Press Releases, 2004
December 9, 2004: Bipartisan Commission Supports Tax Credit for Production of Advanced Technology vehicles and Components in the U.S.
A bipartisan group of top energy experts from industry, government, labor, academia, and environmental and consumer groups has released a consensus strategy that recommends providing consumer and manufacturer tax incentives to encourage domestic production and boost sales of efficient hybrid and advanced diesel vehicles.
December 7, 2004: Michigan Ranks Sixth
in Nation for PVC Landfilled
A new report documents the hazards posed by PVC -- the "poison plastic."
PVC is widely used in many products, including plastic pipes, vinyl siding,
toys, tablecloths and disposable packaging. Billions of pounds of PVC are
being thrown away in the U.S., but there is no 'away' as this waste poses
perpetual hazards. "Burn PVC waste ... and it changes to cancer-causing
dioxin," says Tracey Easthope, MPH, the Ecology Center's Environmental Health
Director. "Bury it in landfills and it can pollute groundwater. Recycle
PVC products and they contaminate the recycling process." The Ecology Center
has joined a nationwide campaign to convince more corporations to phase
out PVC use.
September 29, 2004: International Walk
to School Day -- October 6, 2004
Walking to school has long been taken for granted as a simple necessity.
Today, however, 90% of school children are driven to school. Schools have
traffic congestion, while children become less fit and have less experience
in the world around them. But a healthful trend is emerging. The Walk to
School movement has participants in all 50 states and 30 countries who will
walk or bike to school on October 6, demonstrating the many benefits of
this apparently unremarkable exercise. Safe walking is now recognized as
essential to the vitality of urban areas.
August 4, 2004: Groups Kick-Off Midwest
"Green Machines" Tour to Promote UAW Jobs and Cleaner Environment
Kansas City, MO - As the first U.S.-made hybrid was unveiled, a coalition
of environmental and labor leaders kicked-off the region-wide Green Machines
Tour, bringing together labor, environmental organizations, and the auto
industry to promote hybrids and other fuel-efficient technologies.
June 22, 2004: Citizens Meet with the Governor
on Dioxin Contamination
In a meeting with Governor Jennifer Granholm, Lieutenant Governor John Cherry
and Department of Environmental Quality Director Steve Chester, residents
of the dioxin-contaminated floodplain in mid-Michigan urged the Governor
to protect public health and in particular, the region's children. Residents
are concerned about recent attempts by Dow Chemical and several Midland
area legislators with ties to the chemical giant to delay or prevent cleanup
of their neighborhoods. They urged the Governor to be guided by the mountain
of scientific evidence that details the hazards of dioxin, a known human
carcinogen.
June 7, 2004: River Residents Demand Their
Own Meeting with the Governor
Residents living in the most contaminated regions of mid-Michigan called
on Governor Granholm to meet with them in response to recent attempts by
some state representatives to weaken the state's dioxin standard. "We
have to live amid the dioxin contamination, and wear masks when we mow our
lawn... We demand that state officials protect our health, as they are sworn
to," said Marcia Woodman, nurse and mother of three. Midland-area Republican
representatives met with the governor to press their case to weaken cleanup
standards, thus potentially exposing all Michigan residents to higher levels
of dioxin.
June 4, 2004: House GOP Moves to Hamstring
the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and Halt Dioxin Cleanup
Efforts
The House Appropriation Committee approved a budget for the Michigan Department
of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) that eliminates the Hazardous Waste Management
Division, reduces staff, and drops overall funding. Proponents admitted
the cuts were an effort to derail MDEQ’s attempts to get Dow Chemical
to clean up extensive dioxin contamination along the Tittabawassee and Saginaw
Rivers. "The public health of our residents is not for sale -- and
cannot be used as a bargaining chip to lower the cleanup cost of businesses
that contaminate our communities," said Michelle Hurd Riddick of the
Lone Tree Council.
May 26, 2004: Survey Showing Overhelming
Support For Bottle Bill Expansion
During a press conference today at the capitol, the Bigger Better Bottle
Bill Coalition called for legislative action on the expansion of Michigan's
beverage container law, releasing survey results showing widespread support
for the issue. “A random survey of registered Michigan voters shows
widespread support for an expansion of the Bottle Bill,” explained
Mary Pitcher of the Michigan Association for Conservation Districts. “Over
73% of those surveyed supported adding a 10-cent deposit to noncarbonated
drinks such as water, juice, and ice tea.”
May 12, 2004: TOXIC FIRE RETARDANTS FOUND
- FEDERAL PHASEOUT LEAVES AMERICANS AT RISK
In the first national tests for PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) in
household dust, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found high levels
of the neurotoxic compounds in every home sampled, including one in Ann
Arbor,Michigan. The phaseout of two widely used PBDEs will not protect Americans
from exposure to brominated fire retardants linked to brain and nerve damage,
according to nationwide tests of house dust that found unexpectedly high
levels of a third retardant that will remain on the market.
May 11, 2004: U.S. Residents Carry Toxic Pesticides Above
“Safe” Levels
Chemical Trespass: Pesticides in Our Bodies and Corporate Accountability,
makes public for the first time an analysis of pesticide-related data collected
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a study of levels
of chemicals in 9,282 people nationwide. The report reveals that government
and industry have failed to safeguard public health from pesticide exposures.
May 7, 2004: “Walking School Bus” Kick-Off
With hopes of motivating children to walk for
personal physical fitness and to limit the use of pollution producing automobiles,
Ann Arbor’s Walking School Bus program started on Friday, May 7th
at 8 AM in the morning. Naturalists, parents, and volunteers will lead groups
of young people to observe natural elements such as the weather and wildlife
as they cruise on foot to school by way of a predetermined mapped route.
April 29, 2004: Bhopal Disaster 20 Years Later: Survivors
Tell Their Stories
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the
Union Carbide gas leak that killed more than 20,000 people in Bhopal, India,
the world’s worst industrial disaster. Two generations of victims
continue to suffer the consequences. In 2001 Dow Chemical bought Union Carbide
and maintains to this day that it has no liability in the industrial disaster.
Rashida Bee and Champa Devi Shukla are two survivors of this incident. Come
hear their stories and honor their struggles:
April 21, 2004: Dow Chemical: Risks for
Investors
A new study has been released by a leading research firm that specializes
in analyzing "non-traditional" investment risks and corporate
social responsibility standards. Funded by the Ecology Center and released
in New York, it details major underreported risks for Dow investors. These
are international in scope, including contamination in Michigan and in Bhopal,
India.
April 7, 2004: Mercury Pollution From Automobiles
at Record Levels
According to a new report by the Ecology Center & Clean Car Campaign,
a record 18,000 pounds of mercury pollution was released into the U.S. environment
last year when scrap vehicles were recycled. An estimated 259,000 pounds
of mercury have been released into the environment over the past 30 years.
March 30, 2004: Michigan Environmentalist
Receives Lifetime Award; Ecology Center Also Honors Four...
The first winner of the Herbert L. Munzel Award for Environmental Activism
and four winners of its 2004 annual awards for outstanding environmental
work in the past year are announced by the Ecology Center...
March 15, 2004: Ann Arbor is First City
to Begin Phase-Out of Lead Weights
The City of Ann Arbor has started replacing lead wheel balancing weights
with lead-free alternatives in vehicles that are in the city fleet. The
City has joined forces with nonprofit Ecology Center's "Lead-Free Wheels"
program to install zinc and iron weights on city vehicles.
March 15, 2004: Minnesota is First State
to Begin Phase-Out of Lead Weights
The State of Minnesota is replacing lead wheel-balancing weights on state
fleet vehicles with lead-free alternatives. The Minnesota Department of
Administration's Travel Management Division and the Office of Environmental
Assistance have joined with the nonprofit Ecology Center's "Lead-Free
Wheels" program that substitutes zinc and iron products for lead weights.
March 4, 2004: 2004 EARTH DAY FESTIVAL AT
THE ANN ARBOR'S FARMERS MARKET
The public is invited to celebrate the urban environment with free entertainment,
live animal demonstrations, displays and hands-on activities for all ages.
Around 100 exhibit areas will feature non-profit environmental organizations,
area artisans and vendors of Earth-friendly products. Come to Ann Arbor's
Earth Day Festival at the Ann Arbor's Farmers Market in the Kerrytown District
on Sunday, April 25 from 12:00 - 4:00 pm.
March 3, 2004: First Big Step for Out of
State Trash Reform -- Package of Laws Advance Don't Trash Michigan Campaign
State lawmakers have passed a large package of bills designed to stem the
flow of out-of-state waste into Michigan landfills. While these measures
are welcome, everyone acknowledges the laws are first steps in the right
direction. Activists from the Ecology Center and other groups will press
for additional waste reduction solutions and for improved recycling options.
Febuary 18, 2004: Widely Used Flame Retardants
Break Down into Banned Chemicals, Threaten Health
A common flame retardant in the Great Lakes region illustrates the need
to reform toxic chemical policy, according to a new report released by PIRGIM.
Lab tests have linked the chemical -- closely related to two flame retardants
recently banned in California -- to nerve damage and memory loss. Flame
retardants (PBDEs) have also been detected at high levels in the breast
milk of American women. "Safe alternatives to toxic flame retardants
are readily available," comments Tracey Easthope of the Ecology Center,
which is working with state representative Chris Kolb on legislation to
reduce PBDE exposure in Michigan.
Febuary 17, 2004: Upheld Maine Law Will Help Reduce Health Risk From Toxic Mercury
Environmental Defense called the ruling today by the U.S. District Court, First Circuit to uphold the Maine mercury auto switch law a triumph for human health and the environment. This law requires the auto industry to set up a system and pay for the removal of mercury switches from cars that contain them.
Febuary 4, 2004: New Tufts Report Concludes
Vinyl Isn't Cheap Analysis Supports Phase-out
Vinyl may have a cheap look and feel, but cost-wise, it's no less expensive
than alternative materials that are safer for people and the environment,
reveals a new report released today by Tufts University researchers. The
report, "The Economics of Phasing Out Vinyl" concludes the economic
advantages of vinyl or PVC are overstated, and that substituting vinyl with
safer alternatives is cost-effective and practical.
Febuary 3, 2004: New DEQ Study Finds Trash
Imports Up 35% Environmentalists Want Legislative Action
State environmentalists reacted sharply to a new report issued Monday by
the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality finds that waste imports
into Michigan have increased by 35% over the previous year. James Clift,
Policy Director of the Michigan Environmental Council, calls to action the
State Legislature when he stated, “Over three dozen bills have been
introduced in the Senate and House, and not one has reached the Governor's
desk yet. It's time for the Legislature to stop talking trash, and start
taking action.”
January 12, 2004: Ann Arbor, Saginaw Environmentalists
Join International Delegation to India to Discuss Dow Chemical Company,
Meet Survivors of Bhopal
Two Michigan environmentalists - Tracey Easthope, Environmental Health Director
of the Ecology Center and Michelle Hurd Riddick, a volunteer activist with
the Lone Tree Council - traveled to India to meet with an international
delegation of Dow Chemical watchdogs between January 12 and 19. The activists
will be addressing delegates at the World Social Forum WSF), and meeting
with survivors and supporters of the Bhopal chemical disaster.
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