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Press Releases
2008
Today the Ecology Center released the 2nd annual consumer guide to toxic chemicals in cars and children's car seats at www.HealthyCar.org. Over 200 of the most popular 2008- and 2009-model vehicles and over 60 children's car seats were tested for chemicals that off-gas from parts such as the steering wheel, dashboard, armrests, seats, and carpet.
Earlier this month, The Greater Detroit Resource Recovery Association (GDRRA) communicated to Convanta, the operator of the Detroit incinerator, that GDRRA will not renew the facility’s lease. It is still not clear if GDRRA has intentions of continued incineration of Detroit’s solid waste. Detroit has the largest incinerator in the world.
The Ecology Center is at it again. Last year they released the first-ever consumer guide to toxic chemicals in cars and child car seats at www.HealthyCar.org, including 62 brand new infant, convertible and booster car seats. Now, these Ann-Arbor based environmental scientists are testing 2008 models, and they want to hear from YOU.
Hospitals across the country are changing their food buying to improve patient health and to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture, according to a new report released today. For 127 US hospitals, the words "hospital food" and "healthy communities, healthy environment" are one and the same, according to a new report released by Health
Care Without Harm today. The "Healthy Food in Health Care" report outlines concrete steps being taken by hospitals regionally that support the national trend to change their food buying practices towards more sustainably produced, healthier choices for patients, staff and visitors.
Health professionals and environmentalists praised the Michigan House of Representatives
for overwhelming passing (72-35) important legislation protecting children's
health today. In a bipartisan vote, members of the House approved common sense
restrictions on the use of lindane, a hazardous pesticide used in pharmaceuticals
for the treatment of lice and scabies.
Health professionals and environmentalists praised the House Great Lakes
and Environment Committee for passing important legislation protecting
children's health today. In a bipartisan vote, members of the Committee approved
common sense restrictions on the use of lindane, a hazardous pesticide used
in pharmaceuticals for the treatment of lice and scabies.
The Ecology Center announced today an end to the SLAPP suit filed against
it by Morton Grove Pharmaceuticals. After nearly two years of litigation
where the company alleged at least $9.3 million in damages, the parties entered
into a settlement in which Morton Grove drops its lawsuit and the Ecology Center
makes no payment to the company, nor any admission of liability.
"We consider this outcome an unqualified victory," said Mike Garfield, Director
of the Ecology Center. "We're glad to be able once again to focus 100%
of our efforts on protecting public health and the environment."
The annual membership meeting of the Ecology Center will feature acclaimed investigative journalist Mark
Schapiro, editorial director of the Center for Investigative Reporting, and author of Exposed:
The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American
Power. The event takes place on Thursday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m., at Washtenaw Community College, 4800 E. Huron River Drive, in Room 101 of the Morris Lawrence Building.
The New Year brings a new warning to toy retailers and wholesalers in Michigan: Get the lead out.
Effective immediately, a package of new state laws calls for fines of up to $50,000 against companies that sell toys containing high levels of lead.
2007
Health, environmental and child advocacy groups praised legislation signed by Gov. Granholm that limits toxic lead in children’s products. Amid a public furor over toy recalls — and just weeks after the release of www.HealthyToys.org — the new Michigan standards protect children from high lead levels in items such as toys, childcare articles, lunchboxes and children’s jewelry. The rules fill a void in federal laws, which currently apply only to lead levels in paint.
After overwhelming response to www.HealthyToys.org a holiday shopping guide to toxic chemicals in toys released this month with more than 230,000 visitors The Ecology Center and the Washington Toxics Coalition announced results of another 22 popular childrens toys and products tested for lead and other harmful chemicals. These were selected from over 4,500 nominated via the test my toy feature on the site, where visitors vote for toys not already tested.
The Ecology Center, a Michigan-based nonprofit organization, today released the results of
their testing of 1,200 popular children's toys for toxic chemicals at www.HealthyToys.org.
Working with environmental health groups across the country, the Ecology Center led the development
of the site to inform consumers about products they will be purchasing this holiday season. Parents
and other holiday shoppers can now easily search by product name, brand, or toy type to learn how the
products rate in terms of harmful chemical content.
Leading Michigan environmental groups today applauded U.S. House
Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell for crafting
a landmark agreement to increase automotive fuel economy by 40
percent as part of a national energy bill.
Michigan conservation, environmental and faith-based organizations applaud Gov. Jennifer Granholm and six other Midwestern leaders for taking bold action to revitalize communities, create new jobs and protect natural resources. The Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord commits the states to develop within the next year a regional carbon cap and trade agreement to reduce global warming pollution. It is an essential step forward to protect the Great Lakes.
The Center for Environmental Health (CEH-California), working with
the Ecology Center, today initiated legal action to stop the sale of
lead-based wheel weights in the state of California, due to the threat
of lead pollution to the state's waterways from wheel weights that fall
from cars and trucks. CEH notified the major producers of wheel weights
and Chrysler, a leading auto maker, that the lead-based weights are
illegal under state's safe drinking water law.
Ann Arbor environmentalists today panned Detroit Edison's recent announcement that it would only be purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs) from the Stoney Corners wind farm to carry out its so-called "GreenCurrents" program. "Detroit Edison should be purchasing wind power, not wind certificates," said David Wright, Ecology Center Clean Energy Program Director. "As it stands, GreenCurrents customers are missing the significant economic benefits that could be provided."
If you live in southeast Michigan, you've recently received a brochure touting a renewable energy program from DTE with your latest energy bill. Here's the truth about the GreenCurrents program and the state of renewable energy in Michigan.
Crash tests aren’t the only way to prove the safety of a car seat, according
to new research released today by the Ecology Center. Beginning today, consumers
can look up which car seats rank the best and worst in terms of toxic chemical
content at www.HealthyCar.org.
Anyone looking to buy a new car seat, or wondering if their child.s current
car seat is safe, can visit this site and search by model, or comparison shop
between different models.
Shareholders representing $305 million will challenge Dow management at its annual stockholders' meeting to address concerns about the company's destructive impact on human health and the environment. Stockholders will vote on two resolutions related to contamination that Dow has failed to remediate -- dioxin contamination in mid-Michigan and abandoned waste in Bhopal, India; a third resolution addresses the asthma epidemic and links to pesticides made by Dow.
A federal judge's ruling late last week dismissed a lawsuit brought against the Ecology Center and two Michigan pediatricians by Morton Grove Pharmaceuticals. In 2006, the Ecology Center, the pediatricians, and other medical, public health, and environmental organizations supported the Michigan Legislature's action to ban pharmaceutical products containing lindane, a chemical ingredient that was used in pesticides until the EPA recently withdrew its use in agriculture.
Step It Up! for Climate Change APRIL 14
Energy Talk: Beyond Sustainability APRIL 19
Dance for the Earth APRIL 21
Earth Day Family Festival and Parade APRIL 22
Earth Day Trivia Challenge APRIL 22
Today the Ecology Center released the first-ever consumer guide to
toxic chemicals in cars at www.HealthyCar.org. Over 200 of the most popular 2006- and 2007-model
vehicles in the U.S. were tested for chemicals that off-gas from indoor
auto parts such as the steering wheel, dashboard, armrests and seats.
These chemicals become part of the air we breathe contributing to "new
car smell" and a variety of acute and long-term health concerns. Since
the average American spends more than 1.5 hours in a car every day,
toxic chemical exposure inside vehicles is a major source of potential
indoor air pollution.
Recycle Ann Arbor, a national leader in recycling programs, now offers complete construction and demolition waste and recycling services, following its acquisition of Calvert's Rolloff Containers of Ann Arbor. Services include collection, transportation and processing of C&D wastes from commercial, industrial and residential building projects; a proprietary vehicle fleet; and a 10,000 square foot sorting and waste transfer facility.
Despite devoting much space to an article on the Ann Arbor Parks and Greenbelt Program, the Ann Arbor News unfortunately missed the big story. Simply said, the past 15 months have been the most successful period in land preservation history in Washtenaw County, for any community in Michigan, and possibly for any community in the Midwest. Ann Arbor and the surrounding communities are making major strides to preserve our community's best rural lands.
Archived Press Releases
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