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Dangers from Air Emissions from Compressor Station

When members of the public or local officials question the potential health effects of compressor station pollution, invariably the response from industry, EPA, DEC and DOH is that “all legal requirements have been met” -- the clear implication being that if these “legal requirements” have been met, there is no reason to be concerned about adverse health effects.
For example, in a public statement issued by Dominion Transmission concerning its New Market Project, it states: “The FERC approved New Market on April 28, 2016 after 23 months of evaluating all environmental, health and safety concerns associated with the project.” Dominion poses the question, “What will be the environmental and public health concerns?” And answers will be found in:

Complete_report.pdf

Presentation_slides.pptx

Harm from Electromagnetic Frequencies (EMFs) 

As the revolution of technology continues and we transition to an increasingly "wireless" world, the number and diversity of electromagnetic field (EMF) sources has become unprecedented. Examples include mobile phones, smart devices (i.e. smart meters), wireless internet routers, and their base stations. A growing number of individuals have reported health problems that they associate with their exposure to EMF, and the severity of symptoms vary on an individual basis.

Commonly experienced symptoms include:

*According to WHO, this collection of symptoms is not part of any other recognized syndrome*

Learn more:

Letter to the Minister of Health, Government of Canada [15 JULY 2014]
Letter: Ambrose.pdf

Declaration: Scientists call for Protection from Radiofrequency Radiation Exposure [9 JULY 2014]
Document: Scientist_Declaration.pdf

The New York Times [7 JULY 2014] - Debate Continues on Hazards of Electromagnetic Waves
Article: Debate_Continues_on_Haza...tic_Waves_-_NYTimes.pdf

BioInitiative Working Group Comments on 2014 SCENIHR - Preliminary Opinion on Potential Health Effects of Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) and Exhibits A-G

*Different products exist that may be helpful in measuring and/or reducing your exposure to EMFs. You can find such products here: http://emfsafetystore.com/

Dangers from Air Emissions from Compressor Station

Hydraulic fracturing is a process used for natural gas extraction from the layer of earth called shale. Wells are drilled vertically deep into the earth and then turn horizontally and can extend in multiple directions for miles. Millions of gallons of water mixed with sand and hundreds of different types of chemicals is injected at high pressure into the well to crack the shale and hold the cracks open, allowing the natural gas to flow out of the well for collection. While natural gas companies insist this process is highly regulated and safe, the "cocktail" used in the fracturing process includes many toxic chemicals that are radioactive and carcinogenic. Because the chemical cocktail used is proprietary to the gas companies, many of the chemicals used are unknown. These chemicals leach through the well walls and contaminate the groundwater. Despite efforts to contain the 'flowback' fluid, these toxins get into the air and surrounding environment and can wreak havoc for environmental, animal, and human health.

“This is the story of what happens when citizens and professional scientists work together to gather data on one of today’s most controversial topics …fracking” begins the video below. The Institute’s Director David Carpenter describes powerful findings from the collaborative efforts that even helped lead one State to ban Fracking altogether.

An informative and interactive illustration of the fracking process and the dangers associated with it: http://www.dangersoffracking.com/

The summary report from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the NYS Department of Health about the human health risks of Fracking in New York State: https://www.albany.edu/ihe/IHE/News/Press%20Releases/Summary-Report-Hydrofracking-In-New-York-State.pdf

New study: Macey GP, Chernaik M, Cox C, Larson D, Thomas D and Carpenter, DO. Air Concentrations of volatile compounds near oil and gas production: a community-based exploratory study. Environmental Health 2014, 13:82.
Link to full text: http://www.ehjournal.net/content/pdf/1476-069X-13-82.pdf 
Link to supplemental materials: http://www.ehjournal.net/content/13/1/82/additional

Possible Health Effects of Synthetic Turfs

Synthetic turf is increasingly used on playing fields and in parks. It is made in layers of synthetic materials including green plastic blades attached to a backing, small particles called "fill" that secure the blades, and underlying systems for drainage and stability. The fill, often referred to as “crumb rubber”, is of interest because it is usually made from recycled tires containing chemicals that can cause cancer, birth defects and other health problems under some exposure conditions. Many companies supply fill, and it is provided in various forms, so the chemical composition varies. Work has been ongoing to evaluate the various components of synthetic turf fields and the products used to maintain them. The information on this webpage provides an initial summary of screening chemical analyses of some fill products. Please click here for further information.

Synthetic turf is increasingly used on playing fields and in parks. It is made in layers of synthetic materials including green plastic blades attached to a backing, small particles called "fill" that secure the blades, and underlying systems for drainage and stability. The fill, often referred to as “crumb rubber”, is of interest because it is usually made from recycled tires containing chemicals that can cause cancer, birth defects and other health problems under some exposure conditions. Many companies supply fill, and it is provided in various forms, so the chemical composition varies. Work has been ongoing to evaluate the various components of synthetic turf fields and the products used to maintain them. The information on this webpage provides an initial summary of screening chemical analyses of some fill products. Please click for further information.

Cadmium in Children's Toys

There have been numerous recent reports of toxic metals, especially lead, in toy jewelry, lunch boxes and other inexpensive consumer items. This has resulted in recalls of a number of metallic toy jewelry items by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, as well as actions by state government agencies. Please click here for further information.

Update on Toy Safety

December 1, 2008

Although the Consumer Product Safety Commission will take new actions on toy and children's product safety, based on a law passed in 2008, the protections do not go into effect until February 2009 or later. There was a recent decision by a CPSC attorney that manufacturers would be able to continue to sell contaminated toys until their supplies are depleted. That decision may be challenged, and the CPSC may be more effective in the future. But at this time, there continue to be many unsafe products on the shelves of stores that contain lead, cadmium, bisphenol A, phthalates, and other chemicals of concern to many parents. The levels of lead clearly violate the law in some cases.

What to look for:

There are no foolproof or easy ways to insure a toy will not contain hazardous chemicals. But some steps will reduce the likelihood that a toy contains hazards such as lead, cadmium, or arsenic. Frequently observed characteristics in recalled toys and those containing chemical hazards include:

In addition, soft plastic toys and baby items often contain phthalates, bisphenol A and similar chemicals that may harm children. The use of these types of chemicals is changing rapidly, but there are clearly many plastic products with ingredients of concern.

Additional Information:

A number of websites contain information on specific products and chemicals. One clearinghouse for information on toy safety, with links to dozens of other sites, is www.kindersafe.org.

Depleted Uranium

 A new report finds depleted uranium (DU) can be detected in people more than 20 years after exposure when using high sensitivity urine tests. Radioactive DU has also been found in the dust of two homes and a workplace after the National Lead Industry sites federal cleanup.

The isotope measurement testing project, which has never before been conducted on any US community, is a joint initiative of United States and United Kingdom scientists, led by Prof. Randall Parrish. The results are being published in an international journal, Science of the Total Environment (doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2007.09.044, electronically available on-line).

The National Lead Industries factory emitted between 5 and 10 tons of DU aerosols from 1958 to 1982. DU is a toxic chemical due to its heavy metal and radiological properties. National Lead used DU to manufacture armor-piercing munitions. For further information please see the following documents:

Human Health Effects of Lead

 The Public Health Live Broadcast originally aired on November 15, 2007 is now available to view online.

Click here to watch the archived webstream of this program.

Letter to Administrator Gina McCarthy urging EPA to revise CDC standards for lead exposure in children: LettertoAdminMcCarthy_re_BLL.pdf

Please send questions or comments to: dcarpenter@albany.edu



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