandemic response team leaders, the experts have stated that urgent action is needed on a national scale.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Symposium: Celebrating Dr. Irving J. Selikoff
Friday, October 16, 2015, 8:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Location: Davis Auditorium, Hess Building, 1470 Madison Ave (between 101st and 102nd Sts)
Program Overview : This symposium will examine the lasting impact of the legacy of Dr. Irving J. Selikoff (January 15, 1915-May 20, 1992) on occupational health and safety in the United States. Considered the father of occupational medicine, he is remembered for his seminal research on asbestos-related illnesses, his tireless advocacy for worker safety and health protections, and his contributions to the establishment of federal asbestos regulations.
Photo Exhibit In conjunction with the symposium, there will be an exhibit by photographer Earl Dotter on display titled Badges: A Memorial Tribute to Asbestos Workers. Guggenheim Pavilion Atrium, 1468 Madison Avenue.
Who should attend? This symposium is open to the public and intended for faculty, residents, students, and members of the occupational health and safety community.
Mount Sinai Organizing Committee Madelynn Azar-Cavanagh, MD; Philip J. Landrigan, MD, MSc; Roberto Lucchini, MD; John D. Meyer, MD, MPH; Barbara J. Niss; Robert O. Wright, MD, MPH
Registration There is no fee to attend this event. Click here to register for this event or email carla.azar@mssm.edu. Please note that space is limited and early registration is encouraged. Special Needs The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is in full compliance with provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is accessible for individuals with special needs. If you would like to attend this conference and require any special needs or accommodations, please contact carla.azar@mssm.edu.
Agenda
8:00 AM Breakfast and Check-in
9:00 AM Welcome Remarks
Robert O. Wright, MD, Chair, Dept. of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Philip J. Landrigan, MD, Dean for Global Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
David Michaels, PhD, MPH, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health and Director, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
John Howard, MD, MPH, LLM, Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Program Moderator
Roberto Lucchini, MD, Director, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
9:30 AM Irving J. Selikoff in History
Albert Miller, MD, Director of the Pulmonary Function Laboratory, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Emeritus Clinical Professor of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
9:50 AM Asbestos and Selikoff’s role in the Reconception of Responsibility for Chronic Disease in a pre-OSHA era
David K. Rosner, PhD, MPH, Ronald H. Lauterstein Professor of Sociomedical Sciences and Professor of History, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
10:10 AM Break
10:25 AM Update of the Selikoff’s Insulators’ Asbestos Cohort
Steven Markowitz, MD, DrPH, Barry Commoner Center for Health and the Environment, Queens College and Graduate Center, City University of New York
10:45 AM Pneumoconiosis and Autoimmune Disease from an Historical Perspective
Paul D. Blanc, MD, MSPH, Professor of Medicine and Endowed Chair, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of California San Francisco
11:05 AM Perspectives on Dr. Selikoff’s Contributions to Public Health and Safety Laws
Neil T. Leifer, Esq., Neil T Leifer, LLC, Auburndale, MA
11:25 AM Trends Today: Global Spread of Asbestos to Developing World
Barry I. Castleman, ScD, Author of Asbestos: Medical and Legal Aspects
11:45 AM Q&A
12:05 PM Introduction of Photo Exhibit
Linda Reinstein, President/CEO, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
12:10 PM Closing Remarks
Madelynn Azar-Cavanagh, MD, Medical Director, Mount Sinai Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health
Symposium: Celebrating Dr. Irving J. Selikoff
Sponsored by the Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Dept. of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Location: Davis Auditorium, Hess Building, 1470 Madison Ave (between 101st and 102nd Sts)
Program Overview : This symposium will examine the lasting impact of the legacy of Dr. Irving J. Selikoff (January 15, 1915-May 20, 1992) on occupational health and safety in the United States. Considered the father of occupational medicine, he is remembered for his seminal research on asbestos-related illnesses, his tireless advocacy for worker safety and health protections, and his contributions to the establishment of federal asbestos regulations.
Photo Exhibit In conjunction with the symposium, there will be an exhibit by photographer Earl Dotter on display titled Badges: A Memorial Tribute to Asbestos Workers. Guggenheim Pavilion Atrium, 1468 Madison Avenue.
Who should attend? This symposium is open to the public and intended for faculty, residents, students, and members of the occupational health and safety community.
Mount Sinai Organizing Committee Madelynn Azar-Cavanagh, MD; Philip J. Landrigan, MD, MSc; Roberto Lucchini, MD; John D. Meyer, MD, MPH; Barbara J. Niss; Robert O. Wright, MD, MPH
Registration There is no fee to attend this event. Click here to register for this event or email carla.azar@mssm.edu. Please note that space is limited and early registration is encouraged. Special Needs The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is in full compliance with provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is accessible for individuals with special needs. If you would like to attend this conference and require any special needs or accommodations, please contact carla.azar@mssm.edu.
Agenda
8:00 AM Breakfast and Check-in
9:00 AM Welcome Remarks
Robert O. Wright, MD, Chair, Dept. of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Philip J. Landrigan, MD, Dean for Global Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
David Michaels, PhD, MPH, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health and Director, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
John Howard, MD, MPH, LLM, Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Program Moderator
Roberto Lucchini, MD, Director, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
9:30 AM Irving J. Selikoff in History
Albert Miller, MD, Director of the Pulmonary Function Laboratory, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Emeritus Clinical Professor of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
9:50 AM Asbestos and Selikoff’s role in the Reconception of Responsibility for Chronic Disease in a pre-OSHA era
David K. Rosner, PhD, MPH, Ronald H. Lauterstein Professor of Sociomedical Sciences and Professor of History, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
10:10 AM Break
10:25 AM Update of the Selikoff’s Insulators’ Asbestos Cohort
Steven Markowitz, MD, DrPH, Barry Commoner Center for Health and the Environment, Queens College and Graduate Center, City University of New York
10:45 AM Pneumoconiosis and Autoimmune Disease from an Historical Perspective
Paul D. Blanc, MD, MSPH, Professor of Medicine and Endowed Chair, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of California San Francisco
11:05 AM Perspectives on Dr. Selikoff’s Contributions to Public Health and Safety Laws
Neil T. Leifer, Esq., Neil T Leifer, LLC, Auburndale, MA
11:25 AM Trends Today: Global Spread of Asbestos to Developing World
Barry I. Castleman, ScD, Author of Asbestos: Medical and Legal Aspects
11:45 AM Q&A
12:05 PM Introduction of Photo Exhibit
Linda Reinstein, President/CEO, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
12:10 PM Closing Remarks
Madelynn Azar-Cavanagh, MD, Medical Director, Mount Sinai Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health
Symposium: Celebrating Dr. Irving J. Selikoff
Sponsored by the Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Dept. of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Asbestos likely more widespread than previously thought
Naturally occurring asbestos minerals may be more widespread than previously thought, with newly discovered sources now identified within the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The asbestos-rich areas are in locations not previously considered to be at risk, according to a new report. “These minerals were found where one wouldn’t expect or think to look,” said a co-researcher of the study. The naturally occurring asbestos was found in Boulder City, Nevada, in the path of a construction zone to build a multi-million dollar highway.
Click here t read the entire article.
Click here t read the entire article.
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Senate Briefing “Asbestos: The Impact on Public Health and the Environment” a Huge Success!!
Today's post is shared from adao.us.
On July 17, we were proud to continue the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization‘s efforts to protect asbestos victims’ civil rights and public health by hosting our sixth Congressional Staff Briefing this time on “Asbestos: The Impact on Public Health and the Environment.” This Senate briefing was a huge success with over 60 people attending and 28 states represented.
ADAO would like to extend a big thank you to all the senators who sent staffers.
1. Alabama – Session
2. Arkansas – Pryor
3. California – Feinstein
4. California –Boxer
5. Colorado – Bennet
6. Connecticut – Blumenthal
7. Florida – Nelson
8. Georgia – Isakson
9. Idaho – Crapo
10.Illinois – Durbin
11.Indiana – Coats
12.Indiana – Donnelly
13.Iowa – Harkin
14.Kansas – Roberts
15.Kentucky – Paul
16.Louisiana – Vitter
17.Maine – King
18.Massachusetts – Markey
19.Montana – Tester
20.New Jersey – Booker
21.New Mexico – Udall
22.Ohio – Portman
23.Oklahoma – Inhofe
24.Oregon – Merkley
25.Oregon – Wyden
26.Pennsylvania – Casey
27.Rhode Island – Reed
28.South Dakota – Johnson
29.Utah – Hatch
30.Vermont – Sanders
31.Washington – Murray
The major...
[Click here to see the rest of this post]
On July 17, we were proud to continue the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization‘s efforts to protect asbestos victims’ civil rights and public health by hosting our sixth Congressional Staff Briefing this time on “Asbestos: The Impact on Public Health and the Environment.” This Senate briefing was a huge success with over 60 people attending and 28 states represented.
ADAO would like to extend a big thank you to all the senators who sent staffers.
1. Alabama – Session
2. Arkansas – Pryor
3. California – Feinstein
4. California –Boxer
5. Colorado – Bennet
6. Connecticut – Blumenthal
7. Florida – Nelson
8. Georgia – Isakson
9. Idaho – Crapo
10.Illinois – Durbin
11.Indiana – Coats
12.Indiana – Donnelly
13.Iowa – Harkin
14.Kansas – Roberts
15.Kentucky – Paul
16.Louisiana – Vitter
17.Maine – King
18.Massachusetts – Markey
19.Montana – Tester
20.New Jersey – Booker
21.New Mexico – Udall
22.Ohio – Portman
23.Oklahoma – Inhofe
24.Oregon – Merkley
25.Oregon – Wyden
26.Pennsylvania – Casey
27.Rhode Island – Reed
28.South Dakota – Johnson
29.Utah – Hatch
30.Vermont – Sanders
31.Washington – Murray
The major...
[Click here to see the rest of this post]
Friday, January 10, 2014
Using Workers’ Compensation Records for Safety and Health Research
NIOSH recently released Workers’ Compensation Insurance: A Primer for Public Health to help public health researchers and practitioners broaden their understanding of workers’ compensation insurance, relevant aspects of the insurance industry records, and the potential uses of that information for public health purposes. Read more on the NIOSH Science Blog.
Friday, December 27, 2013
D.O.T. Christmas Poem
Todays post is shared is shared from Discussion Forum for Clinical & Public Health
professionals in Occupational & Environmental Medicine
and was contributed by Natalie P. Hartenbaum, MD, MPH, FACOEM
President and Chief Medical Officer OccuMedix, with permission
of the author Rick Neal, PA-C of OnSite Innovations
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Bloomberg Public Health Legacy Lauded In NYC
Michael Bloomberg steered New York City through economic recession, a catastrophic hurricane and the aftermath of 9/11, but he may always be remembered, accurately or not, as the mayor who wanted to ban the Big Gulp. After 12 years, Bloomberg leaves office Dec. 31 with a unique record as a public health crusader who attacked cigarettes, artery-clogging fats and big sugary drinks with as much zeal as most mayors go after crack dens and graffiti. And while Bloomberg's audacious initiatives weren't uniformly successful, often leading to court challenges and criticisms he was turning New York into a "nanny state," experts say they helped reshape just how far a city government can go to protect people from an unhealthy lifestyle. "He has been a transformative leader," said Dr. Linda Fried, dean of Columbia University's school of public health. "He has created a model for how to improve a city's health." Coming into office as a billionaire businessman who made his fortune selling data to Wall Street, Bloomberg was accustomed to using hard, cold research to drive decisions, and it was an approach he used effectively on matters of public health. Bloomberg pushed to ban smoking in indoor public spaces and prohibit cigarette sales to anyone under 21. He got artificial trans-fat banned from restaurant food — an action that led fast food giants like McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts to change their recipes rather than lose access to the... |
Monday, December 9, 2013
Sleep Deprivation Is A Public Health Issue That’s Deadlier Than You Think
By Tara Culp-Ressler on December 5, 2013 at 2:21 pm
"Sleep Deprivation Is A Public Health Issue That’s Deadlier Than You Think"  Indeed, by some researchers’ estimations, “drowsy driving” is just as dangerous as drunk driving. Both can double the risk of a traffic accident, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that about 100,000 of the annual car crashes in the U.S. directly result from driver fatigue. Teens are particularly at risk for driving while drowsy, a reality that’s led some parents to push to start high school later in the day. The issue is especially serious among transportation workers, who often literally have hundreds of lives in their hands. According to the Huffington Post, multiple public transportation accidents — not just on trains, but also on buses and airplanes — have been attributed to sleep-deprivation over the past decade. According to a 2012 survey from the National Sleep Foundation, about one fourth of these workers admit that a lack of sleep has affected their recent job performance. And many of them also acknowledge that this issue... |
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
December 3rd is International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Around the world, people with disabilities face physical, social, economic and attitudinal barriers that exclude them from participating fully and effectively as equal members of society. December 3rd is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This year's theme is "break barriers, open doors: for an inclusive society for all." The commemoration of this year's International Day of Persons with Disabilities provides an opportunity to further raise awareness of disability and accessibility as a cross cutting development issue. It will also further the global efforts to promote accessibility, remove all types of barriers, and to realize the full and equal participation of people with disabilities in society and shape the future of development for all.1
A CDC Initiative: Including People with Disabilities
At CDC, we operate on the principle that people with disabilities are best served by Public Health when they are included in mainstream public health activities. To that end, inclusion might require appropriate accommodations to reduce or eliminate barriers that limit the participation of people with disabilities in health activities. When children and adults with disabilities receive needed programs, services and health care across their lifespan, they can reach their full potential, have an improved quality of life, and experience independence.
In 2010, CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden established an initiative to serve the health needs of people with a disability in the United States. CDC's Disability and Health Work Group was established in 2010 for centers and offices within the agency. The disability inclusion initiative has increased awareness and fostered activities focused on integrating disability into CDC's mainstream public health activities.
Objectives
People with disabilities need public health programs and healthcare services for the same reasons anyone does—to be well, active, and a part of the community. CDC works to include people with disabilities by
- improving health monitoring of people of all ages with disabilities to identify disparities in health between people with and without disabilities;
- including disability status indicators in key CDC monitoring programs;
- conducting public health research to understand the health risks experienced by people with disabilities;
- encouraging participation of people with disabilities in program activities conducted or supported by CDC;
- developing and disseminating accessible health communications and messages to people with sensory (e.g., blindness, deafness) or cognitive (e.g., intellectual disability) limitations.
Disability Resources at CDC
Being healthy means the same thing for all of us—staying well so we can lead full, active lives. Having the tools and information to make healthy choices and knowing how to prevent illness is key to being well, with or without a disability.
Visit these resources to learn more:
- Personal Stories from People Living with a Disability
- Healthy Living
- Accessibility
- Emergency Preparedness
- Disability and Health Data System (DHDS)
As we commemorate International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we ask you to join us in being a part of the global disability movement to change attitudes and approaches to disability to promote the equity and full inclusion of people with disabilities in society and across public health activities.
Resources
- United Nations Enable
- CDC Disability and Health
- CDC National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
References
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Take Action: Tell Congress to Protect Veterans & Cancer Victims
Today's post is hared from takejusticback.org
This Thanksgiving, Big Asbestos really has something to be thankful for: the U.S. House of Representatives is voting on H.R. 982, a bill, which if enacted, would violate asbestos victims’ privacy and allow Big Asbestos to delay and deny justice until asbestos victims die.
Asbestos diseases is one of the longest-running public health epidemics in the world. Asbestos is still legal in the United States and kills more than 10,000 Americans every year. Veterans have been disproportionately impacted by asbestos and will be disproportionately harmed by H.R. 982. While veterans represent 8% of the nation's population, they comprise an astonishing 30% of all known mesothelioma deaths that have occurred in this country. Mesothelioma is horrific asbestos disease for which there is no cure.
Asbestos was known to be deadly by the 1930s. Yet, Big Asbestos corporate executives callously covered up this fact for decades, exposed millions of Americans to this deadly substance and put their health at risk.
Congress should focus on keeping Americans safe from deadly products, not protecting corporations that deliberately put workers and consumers in danger. Tell your representative to vote NO on H.R.982!
[Click here to see the original post]
Related articles
That time Big Tobacco sold asbestos as the "Greatest Health Protection in Cigarette History" (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
Government Shutdown: Day 9 - Government shutdown hitting veterans, military families hard (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
Asbestos victims speak out (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
Lung Cancer Screening Decision Tool (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
AAJ Responds To WSJ Report About Rising Asbestos Claims (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
Stay Sun Alert - Subscribe to UV Alert (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
This Thanksgiving, Big Asbestos really has something to be thankful for: the U.S. House of Representatives is voting on H.R. 982, a bill, which if enacted, would violate asbestos victims’ privacy and allow Big Asbestos to delay and deny justice until asbestos victims die.
Asbestos diseases is one of the longest-running public health epidemics in the world. Asbestos is still legal in the United States and kills more than 10,000 Americans every year. Veterans have been disproportionately impacted by asbestos and will be disproportionately harmed by H.R. 982. While veterans represent 8% of the nation's population, they comprise an astonishing 30% of all known mesothelioma deaths that have occurred in this country. Mesothelioma is horrific asbestos disease for which there is no cure.
Asbestos was known to be deadly by the 1930s. Yet, Big Asbestos corporate executives callously covered up this fact for decades, exposed millions of Americans to this deadly substance and put their health at risk.
Congress should focus on keeping Americans safe from deadly products, not protecting corporations that deliberately put workers and consumers in danger. Tell your representative to vote NO on H.R.982!
[Click here to see the original post]
Related articles
That time Big Tobacco sold asbestos as the "Greatest Health Protection in Cigarette History" (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
Government Shutdown: Day 9 - Government shutdown hitting veterans, military families hard (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
Asbestos victims speak out (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
Lung Cancer Screening Decision Tool (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
AAJ Responds To WSJ Report About Rising Asbestos Claims (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
Stay Sun Alert - Subscribe to UV Alert (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Leading Coal Industry Law Firm Withheld Evidence of Black Lung Disease
| A miner’s struggle for benefits due to black lung disease spotlights aggressive tactics by a mining company law firm. Jackson Kelly recently was named by U.S. News & World Report as the nation’s top firm in mining law. But its actions are sometimes unethical, according to current and former judges, lawyers and state disciplinary officials. As a result, sick and dying miners have been denied benefits and affordable medical care. The firm, documents show, over the years has withheld unfavorable evidence and shaped the opinions of doctors reviewing miners’ medical claims by providing the physicians only what the lawyers wanted them to see. In a pending case involving a West Virginia miner named Gary Fox, Jackson Kelly was found to have withheld pathology reports from two doctors who concluded that Fox likely had black lung. The Center for Public Integrity - See more at: http://www.fairwarning.org/2013/10/68752/#sthash.lbQd8rOJ.dpuf |
Friday, August 30, 2013
Recommended Reading for Back to School: APHA Publishes New Book on Bullying Prevention
DoSomething.org, a service and information website aimed at getting teens involved in their communities, has some startling statistics on bullying:
“With its public health perspective and approach, this book can lead us steps closer to eliminating the physical and mental anguish that bullying has on our nation’s children and communities,” said Georges Benjamin, MD, executive director of the APHA. “The book’s collection of various perspectives offers a comprehensive tool for parents and professionals to ensure healthy and safe schools.” The book includes successful bullying prevention efforts implemented in southwestern Pennsylvania schools and essays by professionals working to develop approaches that might implement similar success in other U.S. school communities. Authors include psychologists, educators, social workers and public health program... |
Read more about "bullying" and workers' compensation:
Jan 17, 2013
Bullying isn't limited to the schoolyard. Bullying in the workplace is also a hot topic among employment lawyers and human-resource professionals. One study states that 35 percent of employees are bullied at work. In general ...
Nov 20, 2011
Schools systems are an essential source of education for our nation's future workforce. They become a farce when bullying is taught. The following is an editorial from the Star Ledger newspaper: Wayne Hills puts bullies ...
Apr 03, 2013
Bullying isn't limited to the schoolyard. Bullying in the workplace is also a hot topic among employment lawyers and human-resource professionals. One study states that 35 percent of employees are bullied at work. In general ...
Related articles
- Move Over, Richard Kiley. Here's Why We Want to Combine Public Health Data with Health Care Data (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- The Reverberating Impact of Low Wages (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Why Is Obama Caving on Tobacco? (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Lead Paint - Industry Has Yet to Meet Its Responsibility (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Limit urged for cancer-causing chromium in California drinking water (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Anti-Smoking Battle Moves Outdoors (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Three more states report Cyclospora cases; total rises to 283 (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Limit urged for cancer-causing chromium in California drinking water
Today's post was shared by FairWarning and comes from www.latimes.com
State public health officials Thursday proposed the nation's first drinking-water standard for the carcinogen hexavalent chromium, at a level that elicited sighs of relief from municipal water managers and criticism from environmentalists.
At 10 parts per billion, the standard is 500 times greater than the non-enforceable public health goal set two years ago by the state Environmental Protection Agency.
The Department of Public Health described the proposed limit as a balance of public health, cost and treatment technology, but the agency acknowledged that economics were a key consideration.Mark Starr, deputy director of the Center for Environmental Health, said the state's aim was to determine the lowest possible limit for the toxic heavy metal "given the technology available and the cost in order to protect public health."
Environmentalists said the 10 parts per billion standard — the equivalent of about 10 drops in an Olympic-sized pool — was far too high. "Five hundred times higher than safe levels is not protective of public health," said Avinash Kar, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, which sued the state to issue the long-delayed standard.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Move Over, Richard Kiley. Here’s Why We Want to Combine Public Health Data with Health Care Data
On reflection, we think this goal isn’t so quixotic. We’ve been thinking more and more about bridging the worlds of health care delivery and public health—how those two systems relate to each other and can reinforce each other in ways that improve health outcomes for populations and for individuals. And we see harnessing data as part of the path to that goal.
Currently, we’re seeing an explosion of data production from all sectors in health and health care and an increasing interest in harnessing that data for all sorts of purposes. The recent Health Datapalooza conference—which is hosted by another collaborator on this News Challenge, the Health Data Consortium—saw 2200 people gather to explore health and health care data and its uses.
Currently, we’re seeing an explosion of data production from all sectors in health and health care and an increasing interest in harnessing that data for all sorts of purposes. The recent Health Datapalooza conference—which is hosted by another collaborator on this News Challenge, the Health Data Consortium—saw 2200 people gather to explore health and health care data and its uses.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Coal Industry: The Next Target for a Major Lawsuit
The focus the past several weeks has been the lawsuit in California against the Lead Paint Industry. The lawsuit, pending for over a decade, was brought under the legal theory of "public nuisance." The case seeks to finally force the major suppliers of lead paint to the table to help in removing and correcting the alleged public and private health dangers the Industry created by marketing paint with lead pigment.
While the lead paint case is in its finals trial stages, a theory has emerged to litigate against the Coal Industry for its alleged acts that have damaged public health through crating industrial pollution.
"Coal industry executives ought to pay attention to the lead paint lawsuit currently happening in the California court system.
"Recently, a lawsuit was filed against the makers of lead paint, alleging that the industry knew about the toxicity of their product and yet still promoted it as “safe” to the public. The industry has faced many lawsuits over their products in the past, most of which were unsuccessful for the victims, due to the fact that the industry was often up front about the dangers of their products, and they funded public studies to determine the health effects.
"But things have changed in the American legal system, and attorneys are now taking a page out of the tobacco litigation playbook. By unearthing documents that detail the lead paint industry’s attempted cover-up of the dangers, they avoid the “buyer beware” caveat that the tobacco industry used for so long.
While the lead paint case is in its finals trial stages, a theory has emerged to litigate against the Coal Industry for its alleged acts that have damaged public health through crating industrial pollution.
"Coal industry executives ought to pay attention to the lead paint lawsuit currently happening in the California court system.
"Recently, a lawsuit was filed against the makers of lead paint, alleging that the industry knew about the toxicity of their product and yet still promoted it as “safe” to the public. The industry has faced many lawsuits over their products in the past, most of which were unsuccessful for the victims, due to the fact that the industry was often up front about the dangers of their products, and they funded public studies to determine the health effects.
"But things have changed in the American legal system, and attorneys are now taking a page out of the tobacco litigation playbook. By unearthing documents that detail the lead paint industry’s attempted cover-up of the dangers, they avoid the “buyer beware” caveat that the tobacco industry used for so long.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Lead Paint - Industry Has Yet to Meet Its Responsibility
Click here to see the entire video recording of the program: "Toxic Disinformation" aired on PBS May 17, 2013.
California Public Entity Lead Paint Lawsuit Trial Starts (Bloomberg 7.15.13)
Monday, January 16, 2012
ADAO To Brief US Senate on Asbestos Jan 19, 2012
As part of ADOA's education, advocacy, and community efforts, The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization ADAO has announced that it plans to hold an educational Senate Briefing, “Asbestos: The Impact on Public Health, the Environment, and the Economy” and meet with government officials in Washington, DC this week. A group of ADAO representatives including Dr. Arthur Frank, Dr. Barry Castleman, Brent Kynoch, Marilyn Amento, and Linda Reinstein will present the most up-to-date facts to members and staffers in the Senate so that they can make informed legislative and policy decisions. Their hope is to offer critical asbestos information and encourage bipartisan interagency collaboration to address a threat that affects all Americans. As always, ADAO will leverage social media to share its experiences. Follow ADAO in Twitter @Linda_ADAO as their intern, Spencer, tweets straight from the Senate Briefing!
Summary and Briefing Facts to Be Released Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 4:00pm
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