In The News / Sep 7

• WVU study links chemical C8 to high cholesterol in children, teens.

  Children and teens exposed to higher amounts of the toxic chemical C8 appear to be more likely to have elevated cholesterol levels, according to a landmark new study published by researchers from West Virginia University. Charleston Gazette, West Virginia

• Dental sealants temporarily raise BPA levels.

  A new study shows that dental sealants used to treat and prevent cavities may expose children to an estrogen-like chemical called BPA. USA Today

• As in cancer-striken Nebraska town, Acreage cancer-cluster suspicion doesn't match hard data.

  When children were coming down with leukemia roughly once a month in a small farming community in western Nevada, health experts were confident they would pinpoint the cause. Palm Beach Post, Florida

• El Toro Marine dead from chemical exposure.

  A Marine veteran’s widow was awarded compensation for the death of her husband from progressive small lymphocytic lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia caused by exposure to burnings at four landfills on former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California. Salem News, Oregon

• Why wartime wrecks are slicking time bombs.

  Thousands of ships sunk in the second world war are seeping oil – and with their rusty tanks disintegrating, "peak leak" is only a few years away. New Scientist

• Chevron may be seeking exemption from state environmental laws for its refinery rebuilding project.

  One of Northern California's largest polluters may be trying to orchestrate a last-minute deal with Sacramento lawmakers to evade state environmental laws, potentially increasing its toxic emissions and skirting two court rulings. San Jose Mercury News, California

• Chevron keeps up pressure in Ecuador suit.

  Mired in a $27 billion environmental lawsuit in Ecuador, Chevron Corp. has taken the unusual step of trying to subpoena the other side's lead lawyer, arguing that he has committed fraud upon the court. San Francisco Chronicle, California

• Feces, arsenic pervade water supply, sickening half a nation.

  Water contaminated by feces and harmful chemicals may be responsible for making almost half of all Indonesians sick, health experts say. Jakarta Globe, Indonesia

• Rising tide of acid mine water threatens Johannesburg.

  A toxic tide of acid mine water is rising steadily beneath Johannesburg which, if left unchecked, could cause earth tremors, power blackouts and even cancer among residents, experts have warned. London Daily Telegraph, United Kingdom

• Vedanta investors look into human rights issues in India.

  Shareholders of Vedanta Resources are taking action to clarify issues about the mining company's operations in India over concerns about alleged breaches of human rights and environmental laws. London Guardian, United Kingdom

• Family mourns as Canada continues asbestos exports.

  Gerry Forsyth's family watched him die an agonizing death from asbestos-caused cancer. Although Canada has eliminated virtually all domestic uses of asbestos, the federal government is supporting the export of Canadian chrysotile asbestos to the developing world. Postmedia News

• Climate shifts 'not to blame' for African civil wars.

  Climate change is not responsible for civil wars in Africa, a study suggests. It challenges previous assumptions that environmental disasters, such as drought and prolonged heat waves, had played a part in triggering unrest. BBC

• Time running out faster than water, experts warn.

  If the "massive and complex challenges" facing one of the world's most finite natural resources are not resolved soon, the future looks grimly devastating: scarcities, pollution, droughts, floods, desertification and diseases. That was the warning opening a major international water conference in the Swedish capital Monday. Inter Press Service

• Challenge heightened on EPA air quality rules.

  Satellite measurements of nitrogen oxides in the air show as much as 20 percent more nitrogen oxides than the EPA's model predicted for the same time period. That's important because nitrogen oxides are a precursor to ozone. Some say the increase is from oil and gas drilling in the Barnett Shale. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas

• Tainted wells anger residents.

  Dozens of private wells near the Oak Creek coal-fired power plant have elevated levels of a metal called molybdenum, and We Energies is providing some homeowners in the area with bottled water for drinking and cooking. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin