Toxic

A federal judge also warned White House to tread carefully as it moves ahead with plans to revamp DC golf courseA federal judge weighed into a dispute over Donald Trump’s controversial plans to revamp a historic Washington DC golf course on Monday, warning the president’s administration to tread carefully as it also dumped “toxic” rubble from the demolished White House East Wing there.District court judge Ana Reyes likened the saga to an episode of the hit television comedy Parks and Recreation during an emergency hearing in the capital to hear an application for a temporary restraining order filed by the DC Preservation League. Continue reading...

Green groups say European Commission is ‘chief roadblock’ to its own plans, as report finds poor progress four years onHarmful compounds in children’s nappies and toxic “forever chemicals” in everyday products are among 14 hazardous substance groups hit by lengthy delays to EU pollution controls, according to report findings described by scientists as “extremely frustrating”.The European Commission sought to push broad categories of dangerous substances off the market with a “restrictions roadmap” in April 2022 that was hailed at the time as the largest-ever ban of toxic chemicals. Continue reading...

Hope Not Hate campaign identifies election hopefuls calling for a ‘white Britain’ and complaining of ‘kowtowing to the black community’A Reform UK candidate who called for a “white Britain” and said Keir Starmer should be shot is among a number of contenders fuelling doubts about the party’s claim to have tightened up its vetting.The past comments of Linda McFarlane and other political hopefuls have been unearthed ahead of the 7 May elections, including one who complained about “constant kowtowing to the black community” and others who endorsed the far-right activist Tommy Robinson. Continue reading...

Commons committee heard from residents of Yorkshire town with the highest levels of ‘forever chemicals’ in UKOn 15 January, members of the House of Commons environmental audit committee (EAC) visited Bentham, the North Yorkshire town that has the highest levels of Pfas contamination in the UK.Colloquially known as “forever chemicals”, Pfas (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) do not naturally degrade or decompose. This persistence gives them special properties with useful applications in both industrial and consumer products. Continue reading...

• The Broad Institute is leveraging artificial intelligence to accelerate drug discovery, designing new antibiotics and predicting drug toxicity with greater accuracy than traditional methods. • The AI systems are also being applied to identify specific genes, molecules, and cells that might serve as therapeutic targets for disease treatment. • This computational approach promises to dramatically speed up the drug development pipeline and reduce the cost and time required to bring new medications to patients.

• The American Lung Association, joined by the American Academy of Pediatrics, filed a lawsuit against the EPA's repeal of 2024 limits on mercury and air toxics from power plants. • EPA's action will allow more toxic pollution, impacting children's health nationwide, according to Harold Wimmer, ALA President and CEO. • Pollutants like mercury could lead to brain development issues, asthma attacks, cancers, and premature deaths in exposed communities.

Advocates warn changes could increase risks of pollutants contaminating water and exposure to toxic wasteThe Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed weakened rules governing the safe disposal of ash produced by burning coal. Those regulations were strengthened under the Biden administration as part of a wider crackdown on pollution from coal-fired power plants.The Trump administration proposed easing standards for monitoring and protecting groundwater near some coal ash sites, rolling back rules forcing the cleanup of entire coal properties instead of just places where ash was dumped. The revisions would also make it easier to reuse coal ash for other purposes. Continue reading...