OPPT NEWSBREAK Tuesday, 16 February 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 "Debate Over Threat From Infected Mice." New York Times, 16 February 99, A13. Channel Islands National Park Superintendent, Tim Setnicka, says that the particular strain of hantavirus carried by deer mice on the five-island chain off the Ventura coast, will not infect humans. Although officials of the park agree, some experts do not. "Power Plant Explosion Claims Another Victim [American Scene]." Washington Times, A5. The natural gas explosion that occurred Feb. 1 at the Ford Power Plant in Dearborn, Mich. has claimed the life of a fourth victim, Ken Anderson, who died Sunday. The plant resumed production last week. "Wildlife Recovering from Exxon Spill." USA Today, 11 February 99, 3A. It has been almost 10 years since the Valdez oil spill and many species are showing signs of improvement at varying rates. "Recalculating Radon [Science Times]." New York Times, 16 February 99, D5. Scientists at Columbia University who irradiated thousands of lung-tissue cells from mice with one alpha particle each, found that the frequency of DNA damage is low. The new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, furthers scientific research on the hazards of naturally occurring radon gas inside the home. "Green Groups Fuming Over Park Snowmobiles." USA Today, 12 February 99, 4D. A consortium of 60 environmental groups petitioned 5 federal agencies (including the Environmental Protection Agency) to bar snowmobiles from entering national parks. The coalition referred to "Adverse impacts to park wildlife, air and water quality, vegetation, park ecology and park users ." However, snowmobile advocates claim that the charges are exaggerated and not scientifically supported. "Public Opposition Prompts Restrictions Against Jet-Powered Personal Watercraft." USA Today, 12 February 99, 4D. Officials with the National Park Service expect to announce a final policy on Jet Ski-type watercraft. Many environmental groups want to ban these watercraft. EDITORIALS AND COMMENTARY "The Forest Service's New Deal [Editorials]." New York Times, 16 February 99, A18. The Times is generally supportive of the U.S. Forest Service's policy direction under chief Michael Dombeck. They describe some of the changes he has made including mining bans and a moratorium on road-building in National Forests. The second half focuses on the ongoing controversies over the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, concluding: "But the only sure way to sustain what is left of these magnificent old-growth forests is for Mr. Dombeck to put them off limits to new roads when he unwraps his final plan in 18 months. That would make a good policy even better." TOXICS IN THE NEWS: ASBESTOS "The Asbestos Epidemic: USA - Part 4 of 4." USA Today, 11 February 99 A. Although the health risk of asbestos in buildings is extremely low, over $50 billion has been spent in the last 20 years to remove asbestos from buildings that are older or have been abandoned or remodeled. Scientific evidence has not convinced the public that asbestos left alone in buildings is OK. GLOBAL WARMING "In Ancient Ice Ages, Clues to Climate [Science Times]." New York Times, 16 February 99, D1, D4. Scientists studying chemical tracers of past climates believe that the warm period of today could continue for 20,000 years or more, prolonging earth's entrance into another ice age. New evidence from deep-ocean sediments indicates that warm periods in that past lasted longer than scientists thought. Scientists compare today's warm period, called the Holocene period or Stage 1, to a similar interglacial, called Stage 11, that occurred 400,000 years ago. The effects of burning fossil fuels today, however, were not present in the past. Green house gases are expected to warm the earth's temperature so that it will melt ice, flooding coastal areas and the tropics. * All items, unless indicated otherwise, are available at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxicities 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. Mention of products does not indicate endorsement.* To subscribe to OPPT Newsbreak, send the command subscribe OPPT-NEWSBREAK Firstname Lastname to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, send the command signoff OPPT-NEWSBREAK Also available on the World Wide Web (see banner for address) The OPPTS Chemical Library is operated by GCI Information Services
