NEWS BRIEFS New studies on endocrine disrupters should be conducted to follow at-risk subjects from conception through adulthood, a panel of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recommended in a July report. The 560-page book, requested by EPA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Congress, evaluates the literature on these hormonally active agents (HAAs) in the environment; identifies known and suspected toxicologic mechanisms; examines whether and how exposure to HAAs occurs; and why the debate centers on estrogens. The panel concludes that current studies do not support links between HAAs and humaff cancers notint? that more research is needed on HAA levels in adult humans in relation to cancer risk For a coDV of Hormonallv Active Agents in the Environment call the National A c a d e m y Press at (800)
Reducing the damage caused by damming is costly, and utilities will be under pressure to keep costs low when electricity is deregulated, according to the report. For a copy, go to www. citizen.org, click on Critical Mass Energy Project, then choose "electricity deregulation." Ireland's environment is under "increasing threat" from social and economic factors, according the first report on 51 environmental indicators published by the six-year-old Irish Environ-
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wwwnas edu Corporate executives are increasingly aware that urban sprawl hurts the bottom line, concludes a report by the National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals. The survey of 50 business leaders in development, banking, and real estate found that traffic congestion, air pollution, and loss of green space threaten competitive advantage and the ability to attract a qualified work force. Order forms for Profiles of Business Leadership in Smart Growth: New Partnerships Demonstrate the Economic Benefits of Reducing Sprawl can be found at www nalgep ore Hydropower should not be promoted as green energy because of the "tremendous damage" it causes, according to a report by Public Citizen, a consumer group. Dammed Deregulation: How Deregulaiion of the Electric Power Indusrry Could Affect the Nation's Rivers stresses that although a river's water flow is renewable, river systems are not.
mental Protection Agency. Environment in Focus: A Discussion Document of Key National Environmental Indicators identifies 51 indicators and highlights four areas where a "marked deterioration" in environmental quality has occurred: climate change, eutrophication, urban environment (including transportation), and waste. For a copy, access the Irish EPA's site at www.epa.ie. Two-thirds of those who have held the highest ranking positions in EPA's pesticide program now work for the pesticide industry, actively fighting the agency's efforts to ban or restrict the use of certain products, according to a report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Many are affiliated with a consulting firm whose clients include Monsanto, Dow the Chemical Manufacturers Association Cheminova and FMC Corp. For a copy of Fat Cats to Bureaucrats: EPA Pesticide Program is a "Farm Team" for the Pesticide Loh)i?\f access EWG's Web site at www.ewg.org.
A higher degree of trust in government agencies, less press coverage, and less scientific knowledge may explain why Americans are more receptive than Europeans to genetically modified foods and crops, concludes Worlds Apart? The Reception of Genetically Modified Foods in Europe and the United States. This paper, the result of public opinion surveys conducted in 1996 and 1997 by researchers from the London School of Economics and London Science Museum reveals that recent food safety scares rather than scientific ignorance have led to the massive European resistance to agricultural and food biotechnoloEV The paper was published in the luly 16 issue of Science Human error, the failure to recognize that certain regulations apply to facilities, is the root cause of environmental violations, according to a member survey of the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) conducted by CMA and EPA between 1996 and 1998. Respondents cited ambiguous or inconsistent federal regulations as the main reason for noncompliance with EPA's hazardous waste regulations and Toxics Release Inventory reporting requirements Respondents call for "plain language" rules and erating procedures EPAJCMA Root Cause Analysis Pilot Pfnjprt An Indusrry Survpv is available at h t t p / / e s eoa gov/ oeca/ccsmd/rootcause/ Herbicide-tolerant and insectresistant crops do not always increase yields and lower pesticide applications, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The study examined genetically engineered cotton, corn, and soybeans and found that performance varies greatly depending on the region, pest infestation levels, seed and technology costs irrigation levels and other factors. Overall Bt cotton and corn produced statistically higher yields than conventional crops and resulted in fewer pesticide applications but for herbicide-tolerant crops the results were mixed The study results can he found on the Web at w w w prnn ag onv/whatsnew/
issues/biotech/index.htm.
OCTOBER 1, 1999/ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / NEWS " 4 0 5 A
