G OVERNMENT & POL ICY CONCENTRATES
LABELING GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD A measure on California’s Nov. 6 ballot— Proposition 37—would require the label “genetically engineered” on raw foods produced with genetic engineering and “partially produced with genetic engineering” or “may be partially produced with genetic engineering”on processed foods produced with genetic engineering. The measure would also prohibit the use of “natural,” “naturally made,” “naturally grown,” and “all natural” on labels of foods produced with genetic engineering. Large agrochemical, biotechnology, and food companies have spent about $41 million to persuade Californians to vote against the measure, citing no differences in risk between genetically engineered foods and the same foods derived from conventional plant-breeding techniques. The board of directors of the American Association for the Advancement of Science spoke out against the measure last month, saying it would “mislead and falsely alarm consumers.” In contrast, proponents, including the organic food industry and food safety activists, say consumers have a right to know whether their food is genetically engineered. Proponents have raised about $7 million in support of the measure.—BEE
COMMERCIAL CRAFT RESUPPLIES SPACE STATION
EPA has extended the deadline for small facilities in the chemical manufacturing sector to comply with new standards for toxic air emissions because the agency is still reconsidering certain aspects of the rule, including its permitting requirements. The compliance date was originally set for Oct. 29, but EPA has granted an extension to Dec. 24. The agency agreed to reexamine the 2009 rule after receiving a petition from two industry trade associations, the American Chemistry Council and the Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates. EPA published a revised proposal in January, and that measure is under review at the White House Office of Management & Budget. The industry groups remain concerned that some small manufacturers would still be required to obtain permits for their air emissions under Title V of the Clean Air Act, a costly and lengthy process. They have called for an exemption to be granted for facilities that have emissions below a certain threshold level. The groups note that many of the facilities covered by the new rule have already obtained operating permits from state or local authorities.—GH
term impacts of spaceflight on the human body. This mission marks the first time since NASA retired its space shuttle fleet that the agency has been able to return large amounts of research and samples to Earth for analysis. SpaceX is scheduled to make 11 more trips to the space station through 2016. A second company, Orbital Sciences, has also been contracted by NASA to build a new cargo spacecraft; the test for that craft is planned for early next year.—SRM
PANEL LINKS CHEMICAL TO HIGH CHOLESTEROL
For the first time, a commercial spacecraft, contracted by NASA, has taxied cargo to and from the International Space Station. The Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) Dragon spacecraft reDragon approaches the International Space Station.
NASA
EPA EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR AIR POLLUTION RULE
turned to Earth late last month after carrying 882 lb of cargo to the station and bringing back a 1,673-lb load. Included in the station delivery was scientific research material as well as other supplies. Dragon returned some scientific experiments to Earth that will now be analyzed, among them a freezer full of samples collected in microgravity to assess the long-
An independent research team says it has discovered a likely connection between exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA or C8) and medically diagnosed high cholesterol. But the C8 Science Panel says no probable link was found between levels of PFOA and Parkinson’s disease, nonmalignant liver disease, nonmalignant kidney disease, osteoarthritis, coronary artery disease, or high blood pressure. The panel sought to determine whether high blood levels of PFOA causes disease in humans. The three-memberpanelofepidemiologistswas formed in 2005 as part of a settlement of a class-action lawsuit that claimed water supplies were contaminated by PFOA from DuPont’s Washington Works plant near Parkersburg, W.Va. Previously, the researchers found probable links between the chemical and several other health problems, includ-
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ing thyroid disease, testicular and kidney cancers, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and ulcerative colitis. Now that the science panel has completed its work, DuPont says it will begin funding medical monitoring for eligible area residents under a program “that will extend many years into the future” and will continue to provide filtering to remove PFOA from local water systems.—GH
ROSY OUTLOOK FOR EFFICIENT AUTOS Federal actions to promote fuel-efficient vehicles are paying off. Auto analyst Alan A. Baum stressed last week in a briefing and in a report that fuel-efficient and electric vehicles are here to stay. Driven in large part by new federal fuel-efficiency standards, the average vehicle fuel efficiency for model year 2012 reached 23.6 mpg, more than 1 mpg above 2011, Baum says, adding that this is the largest one-year mileage jump in five years. In previous years, Baum says, when fuel efficiency increased, sales dropped, but for model year 2012, sales are on track to increase by 10% above 2011 levels to some 14 million units. Baum adds that electric-gas hybrids, coupled with plug-in electric vehicles, are on track to top a half-million in sales in 2012. Efficiencyconscious consumers, he notes, also have more choices—the number of high-efficiency model vehicles has grown from 28 in 2009 to 61 for the 2013 model year.—JJ
