These bulletins are now archived and searchable on our website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDIbulletins.html If you would like to join the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) and the LDDI Working Group, please complete the application on the CHE website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/application Joining CHE means receiving up to four email messages a month from the CHE National listserv. CHE costs nothing to join and the benefit is shared information and opportunities for further engagement, if you choose. Be sure to mark that you want to join the Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative Working Group at the bottom of the application.
The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), an LDDI partner, will present a teleconference, "Environmental Injustice: Focus on Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Disorders" 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday March 11, 2008. Contact Laura Abulafia, 800-424-3688 or laura@aaidd.org, or check the AAIDD website for details: http://www.ehinitiative.org/Projects/tele_con.htm
Wednesday February 13, 2008
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Lewiston, Maine
at the CMMC conference room, 12 High Street
Sponsor: Maine Parent Federation and Gaining Empowerment Allows Results (G.E.A.R.) Parent Network
Presenters will maneuver through the maze of recent changes in the current Special Education Regulations. Participants will discover how to ensure your participation in meetings that address desired educational outcomes and gain knowledge of strategies for making the most of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) meetings.
Price: free for parents, $10 for professionals
Website: http://www.ldame.org/events.html
Contact: Carol Tiernan, 800-264-9224
Thursday through Sunday, February 14 - 17, 2008
Orlando, Florida
at the Caribe Royale, 8101 World Center Drive
Sponsor: Autism Today and US Autism and Asperger Association
The conference theme is "Autism Through the Lifespan." Twenty-two autism experts will speak on topics covering the full range of topics about autism spectrum disorders across the lifespan.
Price: $250, with discounts for additional guests
Website: http://www.autismorlando.com/index.html
Contact: Karen Simmons, 780-482-1555 or congress@autismtoday.com
Tuesday February 26, 2008
10:00 a.m. Pacific time, 1:00 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: Collaborative on Health and the Environment
As the research that recently emerged from Johns Hopkins University on lead exposure and later-life cognitive function demonstrates, environmental contaminants can play a major role in the way our brains age. Featured presenters will include Dr. Peter Whitehouse, one of the world's foremost authorities on Alzheimer's disease and author of the recent book, "The Myth of Alzheimer's," and Dr. Ted Schettler, Science Director of the Science and Environmental Health Network.
Price: free
Website: http://healthandenvironment.org/articles/partnership_calls/3011
Contact: Shelby Gonzalez, or Shelby@HealthandEnvironment.org
Friday February 29, 2008
8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Arlington, Virginia
at the Hyatt Arlington at Washington's Key Bridge, 1325 Wilson Boulevard
Sponsor: United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The goal of this meeting is to continue outreach to health and healthcare professionals regarding the health and conservation benefits of regular outdoor play in a natural environment. Information from this meeting will be used to develop a "Let's Go Outside for Health" toolkit for health professionals.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.fws.gov/children/letsgohoutsideforhealth.html
Contact: Robin Bunch, 703-358-2536 or Robin_Bunch@fws.gov
Wednesday through Saturday, February 27 -- March 1, 2008
Chicago, Illinois
Sponsor: Learning Disabilities Association of America
Discover the latest in learning disability research, learn effective teaching techniques and strategies, hear from leading experts in the learning disability field, network with colleagues and make new friends, learn about critical policy issues, earn graduate and/or continuing education credits and much more.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.ldaamerica.org/conferencereg/index.asp
Contact: Learning Disabilities Association of America, 412-341-1515 ext. 203 or aturkheimer@ldaamerica.org
Sunday through Tuesday, March 2 - 4, 2008
Washington, DC
at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 400 New Jersey Avenue NW
Sponsor: The Arc of the United States, United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), the Association of University Centers on Disability (AUCD), American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) and National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD)
This seminar will offer a pragmatic view on the unique challenges and opportunities facing the Congress and White House as the 2008 political campaign proceeds and will look to our extensive grassroots networks to advocate in a bipartisan manner for national public policies promoting the full inclusion of people with disabilities in our society.
Price: $280 before February 7, 2008, $335 thereafter, with a $205 discounted rate for those who qualify.
Website: http://www.aamr.org/Events/gas.shtml
Contact: Evelyn Powell, 202-783-2229 or powell@thedpc.org
Online Calendar. Upcoming events extending more than one month in the future are listed in a searchable calendar: http://www.iceh.org/cgi-bin/searchevents.cgi
Most of the articles below come from Environmental Health News, http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
New Members. The Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative welcomes these new members:
For a full list of LDDI members, please visit the LDDI website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDImembers.html
Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) grants. The 2008 US Environmental Protection Agency CARE Cooperative Agreement Request for Proposals (RFP) is now available. Approximately $3 million will be available in 2008 to support community-based partnerships to reduce pollution at the local level through the CARE program. Eligible applicants include county and local governments, tribes, nonprofit organizations and universities. The deadline to apply is March 17, 2008.
http://www.epa.gov/CARE/agreements.htm
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for conferences, workshops, and/or meetings. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting applications from eligible applicants for the planning, arranging, administering and/or conducting of conferences, workshops, and/or meetings that focus on research to protect human health and safeguard the environment. Specifically, EPA is interested in supporting scientific and technical research conferences that address the following research program areas: (1) human health; (2) ecosystems; water and security; (3) economics and sustainability; (4) air and global climate change; and (5) technology. Applications must be received by June 5, 2008, or December 9, 2008, depending upon the cycle.
http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2008/2008_baa.html
Additional NCS centers. The National Children's Study plans to fund 10 to 15 additional study centers to manage Study operations in communities across the country with funds appropriated by Congress for fiscal year 2008. The Request for Proposals (RFP) is expected soon and the due date for proposals in response to this solicitation is anticipated to be about April 1, 2008.
http://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/NICHD/Reference-Number-NIH-NICHD-NCS-08-21/listing.html
Protests spur stores to seek substitute for vinyl in toys. After recalling millions of toys to protect consumers from lead paint, toy makers face growing pressure over another material, PVC, a plastic found in myriad playthings, fromballs to dolls. Wall Street Journal, 12 February 2008.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120277954938660931.html
Prenatal exposure to maternal antibodies may increase autism risk in kids. A new study has found that prenatal exposure to maternal antibodies can lead to autistic behaviours in kids. Asian News International, South Asia, 12 February 2008.
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/215427.php/Prenatal-exposure-to-maternal-antibodies-may-increase-autism-risk-in-kids
Balancing energy needs and safety. There are growing complaints that gas drilling, particularly in the Rocky Mountain region, is contaminating water supplies with chemicals and endangering human health. Chemical & Engineering News, 12 February 2008.
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/email/html/cen_86_i06_8606gov1.html
High lead levels are found in vinyl plastic baby products. High levels of lead were found in a handful of well-known baby products made of vinyl plastic by an environmental group based in California that spread the word about lead on vinyl baby bibs and lunch boxes. New York Times, 11 February 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/business/11toy.html or http://biz.yahoo.com/nytimes/080211/1194745977735.html?.v=2
5 ways to say I love you without (toxic) roses. For all their beauty, the truth is that some roses -- actually most roses -- have dangers that extend far beyond their thorns. The Daily Green, 11 February 2008.
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/valentines-day-roses-47021104
FDA to review tattoo chemicals. Prompted by reports of skin problems, including rashes, swelling and blistering, the federal government has begun studying materials tattoo artists have injected into the skin of some 45 million Americans. Newhouse News Service, 11 February 2008.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-tattoo_11feb11,1,2488336.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
Autism foes want mercury out of flu shots. Anti-autism activists, who successfully pushed Iowa to ban a mercury-based preservative from most childhood vaccines in 2004, now want the state to order the ingredient removed from flu shots. Des Moines Register, Iowa, 10 February 2008.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080210/NEWS/802100335/1042/LIFE02
District connects lead with special ed. Galveston Independent School District has too many African-American students in its special education program. And school administrators think it may be due to lead. Galveston County Daily News, Texas, 10 February 2008.
http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=4120fd8254018abc&-session=TheDailyNews:42F9414D05210006DEGvvp550849
Autism research makes slow and steady progress. The NIH has come under tremendous public pressure to research factors related to autism that range from studying the brain's genetics in people who have autism spectrum disorders to identifying possible environmental triggers for ASD or finding the best ways to help children with the condition. Foster's Daily Democrat, New Hampshire, 10 February 2008.
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080210/GJNEWS_01/720819216
Anxiety for two. New research finds stressful pregnancies may have long-term effects on children. Newsweek, 9 February 2008.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/107893
EPA must rewrite utility mercury rule: U.S. court. In a victory for environmentalists and a setback for big U.S. coal-burning utilities, a federal court ruled on Friday that the Environmental Protection Agency must fundamentally rework its mercury rules for utilities. Reuters, 9 February 2008.
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN0847678520080209
Smoking will kill 1 billion people. One billion people will die from tobacco-related causes by the end of the century if current consumption trends continue, according to a global report released Thursday by the World Health Organization. Time Magazine, 9 February 2008.
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1711154,00.html
Indoor pollution just as damaging. Many people are unaware that indoor pollution can be just as bad as, or even worse than, the outdoor kind. Associated Press, 8 February 2008.
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=129918
Make info on toxic sites accessible, Nolan says. State Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan is calling on the state to better inform borough communities about potentially toxic neighborhood sites following the recent discovery of contamination beneath the former Swingline factory in Long Island City. Queens Times Ledger, New York, 8 February 2008.
http://www.timesledger.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19273135&BRD=2676&PAG=461&dept_id=551069&rfi=6
City ready to take stand on diesel emissions. The capital city is taking several stands on the environment to improve Rhode Island’s air quality, and is hoping the state will follow its lead. Providence Journal, Rhode Island, 8 February 2008.
http://www.projo.com/news/environment/MC_COUNCIL_02-08-08_T38UHSD_v9.38d2260.html
Great Lakes Danger Zones? For more than seven months, the nation’s top public health agency has blocked the publication of an exhaustive federal study of environmental hazards in the eight Great Lakes states. Center for Public Integrity, 8 February 2008.
http://www.publicintegrity.org/GreatLakes/index.htm
Valley's TCE water scares unprecedented in U.S. Two recent drinking water contamination scares that affected Scottsdale and Paradise Valley customers were unprecedented in Arizona, and possibly the nation, federal environmental regulators said Thursday. Scottsdale East Valley Tribune, Arizona, 7 February 2008.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/108464
Weaned off plastic. A study to be made public this morning on health risks posed by some of the most popular baby bottles sold in Canada is expected to add another ominous chime to the steady chorus of alarm bells that researchers have sounded recently about bisphenol A. Montreal Gazette, Quebec, 7 February 2008.
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=e6ed477f-1835-4831-927c-abb5e7e36bdc
[Editor's note: see a related article: http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4258352&page=1]
Study sees hazards in baby powder and lotion. Parents who want to reduce their infants' exposure to phthalates, chemicals suspected of impairing male reproductive function, should not apply baby lotions or powders -- except for medical reasons. So concludes a study published in the journal Pediatrics. Washington Post, 7 February 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/01/AR2008020103284.html
Panel backs bill to ban the sale of recalled toys. Responding to recent recalls of toys and other products deemed dangerous to children, the Oregon House took the first step Wednesday toward prohibiting retailers from selling toys that have been the subject of a recall or manufacturer's warning. Portland Oregonian, Oregon, 7 February 2008.
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1202360105222030.xml&coll=7
California issues candy warning. State health officials are warning people not to eat certain candies imported from Mexico after discovering dangerous levels of lead in the products. San Jose Mercury News, California, 7 February 2008.
http://www.mercurynews.com/localnewsheadlines/ci_8193507?nclick_check=1
HUD investigates lead problem in Galveston. Federal housing officials have opened an investigation into whether landlords in Galveston are complying with a federal law designed to prevent childhood lead poisoning. Houston Chronicle, Texas, 7 February 2008.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5520682.html
Fragrances foul for many. Fragrances are the most obvious indoor air pollutants, second only to tobacco smoke. Sault Ste Marie Sault Star, Michigan, 7 February 2008.
http://www.saultstar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=892177
Study: annual costs of environmental disease in Oregon. "The Price of Pollution: Cost Estimates of Environmentally Related Disease in Oregon," a new study by the Oregon Environmental Council, finds that environmentally attributable diseases from sources such as lead, diesel, and mercury cost the state $1.57 billion annually. The estimate for children alone is $1.10 billion per year. This is the first-ever study of the cost of environmental disease for Oregon. Oregon Environmental Council, 6 February 2008.
http://www.oeconline.org/kidshealth/priceofpollution/index
Congress: Science for Sale? Congress is investigating a Washington, D.C.-based firm which critics charge "manufactures uncertainty" on behalf of chemical companies to help keep their products free from government bans or other restrictions. ABC News, 6 February 2008.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4252096
Avoid second-hand smoke for our kids' sake. About half the world's children (700 million) breathe air polluted by cigarette smoke and this year's World Cancer Day campaign wants to get the message out that second-hand smoke can kill. Pretoria News, South Africa, 6 February 2008.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=117&art_id=vn20080204110840150C724745
Is toxic perchlorate in Utah's food? For sixty years, rocket testing in the state of Utah has been a point of pride. Now, half a century later, we're learning these tests have come at a price. The ultimate costs, no one quite knows. It's in the form of a chemical called perchlorate. Salt Lake City KTVX TV, Utah, 5 February 2008.
http://www.abc4.com/content/features/story.aspx?content_id=d106e67e-0ec9-4833-b5a6-b97740f6c43f
California moves to regulate lead in adult jewelry. Get the lead out -- of jewelry? On March 1, a law takes effect tightly regulating levels of lead in adult jewelry sold in California. The new rule follows a law enacted Sept. 1 with even tighter restrictions on lead levels in children's jewelry. San Mateo County Times, California, 5 February 2008.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountynews/localnews/ci_8173080
Deirdre Imus helps schools go green. Many schools contain harmful toxins and other chemical contaminants that endanger children's health, says the founder and director of the Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology at the Hackensack University Medical Center. USA Today, 4 February 2008.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-02-03-deirdre-imus_N.htm
Nonprofit finds big problems in kids' products. Discovering lead in children's products has sparked a scorching series of investigations that have roiled North America's $24B toy market. But the organization that made the original discovery says there are more problem ingredients than just lead. Oakland Tribune, California, 3 February 2008.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_8156820
Former lead paint manufacturers file appeal. Three former lead paint manufacturers asked Rhode Island's highest court on Thursday to overturn a jury verdict that could force them to pay billions of dollars to clean up contaminated older properties around the state. Associated Press, 3 February 2008.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2008/01/31/lead_paint_companies_to_file_arguments_in_appeals_case/
Common flame retardants could hurt unborn children, researcher warns. Common flame retardants that are supposed to make everyday consumer items safer could adversely affect pregnancies and impede the development of the fetus, according to a Quebec researcher. CanWest News, Canada, 2 February 2008.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=8ce30dd7-627e-4084-8250-494bc563e338&k=73097
Get the lead out. The notion of long-delayed effects is familiar; tobacco and asbestos, for example, can lead to cancer. But in recent years, scientists are coming to appreciate that exposure to other pollutants in early life also may promote disease much later on. Sault Ste Marie Sault Star, Michigan, 2 February 2008.
http://www.saultstar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=885691
With cookware, it's not all pot luck. Proper handling and preparation of food isn't the only safety danger you face in the kitchen. The equipment you use can also be a concern. McClatchy Newspapers, 2 February 2008.
http://www.star-telegram.com/home/story/446825.html
Bisphenol A safety. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Missouri, Columbia, strikes at the heart of a federal panel's conclusions about the health concerns of bisphenol A. Chemical & Engineering News, 1 February 2008.
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/86/i05/8605notw6.html
Consumer group: CPSC delays recalls. After more than two months of waiting, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has done what we asked, tested five toys that we found had high levels of lead. Syracuse WSYR TV, New York, 1 February 2008.
http://www.9wsyr.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=3d3d7daf-f2b5-4ab1-86ca-65df320fb7be
Bill seeks to get lead out of toys. State Sen. Don Preister is proposing to ban the sale of toys and child care articles that contain more than a miniscule amount of lead. Omaha World-Herald, Nebraska, 1 February 2008.
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10246936
States may restrict lice treatments. Lawmakers in at least three states are considering restricting the use of treatments for head lice and body mites that contain the insecticide lindane, raising questions about whether states can regulate products approved by the Food and Drug Administration. USA Today, 31 January 2008.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20080131/a_lindaneinside31.art.htm
Head-lice drug promotions halted. The sole U.S. maker of an insecticide-based treatment for head lice has stopped promoting the product [that contain the insecticide lindane] after a sharply worded warning from the FDA that its marketing misled consumers by downplaying the rare, but serious, risks of the treatments. USA Today, 31 January 2008.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20080131/1a_bottomstrip31_dom.art.htm
State urged to act on toy hazards. A coalition of health, environmental and labor groups joined with Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and lawmakers to propose a bill that would make Connecticut among the first to set standards for hazardous substances in children's products. Hartford Courant, Connecticut, 31 January 2008.
http://www.courant.com/news/health/hc-ctbadtoys0131.artjan31,0,5783469.story
Infant study casts doubt on vaccine-autism link. The mercury in a vaccine preservative is pumped out of a baby's body too quickly for it to do any damage, researchers reported on Wednesday in a study they say should further absolve shots of causing autism. Reuters, 31 January 2008.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN3050545420080130
Folic acid may cut premature births by 70%. Folic acid supplements taken for a year before pregnancy can cut the risk of premature births by 70% and save thousands of lives, researchers have found. London Guardian, England, 31 January 2008.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jan/31/health.medicalresearch
State to probe development of 'green' chemicals. In an effort to reduce industry's reliance on toxic compounds, state environmental officials today will lay out a framework for transforming California into a leader in the development and use of "green" chemicals. Biobased News, 31 January 2008.
http://www.biobasednews.com/list2.php?storyid=17051
Questions surface over effects of chemical in some ski waxes. A group of man-made chemicals [PFCs] used in some ski waxes, and found in nearly every American's bloodstream, has caused some companies to take a closer look at what goes on the bottom of skis and snowboards. Carson City Nevada Appeal, Nevada, 31 January 2008.
http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20080131/NEWS/977781799
Heat causes chemical to leach from plastic. A new study released today in Toxicology Letters may provide a clearer picture of how a controversial chemical called bisphenol A leaches out of plastics. USA Today, 30 January 2008.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-01-29-plastic-chemical_N.htm
Harmful pesticides found in everyday food products. Government promises to rid the nation's food supply of brain-damaging pesticides aren't doing the job, according to the results of a yearlong study that carefully monitored the diets of a group of local children. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Washington, 30 January 2008.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/349263_pesticide30.html
Pennsylvania changes fish-eating advisories. Eating fish is good for you, all the state fishing, environmental and health agencies agree, just not too much from any Pennsylvania stream, river or lake [because the fish could contain high levels of mercury or PCBs]. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pennsylvania, 30 January 2008.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08030/853117-114.stm