Materials

SChemNet References

A collection of articles covering the field of Sustainable or Green Chemistry.

SChemNet Relevant Regulations

Laws and regulations relevant to Sustainable Chemistry and using or replacing harzardous or toxic substances in ecosystems and the economy.

New Power for 'Old Europe'

Just this year, US manufacturers of such goods as chemicals, cars and cosmetics have been confronted with EU regulations that force a choice: Either conform to the EU's standards of pre-emptive screening for toxicity--far tougher than US standards--or risk sacrificing the European market...

Dangers of Rocket Fuel Chemical Downplayed

A chemical from rocket fuel that has seeped into drinking-water supplies nationwide is safe at higher doses than federal environmental officials had concluded, according to a report released yesterday.

Asbestos Claims Solution Sought

Bill Would Set Up Trust Fund, Not Rule Out Courts

EPA Official to Examine Proposed Rule on Laundries

For more than two decades the EPA has debated how to regulate the cloth towels used to wipe up chemicals in printing plants, factories and industrial shops.

Companies Get Weapon in Injury Suits

Companies battling lawsuits brought by people claiming injuries caused by asbestos or silica have long contended that they are the victims of fraud, and those companies may finally have evidence.

E.P.A. Accused of a Predetermined Finding on Mercury

The inspector general's report said the technological and scientific analysis by the agency was "compromised" to keep cleanup costs down for the utility industry.

Charges Issued Over Asbestos at a Mine

A federal indictment accused the operator of a Montana mine and seven employees of knowingly exposing miners and residents to asbestos.

Dow Chemical Is Told to Curtail Pesticide Sales

The Environmental Protection Agency told Dow Chemical Co. this week it can no longer sell a controversial pesticide used to protect new homes from termites as of Friday, ending speculation that the administration might extend a phaseout deadline the two parties negotiated four years ago.

EPA May Lift Ban on Dow's Termite Killer

The Environmental Protection Agency is considering allowing Dow Chemical Co. to continue selling a controversial pesticide used to protect new homes from termites beyond a deadline that requires it to be phased out for this use at the end of the month.

Saving while aiding

A tentative treaty on pesticides and pollutants reached in 2001 by more than 90 nations, including the U.S., unfortunately and unintentionally can do a lot of damage to developing nations by, for instance, hurting the fight against malaria, The Washington Times argues. Therefore, the U.S. would do poor nations a service by withdrawing from the treaty, which it has endorsed but not yet legally committed itself to, the newspaper opines. The Washington Times (1/10)

A race to fix a 30-year-old 'solution'

Across the world, millions of people are drinking water from wells that contain too high levels of poisonous arsenic, experts say. A team of scientists is working to provide a technical solution that can be easily installed in various places around the globe. "The technology isn't rocket science. But we have to translate that knowledge into a system that is viable in these different social settings and in decentralized settings," says Susan Murcott of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Christian Science Monitor (2/17)

Asbestos Justice

We hope the bill that would compensate asbestos-related claims under a no-fault system will survive the opposition of Republicans and the White House.

U.S. Urges Judge to Dismiss Suit on Chemical Use in Vietnam War

The Justice Department is urging a federal judge in Brooklyn to dismiss a lawsuit aimed at forcing a re-examination of Agent Orange.

What Mercury Problem?

Later this month, Europe and other industrialized regions will grapple with the problem of mercury pollution. The United States, apparently, will continue to pretend it doesn't exist. But like greenhouse gases, mercury is a global rather than local problem.

Higher Costs Could Upset Trash Plan Mayor Favors

After three years of searching for a way to get rid of New York's trash, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has come up with a plan with a problem: cost.

Insurers Drop Backing for Asbestos Trust Fund, but Other Businesses Groups Renew Their Support

A group of insurance companies have rescinded their backing for Senate legislation that would end asbestos liability lawsuits in exchange for a victims trust fund, but other business groups moved quickly Tuesday to restate their support for a compromise trust fund bill.

Paying for Asbestos

Dick Armey has led a huge and misleading advertising campaign to defeat a bill that benefits asbestos victims.

DuPont Shareholder Seeks Disclosure of Expenses on Chemical Being Studied by EPA

A DuPont Co. shareholder wants the chemical maker to disclose legal fees and other expenses for a chemical that is used to make the nonstick substance Teflon and is being studied by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a possible carcinogen.

'Extreme Textiles' Come of Age

High-tech threads are bringing textiles into the realms of lifesaving medical devices, racing cars and, maybe one day, skyscrapers.

New Cotton Fabric May Absorb Toxins

Cotton, the fabric of your life, could soon have the potential to save it. Scientists at Texas Tech University's Institute of Environmental and Human Health on Monday unveiled a new composite cotton fabric they say will protect against biological and chemical agents.

Toward Asbestos Justice

The Senate bill to create a $140 billion fund to compensate victims of asbestos offers a bold change that would leave those most grievously hurt by asbestos better off.

EPA Cancels Proposed Study that Would Have Exposed Children to Pesticides

The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday canceled a controversial study using children to measure the effect of pesticides after Democrats said they would block Senate confirmation of the agency's new head.

U.S. Looking Next Year to Join Global Treaty Banning World's Most Toxic Chemicals

The U.S. is seeking to ratify the so-called Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, a United Nations treaty aimed at reducing the use of 12 pesticides known as "the dirty dozen" used to kill mosquitoes and termites. While the treaty came into effect last year, delegates began high-level talks in Uruguay in order to discuss methods of elimination and establish a framework for adding new chemicals to the list. Environmental News Network/Associated Press (5/6)

Mayor Wins Test Over His Trash Disposal Plan as Council Drops Veto Override Vote

After an earlier victory, the City Council abandoned its fight against Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's ambitious plan to ship New York City's garbage by barge.

E-Waste@Large

Keeping toxic computer trash from our dumps won't mean a thing if we don't forbid the export of hazardous material to underdeveloped nations.

Harmful Teflon Chemical To Be Eliminated by 2015

 

Justice for Asbestos Victims

It's shocking to hear Senator Harry Reid threatening to block a bipartisan bill that would bring justice and compensation to victims of asbestos-related diseases.

The Revival of a Notorious Solution to a Notorious Scourge

The eradication of malaria in rich countries turned out to be the worst thing that happened for people with malaria in poor countries.

Playstation Material Consequences