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W.R. Grace & Co. has agreed to pay up to $140 million to settle a class-action lawsuit stemming from its use of an attic-insulating product that contained asbestos.

1984: Poison gas leaks from a Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal, India. It spreads throughout the city, killing thousands of people outright and thousands more subsequently in a disaster often described as the worst industrial accident in history.

Union Carbide chose Bhopal, a city of 900,000 people in the state of Madhya Pradesh, because of its central location and its proximity to a lake and to the country's vast rail system.

The plant opened in 1969 and produced the pesticide carbaryl, which was marketed as Sevin. Ten years later the plant began manufacturing methyl isocyanate , or MIC, a cheaper but more toxic substance used in the making of pesticides.

It was MIC gas that was released when water leaked into one of the storage tanks late on the night of Dec. 2, setting off the disaster . Gas began escaping from Tank 610 around 10:30 p.m. although the main warning siren didn't go off for another two hours.

The first effects were felt almost immediately in the vicinity of the plant. As the gas cloud spread into Bhopal proper, residents were awakened to a blinding, vomiting, lung-searing hell. Panic ensued and hundreds of people died in the chaotic stampede that followed.

An exact death toll has never been established. Union Carbide, not surprisingly, set the toll on the low end at 3,800, while municipal workers claimed to have cleared at least 15,000 bodies in the immediate aftermath of the accident. Thousands have died since and an estimated 50,000 people became invalids or developed chronic respiratory conditions as a result of being poisoned.

Regardless of the numbers, all evidence pointed to Union Carbide and its Indian subsidiary, as well as the Indian government, its partner in the factory, being responsible, mainly through negligence, for what occurred. Despite the extreme volatility and toxicity of the chemicals in use at the factory, safeguards known to be substandard were ignored rather than fixed.

In the subsequent investigations and legal proceedings, it was determined, among other things, that:

Staffing at the plant had been cut to save money. Workers who complained about codified safety violations were reprimanded, and occasionally fired.

No plan existed for coping with a disaster of this magnitude.

Tank alarms that would have alerted personnel to the leak hadn't functioned for at least four years.

Other backup systems were either not functioning or nonexistent.

The plant was equipped with a single back-up system, unlike the four-stage system typically found in American plants.

Tank 610 held 42 tons of MIC, well above the prescribed capacity. (It is believed that 27 tons escaped in the leak.)

Water sprays designed to dilute escaping gas were poorly installed and proved ineffective.

Damage known to exist, such as to piping and valves, had not been repaired or replaced because the cost was considered too high. Warnings from U.S. and Indian experts about other shortcomings at the plant were similarly ignored.

The aftermath of the disaster was almost as chaotic. Union Carbide was initially responsive , rushing aid and money to Bhopal. Nevertheless, faced with a $3 billion lawsuit, the company dug in, eventually agreeing to a $470 million settlement, a mere 15 percent of the original claim. In any case, very little money ever reached the victims of the disaster.

Warren Anderson , Union Carbide's CEO, went before Congress in December 1984, pledging his company's renewed commitment to safety, a promise that rang hollow in India (and probably to Congress as well).

Anderson was subsequently charged with manslaughter by Indian prosecutors but managed to evade an international arrest warrant and disappeared. Investigators from Greenpeace, which has kept up an active interest in the case, found Anderson in 2002, alive and well and living comfortably in the Hamptons. The United States has shown no inclination to hand him over to Indian justice, and most of the serious charges against him have been dropped.

Union Carbide, meanwhile, was acquired by the Dow Corporation in 2001, which refused to assume any additional liability for Bhopal, arguing that the debt had already been paid through various court settlements. It did go on to settle another outstanding claim against Union Carbide, this one for $2.2 billion made by asbestos workers in Texas.

A few outstanding legal claims from Bhopal remain to be settled, both in India and the United States, but most of the court wrangling is over.

The victims of the disaster, those who live on, continue dealing with various health problems - including chronic respiratory problems, vision problems and an increased incidence of cancer and birth defects - and an environment that remains contaminated to this day.

Source: Various

W.R. Grace & Co. has agreed to pay up to $140 million to settle a class-action lawsuit stemming from its use of an attic-insulating product that contained asbestos.

Asbestos has been found in Bozeman High School art classrooms where a new roof is being installed, and while tests have shown no danger of airborne asbestos to students or staff, the school district has closed the rooms and hired a cleanup firm to eliminate any risk.

HARARE, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe asbestos mines are ...

LAWTON - A Comanche County judge has told the owner of a Lawton shopping center that if a Dec. 5 deadline for signed renovation contracts is not met, a demolition order for the property will be issued. District Judge Keith Aycock said Wednesday that Don Mansell, who owns the Midtown Square center, had to provide signed contracts for asbestos removal and roofing repairs for the center's three buildings by the deadline. Mansell and the city of Lawton have argued about the property since 2003, and last year, the city filed an abatement of nuisance lawsuit against Mansell. Aycock said Mansell has failed to meet two earlier court-ordered deadlines this month - to provide the name of a general contractor to oversee the work and to file a see more on NewsOK.com

(NaturalNews) Researchers in Finland and the US studied how certain nanoparticles interact with cells. Results indicated that nanoparticles may alter cell structure, causing the cells to die. Currently, nanoparticles are widely used in cosmetics, electronics, optical devices, medicine, and in food packaging materials. Nanoparticles may well be the asbestos of the twenty first century: a considerable threat to people`s health. Nanotubes were discovered accidentally in 2000 at Heidelberg University, in Germany. By nature they seem to be a means of cell to cell communication. They exist for very short periods of time, then vanish as the cells no longer need them. Nanoparticles (also known as nanopowders, nanoclusters, nanotubes, or nanocrystals) are microscopic. They measure less than 100 nanometers in at least one dimension. A nanometer equals one billionth of a meter , one millionth of a millimeter. Although we are used to substances having particular properties, those properties often change as the particle size approaches the nano level. Theories suggest that the change in properties is related to the percentage of atoms at the surface of the substance. These different properties are fascinating to scientists. Not all changes are beneficial. For instance, iron, at the nano level, switches its polarity using energy gained from room temperature heat, thus they are not useful for data storage, as had been hoped. Some nanoparticles' crystalline structure changes when they get wet. So numerous questions have been raised about their safety and suitability, especially for products destined for human contact Scientists found ways to manufacture stable nano-sized particles in various forms. Given the transient nature of the body's own nanotubes, the very stability of the synthetic particles may pose a threat. A great deal of research looks into finding useful purposes for man made nanoparticles. However, very little is known of their health effects, especially their down side. Only a tiny allotment of research into nanoparticles focuses on their risks to health and safety. While the use of nanoparticles in consumer products increases, follow-up procedures and legislation lag behind. The European Union chemicals directive REACH does not even touch upon nanomaterials. Research, presented in the nano journal `Small`, showed that cell cultures (colonies of a particular type of cell growing in a dish) are unaltered when exposed to fullerenes. The same cells do not react when exposed to gallic acid, an astringent component of tannins found in almost all plants. When present in the cell culture at the same time, however, fullerenes and gallic acid interact to form structures which bind to the cell's surface causing cell death. The study did not focus on cancer cells. Fullerenes are spherical, ellipsoid, or cylindrical nano-sized molecules of carbon atoms. They were named after Buckminster Fuller, creator of the geodesic dome. Fullerenes are produced by producing an eletrical arc through a vessel containing helium gas between two graphite rods. Ten percent of the resulting soot are these nanoparticles. The fullerene tubes and balls are extracted from the carbon soot by using an organic solvent called toluene. The U.S. Department of Energy is looking into using these fullerenes in the future. This study is one of the few cataloging the effects of these particles in the human body. Researchers generated excitement in 2006, when the destructive nature of certain nanoparticles were found to destroy the cell membranes of cancer cells. In the culture used in the early experiments, healthy cells were effected, but less so than cancer cells. The researchers, in their excitement, suggested that these nanoparticles be used to enclose chemotherapy agents, thus target the cancer cells more directly. The early study, however, only surveyed the nanoparticles in isolation, without the toxic chemicals enclosed in them. The current study casts a shadow on such use of nanoparticles. This study stands out in its investigation into nanoparticles' unforseen interactions with other substances. Combining these particles which do not behave as we expect with the already dismal failure of chemotherapy seems like a recipe for disaster. The interaction of the man made nanoparticles with enclosed dangerous chemicals, not to mention with substances in the body's environment, may present unexpected and fatal results. The current research demonstrates how difficult it is to map out the health effects of nanoparticles. Since the number of possible combinations of nanoparticles and various biomolecules is immense, it is practically impossible to research them systematically. Even if a certain nanoparticle does not appear toxic, the interaction between this nanoparticle and other compounds in the human body may cause serious problems to cell functions. Further, combining nanoparticles with toxic substances poses even more serious questions. Be wary of products which tout the use of nanoparticles. This is yet another reason why consumers need to demand natural, organically grown ingredients in products. References http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-11/tuot-n111308.php http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026821.400-tunnelling-nanotubes-lifes-secret-network.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/n/nanoparticle.htm http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/local/projects/unwin/Fullerenes.html http://www.nanopharmaceuticals.org/files/Death_by_Nanoparticles_nanopharmaceuticals2.org_OCT_2006.pdf http://nano.cancer.gov/news_center/nanotech_news_2006-10-16c.asp E. Salonen, S. Lin, M. L. Reid, M. Allegood, X. Wang, A. M. Rao, I. Vattulainen, P.-C. Ke. Real-time translocation of fullerene reveals cell contraction. Small 4, 1986-1992 (2008) About the author Maryann Marshall is a fourth generation herbalist. She taught "Herbs and Your Health" classes for 25 years. Currently she is developing these classes into an online course. See http://www.grainsofhope.com for more information. Six years ago, her eldest son suffered a severe brain injury in an auto accident. His journey to wellness continues today. The family struggles through the government and medical labyrinth to assist his healing through prayer, nutrition, herbs, and other natural methods. Maryann is currently writing a book about the accident and its aftermath. You can read it in progress at: http://MiracleBoyArif.blogspot.com/ . Her websites can be found at: http://www.agglom.com/agglom/36788/Maryann_Marshall_s_Web_Pages. Also check http://www.mymoxxor.com/grainsofhope for the most powerful concentrate of all-natural omega-3's and antioxidants on the planet.

Air Force officials say more than a mile of steam piping covered in asbestos will be removed from a former base in east-central Illinois. Air Force officials announced on Nov. 20 that they have aw

Asbestos-related cancer victims and their families have won an important test case over access to compensation.

A ruling is expected later that could have profound implications for asbestos-related cancer victims and their families.

DETROIT, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- A Lansing, Mich., doctor says he used the best information available to him when he diagnosed thousands of patients with asbestos-related illnesses.

Following an October court ruling upholding a 2004 law governing asbestos lawsuits, Ohio State Sen. Bill Seitz has introduced another bill designed to further streamline such claims.

GARDAI were last night investigating the cause of a fire at the site of the former Stardust nightclub where asbestos has been discovered in the ruins.

PHILADELPHIA (November 12, 2008 ) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has settled four cases in Maryland in an effort to ensure the safe management of asbestos-containing materials in schools. In separate consent agreements with EPA, the Board of Education of Dorchester County Schools, St

LabourStart headline - Source: ITUC

The state of Vermont is warning people to stay away from an abandoned asbestos mine in Eden and Lowell because of the health threat posed by asbestos. Scientists studied health records and death ce

The Christy Refractories Co. LLC, a St. Louis-based company that distributes industrial insulation products, has filed for bankruptcy due to pressure from millions of dollars worth of legal settlements related to asbestos.

SCOTTISH ministers are at loggerheads with Westminster over fears that SNP legislation to compensate workers exposed to asbestos could cut Scotland's budget by tens of mil

THE cost of compensating people with the asbestos-related condition pleural plaques will be investigated by the Scottish Government, it was announced yesterday.

(Baton Rouge, Louisiana - Nov. 3, 2008) Cleanup of the Progressive Church 18-acre site in Marrero is completed. In order to build a Family Life Center for the church, friable and non-friable asbestos and some limited hydrocarbon and lead contamination had to be removed

Concern is raised that Scots ministers will be hit with huge extra costs under is asbestos compensation plans.

The Fourth Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Rotterdam Convention at the FAO headquarters in Rome last week brought to the fore the row over placing two pesticides and the industrial chemical chrysotile asbestos on the trade watch list that already contains 39 hazardous substances.

I can safely say that the initiative is doomed this time.

BANI accuses government of ignoring dangers from asbestos factory

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Vermiculite mined in Libby, Mont., and distributed nationwide was contaminated with amphibole asbestos which has been linked to lung disease, officials said.

I can safely say that the initiative is doomed this time.

Chyrostile asbestos will remain off a list of the world's most dangerous substances, delegates to an international meeting in Rome decided Tuesday.

Tobi Cohen , The Canadian Press October 27, 2008 - 7:39 p.m. MONTREAL - When world leaders meet next week to decide whether chrysotile asbestos should be added to a list of dangerous substances...

The Ohio Supreme Court delivered a second blow to people seeking damages in asbestos-related cases October 22, throwing out a widow's claim that a company that insulated the pipes at her husband's wor

HUNDREDS of trade union activists will lobby MPs today to demand the restoration of compensation for people suffering an asbestos-related disease.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Crane Co. , a maker of highly-engineered industrial components, reported late Monday third-quarter net income of $36.1 million, or 60 cents a share. The company lost $196.9 million, or $3.29 a share, in the year-ago quarter, which included a $250 million one-time charge to cover asbestos-related liabilities. Excluding the liabilities provision, the company's third-quarter 2007 earnings were 87 cents a share. Revenue for the three months ended Sept. 30 fell 3% to $642.7 million from $664.1 million. Analysts surveyed by FactSet Research had predicted the company would earn 87 cents a share on $683 million in sales. Shares of the Stamford, Conn.-based company fell 93 cents to close at $15.86 ahead of the report.

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The Department of the Attorney General's Manager of the Year is Dorothy Sellers, solicitor general, who oversees the work of the attorneys and legal clerks in the Appellate Division. She led the state's team to reform the governing body and trustee practices of the Kamehameha Schools -- one of the nation's largest charitable trusts -- and complex legal efforts to seek compensation from asbestos companies.

The federal government is refusing to reveal what position it will take on listing the chrysotile variety of asbestos on the world's list of most hazardous substances at a UN-sponsored meeting this we...

The Canadian Press WINNIPEG -- Manitoba is spending up to $5 million to look for asbestos, PCBs and mercury in its public housing buildings, but critics say the inventory of chemicals won't have any ...

After years of legal infighting, a trial date has been set in the criminal case against W.R. Grace and six of its executives in connection with the asbestos contamination from the company's vermiculite mine near Libby, Mont.

After years of legal infighting, a trial date has been set in the criminal case against W.R. Grace and six of its executives in connection with the asbestos contamination from the company's vermiculite mine near Libby, Mont.

After years of legal infighting, a trial date has been set in the criminal case against W.R. Grace and six of its executives in connection with the asbestos contamination from the company's vermiculite mine near Libby, Mont.

Figures issued by the Health and Safety Executive revealed that every week 20 tradesmen die from asbestos-related diseases, and this number is set to increase.

Courts have tossed about 30,000 asbestos injury claims to comply with an Ohio Supreme Court ruling that upheld limits on such cases, but people whose lungs begin showing evidence of damage could refil

Tobi Cohen, The Canadian Press October 21, 2008 - 7:36 p.m. MONTREAL - When world leaders meet next week to decide whether chrysotile asbestos should be added to a list of dangerous substances, they ...

OTTAWA, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Medical officials in Canada, Britain and the United States are condemning the Canadian government's continued exports of asbestos to developing countries.

PRIMARY school children could miss weeks of lessons after the ceiling in their 60-year-old classroom collapsed during lessons.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - In an Oct. 15 story about an Ohio Supreme Court ruling on asbestos litigation, The Associated Press, relying on information provided by the court, misstated the vote.

An Ohio Supreme Court ruling upholds the nation's first asbestos litigation reform legislation, thereby helping truly sick victims of asbestos exposure get compensated quickly and fairly for their inj

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

(Boston, Mass. Oct. 6, 2008) - A Johnston, R.I. demolition company faces a penalty of $256,320 for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Asbestos (Asbestos NESHAP). In 2004 - 2005, the Bilray Demolition Company, Inc

An East Haven school will reopen Friday after asbestos concerns earlier in the week.

About 500 airplane mechanics, technicians and tradesmen who belong to the Canadian Auto Workers Local 2215 struck Thursday over health and safety issues.

Associated Press - October 2, 2008 4:24 AM ET PHOENIX (AP) - The federal government has fined six charter schools in the Phoenix metropolitan area for failing to follow rules designed to...

PHOENIX - The federal government has fined six charter schools in the Phoenix metropolitan area for failing to follow rules designed to protect from asbestos exposure.

An East Haven school will close for a day because of asbestos concerns, the mayor says.

Demolished structures without notifying the EPA LOS ANGELES - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has fined the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power $9,030 for demolishing structures without notifying the agency as required by federal Clean Air Act asbestos regulations

Six Phoenix-area charter schools have been fined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failing to follow rules designed to prevent children from being exposed to asbestos.

The schools are now in compliance and no asbestos was found. They were fined from $800 to $2,400.

(09/30/08) SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently fined six Arizona charter school operators a combined total of $11,600 for Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act violations

THE James Hardie trial has heard that the company's estimates of its asbestos compensation liabilities were sound.

FORMER directors and executives of building giant James Hardie issued inaccurate, misleading and deficient public announcements about the company's ability to compensate asbestos victims, the corporate regulator has claimed.

A Sydney court has heard that former executives of the building products company James Hardie misled the public about the company's ability to meet asbestos diseases claims. The former directors are being sued by Australia's corporate regulator, which is seeking civil penalties such as maximum fines for each former official of 200-thousand dollars.

Supervisors ignored safety concerns raised by inmates at McNeil Island state prison and made them remove potentially deadly asbestos-laden tile with no protective equipment and without taking common precautions, state records say.

Karen Banton, the widow of asbestos campaigner, Bernie Banton, finally gets her day in court with the start of a civil case against James Hardie, and 10 of the directors who ran the building materials company in 2001. Australia's companies regulator claims the directors breached their duties.

The World Today's Brendan Trembath joins us from the Supreme Court in Sydney, where the case against Hardies is being heard. Victims and families of former Hardies employees with asbestos-related diseases have spoken out before the case began.

CIVIL court proceedings against disgraced building company James Hardie Industries begin in Sydney today, with former executives facing huge fines and disqualification from managing corporations if found guilty.

Public health officials are asking employees of a Fremont plant where floor tiles and other building materials were made if they or their relatives have any symptoms of asbestos-related illness. The Federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry...

Public health officials are asking former employees of a Fremont manufacturing plant to inform them about potential impacts they may have experienced from asbestos exposure.

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Philips Electronics said it's taking a 148 million euro ($216 million) third-quarter charge, or 241 million euros before tax, to resolve asbestos-related claims against its TH Agriculture and Nutrition division. Philips is expected insurance-related recoveries worth between 80 million to 105 million euros. The planned asbestos payment still needs U.S. court approval.

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who have ever lived a short distance from an asbestos-manufacturing plant may have an elevated risk of a rare form of cancer, a new study suggests.

Defence chiefs were warned a base was not safe prior to a fire which led to asbestos ash falling, documents show.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The risk of lung cancer is increased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, even after taking into account the effects of established risk factors such as tobacco and asbestos exposure, according to a study with United States military veterans.

Associated Press - September 18, 2008 2:14 PM ET WINSLOW, Ariz. (AP) - The city of Winslow will pay $240,000 in fines for tearing down apartments contaminated with asbestos and then burning the...

PHILADELPHIA (September 18, 2008) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued two orders to Rock Springs Enterprises Inc. to cease demolition work at the site of a former pottery-manufacturing facility in Chester, Hancock County, W. Va

ST. LOUIS (CN) - The City of St. Louis violated asbestos abatement standards during demolition of buildings for an expansion of Lambert St. Louis International Airport, a federal judge ruled. The plaintiffs' attorney said this is the first time a city has been held liable for violating federal asbestos abatement standards.

(9/17/08 -- SAN FRANCISCO) The City of Winslow will pay a $240,400 civil penalty to resolve alleged violations of Clean Air Act asbestos provisions, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), the largest organization in the United States dedicated to serving as the voice of asbestos victims, today

The discovery of asbestos in crumbled ceiling tile resulted in the temporary closure of the Davis, West Virginia Post Office. U.S. Postal Service officials don't yet know when the Tucker County si

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Three men have been arrested for allegedly dumping asbestos tiles in the protected wetlands area known as Florida's Green Swamp.

P-I Editorial: The Environmental Protection Agency often has played the role of bystander on asbestos-containing home insulation. With a court deadline approaching, homeowners will pay for the Bush administration's misfeasance.

A court settlement called "absurd and disturbing" would give Canadians with homes contaminated with asbestos-containing Zonolite insulation virtually nothing, while their lawyers get millions from W.R. Grace.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will begin testing for asbestos in as many as 50 North Minneapolis homes that underwent a cleanup a couple of years ago.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 08-OPA141 CHICAGO (Sept. 9, 2008) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 will begin an indoor air assessment involving 30 to 50 homes in northeast Minneapolis on Sept. 24

Reports of asbestos in the air, left either by the demolished homes or the destroyed propane facility itself, raised questions about the air quality in the area.

Reports of asbestos in the air, left either by the demolished homes or the destroyed propane facility itself, raised questions about the air quality in the area.

The Lung Association recommends that navy veterans who worked on ships or shipyards during the Second World War and up until the 1970s to see their doctor for an examination. These veterans may have been exposed to asbestos and may have an asbestos-related breathing disease as a result.

The Clean Air Committee of the Tempe Chandler PTSA sent a letter to the board Tuesday that said Adolph committed "a serious breach of trust" when he made "false statements regarding the existence of asbestos" and misrepresented mold growth found during the removal process.

The government plans to expand biannual checks on the management of asbestos, which can cause lung cancer, from the current 260,000 buildings to about 2 million, possibly starting next March, to cover...

A fire at a school in Edinburgh causes concern that it might contain asbestos.

FIREFIGHTERS were last night tackling a blaze at a derelict school in the south of Edinburgh.

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- RPM International swung to a fiscal fourth-quarter ending May 31 loss of $87.6 million, or 73 cents a share, while revenue rose 7% to $1.08 billion. On an adjusted basis that excludes a $288 million charge before tax to cover future asbestos liabilities, the specialty coating maker earned 75 cents a share. For the current year, adjusted earnings are seen reaching $1.85 a share. Analysts polled by FactSet Research expected earnings of 70 cents a share for the quarter and $1.90 for the current fiscal year.

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Investigation warns of 'significant dangers' to all at Westminster from exposure to dangerous fibres

The industry is already dealing with shortages because of huge increase in consumption by Russia, China

Firefighters were called to a blaze at an apartment complex near the University of Colorado that displaced dozens of residents.

Asbestos, lead paint among old facility's problems At first glimpse, Chicago appears to have cut a pretty sweet, low-risk deal in its proposed purchase of the Michael Reese Hospital property for potential use as a 2016 Olympic Village, observers say.

WHAT'S the difference between exposure and injury? The answer could be liability under Scots law, due to new legislation before the Scottish Parliament.

Work has been halted on a small section of the Stadium site, but work elsewhere is carrying on as normal. Lawrence Waterman ODA Head of Health and Safety said: 'The health and safety of the workforce is our number one priority and we have taken the prec...

A FRENCH aircraft carrier - too toxic to break up in India - will be taken apart in Britain, dismantling firm Able UK said yesterday.

Environmental News FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Kansas City, Kan., July 2, 2008) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is conducting air sampling for asbestos and air monitoring for particulates as Iowa communities clean up from recent floods

AN asbestos-laden French aircraft carrier that was too toxic for Indian ship-breakers is to be towed to a yard in northeast England for dismantling.

RAWLINS (AP) -- Discovery of asbestos sealant during construction work at Sinclair Oil Refinery forced the evacuation of some workers, but the refinery's operations were not affected, officials say.

An asbestos-laden French aircraft carrier that was too toxic for Indian breakers' yards is to be towed to the UK for dismantling, it was announced today.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) moved ahead yesterday with his effort to resolve the national asbestos litigation tangle, introducing a bill that would create a $140 billion trust fund to pay victims' claims while barring some smokers from benefits and curbing payouts to trial lawyers.

A bill proposed by the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that would set up a $140 billion trust fund to compensate people sickened by exposure to asbestos came under sharp attack from both sides yesterday.

Since last spring, a phalanx of trial lawyers who made millions suing asbestos makers and tobacco companies have been targeting tax-exempt hospitals, accusing them of gouging the poor.

Federal prosecutors Monday charged W.R. Grace & Co. with exposing mine workers and residents in a small mountain community in Montana to deadly asbestos and covering up the danger.

W.R. Grace & Co., the 150-year-old company that filed for bankruptcy protection after a surge in asbestos-related lawsuits, yesterday reported widening losses tied to its pending plan for reorganization.

As the legislative day dawned on Capitol Hill yesterday, an unexpected ray of hope arrived with it: A bill to resolve the asbestos crisis, pronounced dead a month ago, appeared to be alive once more.

Environmental News FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Kansas City, Kan., June 27, 2008) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air sampling for asbestos and air monitoring for particulates in Parkersburg, Iowa, has shown no health risk

Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, the attorney who built a career by taking on tobacco, asbestos and insurance companies, was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for conspiring to bribe a judge.

Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, the attorney who built his career by taking on tobacco, asbestos and insurance companies, was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for conspiring to bribe a judge.

Some high-profile friends are seeking leniency for a well-known Mississippi attorney who took on tobacco, asbestos and insurance companies before he pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe a state judge

CBS doesn't respond to consumer groups' warning.

OXFORD, Miss. - Richard Scruggs, who became one of the wealthiest civil lawsuit lawyers in the country by taking on tobacco, asbestos and insurance companies, was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for conspiring to bribe a judge.

Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, 62, who became one of the wealthiest civil-lawsuit attorneys in the country by taking on tobacco, asbestos and...

Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, who became one of the wealthiest civil lawsuit attorneys in the country by taking on tobacco, asbestos and insurance companies, was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for conspiring to bribe a judge.

Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, who became one of the wealthiest civil lawsuit attorneys in the country by taking on tobacco, asbestos and insurance companies, was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for conspiring to bribe a judge.

The roofs will need work, some rewiring is badly needed ? and then there is the asbestos problem.

Environmental News FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Kansas City, Kan., June 27, 2008) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air sampling for asbestos and air monitoring for particulates in Parkersburg, Iowa, has shown no health risk

Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, the attorney who built his career by taking on tobacco, asbestos and insurance companies, was sentenced ...

Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, the attorney who built his career by taking on tobacco, asbestos and insurance companies, was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for conspiring to bribe a judge.

Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, the attorney who built his career by taking on tobacco, asbestos and insurance companies, was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for bribery conspiracy

MINISTERS yesterday came under fire from the insurance industry after launching legislation intended to help victims of asbestos-related conditions.

W.R. Grace has lost its appeal to the Supreme Court of criminal charges stemming from asbestos contamination from 1963 to 1990 at its former Libby, Montana mine.

The Supreme Court yesterday declined to hear an appeal by W.R. Grace in a criminal case brought by the government over the company's alleged release of asbestos from a Montana mine.

The U.S. Supreme Court Monday declined to hear an appeal by W.R. Grace & Co. over the company's alleged release of asbestos from a Montana mine.

JUSTICE Secretary Kenny MacAskill is to unveil a new bill at Holyrood which will entitle anyone in Scotland to raise an action if they contracted an asbestos-related condition

Renovation of the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court building just became about $1 million more expensive.

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Colfax Corp. , which makes fluid handling products and systems, said Tuesday that its first-quarter net profit rose 13% to $6.8 million as revenue grew 14% to $130.7 million. Excluding the impact of asbestos liabilities and litigation, adjusted net profit rose 48% to $8.9 million. The group also said it saw strong order growth in the quarter, with global navy orders more than doubling and commercial marine orders up 76%.

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the Libby Amphibole Health Risk Initiative, a series of projects totaling $8 million designed to understand the health effects of exposure to lower levels of Libby, Montana asbestos (i.e., Libby amphibole).

Department of Environmental Protection officials said they think someone was trying to save money and dumped bags of debris containing asbestos, exposing residents of a Hartford neighborhood to the cancer-causing fibers.

The Asbestos Research Group, offering hope to sufferers of asbestos-related diseases, has been launched at The Wesley Research Institute.

The current relief system, which took effect in March 2006, requires beneficiaries to be recognized as suffering from asbestos-related illnesses before their deaths. Many victims died without applyi...

With crews expected to begin removing asbestos from the Days Inn sometime this month, Goldsboro Chief Building Inspector Ed Cianfarra has been working to reassure nearby residents and businesses that the process won't pose any danger to them or anyone...

Montana's Department of Environmental Quality is seeking comment on a proposed settlement agreement with W.R. Grace & Co. that would provide the agency more than $5 million for costs related to the cl

Nearly 2,000 pupils were evacuated from two west Belfast schools today when a major fire broke out in the former Bass Ireland brewery.

A Swedish asbestos management, demolition and recycling firm plans to make a new home in Fayetteville and hire about 25 area residents as employees during the next three years. (Northwest Arkansas Times)

Pad was damaged with Discovery's May 31 launch, but managers don't expect a delay in their launch schedule as a result.

Workers wearing protective suits are picking up rope-like bits of asbestos at launch Pad 39A after it was damaged.

The demolition of the Days Inn on Wayne Memorial Drive, which was supposed to take place early this month, has been delayed because of asbestos problems. But Chief Building Inspector Ed Cianfarra said that doesn't mean the motel will be...

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN Forty percent of people suffering from asbestos-related diseases do not know how they were exposed to the carcinogen, a recent survey by the Environment Ministry showed. In i...

WITTENOOM, Australia (Reuters Life!) - Of the 20,000 people who once lived in this outback mining town in western Australia, at least 1,000 are dead of asbestos-related diseases. Just about everyone else left long ago.

Tenants of a public housing development damaged by fire last year will be able to retrieve their belongings without having to pay for costly asbestos removal, a Houston Housing Authority official said Thursday.

ASBESTOS has been discovered in houses in most remote communities caught up in the Federal Government's intervention into the Northern Territory.

A prominent Houston lawyer whose firm is involved in a major asbestos liability case before the Texas Supreme Court helped Justice David Medina's wife obtain bail after she was indicted earlier this month on arson and related charges.

(Boston, Mass. - May 28, 2008) - EPA workers and contractors completed the clean-up of hazardous materials, including pesticides and asbestos, at the Albert Farms Property in Worthington, Mass. earlier this month

Fifteen Spanish citizens can sue Owens-Illinois in New Jersey Superior Court on claims they suffered health problems from exposure to asbestos while working aboard U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships docked at United States-Spanish military installations in Rota and Cadiz, Spain, a state appeals court ruled yesterday.

A new asbestos scheme is welcomed by a Londonderry woman whose husband died of a related cancer.

CBS doesn't respond to consumer groups' warning.

A jury awarded $9.7 million to a Georgia man who said he developed chest cancer decades after he was exposed to asbestos while serving as a Navy machinist's mate aboard the USS Preble in Long Beach. Chief Y.R. Brewer, 66, of Lyons, Ga., was diagnosed last...

Tiny tubes made of carbon atoms have been among the main ingredients of the nanotech revolution. But researchers have found that when injected into mice, nanotubes could behave in a way similar to the way asbestos fibers behave, forming lesions that lead to cancer.

Sylvie Barak , Thursday 22 May 2008. 23:19:00

Not lung for this world

A STUDY has come to the alarming conclusion that, if inhaled in large quantities, carbon nanotubes could wind up being as, if not more, dangerous than asbestos. Whilst many might be thinking, "well, who would go around sniffing Carbon nanotubes?", the fact of the matter is that they can be...

Is there a something sinister lurking beneath the promise of nanotechnology? Another study suggests carbon nanotubes may be an unfriendly passenger.

New studies suggest that long carbon nanotubes behave like asbestos.

Whatever you do, don't inhale your car bumper; the carbon nanotubes used in it might cause cancer. Researchers have found that microscopic "wonder particles" used in a small number of materials, including bicycle parts and bumpers, have asbestos-like effects if inhaled, the Los Angeles Times reports. Consumers aren't really at risk, but factory workers making the products could be, the researchers concluded.

Researchers led by Professor Kenneth Donaldson at the University of Edinburgh examined the potential for long and short carbon nanotubes,...

Washington, May 21(IANS) Long, thin carbon nanotubes might be as harmful as asbestos in the long run, if inhaled in sufficient quantities, according to a study.

A major study in Nature Nanotechnology suggests some forms of carbon nanotubes -- a poster child for the "nanotechnology revolution" -- could be as harmful as asbestos if inhaled in sufficient quantities.

Tiny tubes made of carbon atoms have promised to revolutionize industry. But a new study in mice suggests that one kind of nanotube produces biological changes like those caused by asbestos.

WASHINGTON - Microscopic, high-tech "nanotubes" that are being made for use in a wide variety of consumer products cause the same kind of damage in the body as asbestos does, according to a study in mice.

Nanotubes, one of the wonder materials of the new age of nanotechnology, may carry a health risk similar to that of asbestos, a wonder material of an earlier age that turned into a scourge after decades of use when its fibers were found to cause lung disease, researchers said Tuesday.

microscopic graphite cylinders used in a small but growing number of applications - could pose a similar cancer risk as asbestos if...

Certain types of carbon nanotubes - microscopic graphite cylinders used in a small but growing number of Space Age applications - could pose a similar cancer risk as asbestos if inhaled, scientists reported Tuesday.

Adding chemotherapy to established methods of symptom management does not appear to enhance the quality of life or survival of patients suffering from an asbestos-induced form of lung cancer called malignant plural mesothelioma (MPM). These are the results of MS01, a large UK and Australian study published in the Lancet, which set out to assess the potential benefits of combining active symptom control (ASC) with chemotherapy.

Mainichi Daily News the class action suit is the first that has been filed in Japan related to health damages caused by asbestos exposure at construction sites. The plaintiffs hail from the

THURSDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Adding chemotherapy to other treatments being giving to patients with mesothelioma, a lung cancer usually linked to asbestos exposure, does not...

Chemotherapy does not help people with asbestos-related cancer, according to UK researchers.

(05/15/08) SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently fined Portable Practical Education Preparation, Inc., $18,500 for alleged violations of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act. The company holds charters for 12 Arizona charter schools

At least 360 workers who volunteered to perform search and rescue operations at the World Trade Center directly following the September 11, 2001 attacks have since died; 80 of which suffered cancer-related deaths.

The discovery of cancer-causing asbestos in ductwork prompted officials to close the pediatric operating rooms at a hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Wednesday.

Associated Press - May 7, 2008 12:24 PM ET SALEM, Ore. (AP) - The state of Oregon has fined a Michigan company more than $24,000 for violating safety laws in an asbestos removal project last...

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Foster Wheeler Ltd. Wednesday said its first-quarter net income rose 20% to $138.1 million, or 95 cents a share, from $114.8 million, or 80 cents a share, a year earlier, helped by a $14.2 million asbestos-related gain. Excluding amortization and interest expense, earnings were 85 cents a share. The Hamilton, Bermuda, engineering and construction company said operating revenue increased 56% to $1.8 billion from $1.15 billion a year ago. On average, analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected earnings of 73 cents a share on revenue of $1.48 billion. Analyst estimates typically exclude items.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

UNITED NATIONS - An ambitious $2 billion project to refurbish the aging U.N. building was launched yesterday with the ground-breaking for a temporary building on the northern lawn of the U.N. campus, east of First Avenue. The project, scheduled to be completed by 2013, is designed to modernize the landmark headquarters, which first were occupied in 1952 and have not been refurbished since. Hazardous substances, including asbestos, are to be removed, while new safety features, updated...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 08-OPA081 CHICAGO (May 2, 2008) - U.S

The federal Bureau of Land Management has closed about 31,000 acres of public land in Central California after finding that motorcycles and off-road vehicles were stirring up dangerous levels of asbestos in the air.

ASPEN Taking chances is part of a rescuers job, but local law enforcement, fire and ambulance crews responding to a call of a gravely injured worker at the Aspen Middle School demolition site on Wednesday faced a unique threat: asbestos exposure.

U.S. EPA Risk Assessment: Clear Creek Management Area Asbestos Increases Long-Term Cancer Risk ***Press Conference Call May 1 at 12:15 p.m.*** (5/1/2008 -- SAN FRANCISCO) The U.S

ASPEN A free-standing wall fell at the old Aspen Middle School on Wednesday morning, crushing and killing a 25-year-old man working on the asbestos abatement and demolition of the building.

Post mortems on the bodies of a family of four found dead after a fire in their home in Co Wexford yesterday have been suspended due to the presence of asbestos at the site of the fire.

Asbestos was "unexpectedly" found at McFall Elementary School while work crews were pulling up tile.

UNION leaders and asbestos victims groups yesterday called on James Hardie Industries to provide immediate assurances that its plan to abandon Australia and move to the US would not adversely affect their members.

W.R. Grace is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review pretrial rulings in the government's case charging the company with trying to hide health risks associated with its vermiculite mine in Libby, Mon

The Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc plans to revise the relief law for asbestos victims so that people confirmed to have died of asbestos-linked illnesses will be entitled to posthumo...

(NaturalNews) The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has given care giant Kaiser Permanente over $300,000 to test and interview 150 to 500 patients suffering from Morgellons Disease. The study will be done in northern California where many Morgellons patients live. Prior to this news, people had written off the disease as a hoax or the result of hypochondria. But recent evidence suggests that the disease is indeed real, and may be related to genetically modified (GM) food. What is Morgellons Disease? On August 1, 2007, the CDC issued the following statement regarding Morgellons Disease: "Morgellons is an unexplained and debilitating condition that has emerged as a public health concern. Recently, the CDC has received an increased number of inquiries from the public, health care providers, public health officials, Congress, and the media regarding this condition. Persons who suffer from this condition report a range of coetaneous symptoms including crawling, biting and stinging sensations; granules, threads or black speck-like materials on or beneath the skin; and/or lesions (e.g., rashes or sores) and some sufferers also report systemic manifestations such as fatigue, mental confusion, short term memory loss, joint pain, and changes in vision. Moreover, some who suffer from this condition appear to have substantial morbidity and social dysfunction, which can include decreased work productivity or job loss, total disability, familial estrangement, divorce, loss of child custody, home abandonment, and suicidal ideation." As of February, 2007, approximately 10,000 families had registered with the Morgellons Research Foundation (MRF) and felt they or a member of their family met criteria for Morgellons as defined by the MRF. Of the U.S. families in the MRF registry, 24% reside in California with geographic clustering in the San Francisco metropolitan areas. In New Science magazine, Sept. 15-21 edition, Daniel Elkan describes a patient who for years has been "finding tiny blue, red and black fibers growing from intensely itchy lesions on his skin." These fibers appear like pliable plastic and can be several millimeters long. Some appear in a zig-zag pattern. These fibers can be as fine as spider silk, yet they are strong enough to distend the skin when pulled. A May 18, 2006 story carried by KGW, a local news channel in Oregon, recounts the story of a family practice doctor experiencing the disease. She reported feeling like bugs were crawling under her skin. "If I fully tell people what has gone on with me medically, they think they're in the twilight zone," said Dr. Drottar who woke up with the feeling that fluid was flowing just below her skin. When black or blue hair-like fibers protruded from her skin, she reported thinking she had been exposed to asbestos. "I thought I was having asbestos fibers come out of my skin. I was pulling long, thin, small hair-like fibers that were extremely sharp that could literally pierce through my finger nail." According to Dr. Drottar, these symptoms were accompanied by severe depression, chronic fatigue and a weakened immune system. This debilitating condition forced her to give up her medical practice. Effective treatment for Morgellons suffers has been elusive. Doctors have claimed that this type of disease must be caused by a parasite, but even the strongest anti-parasitic medications have not helped. In the past, psychologists have insisted that this was a new version of delusional parasitosis, a form of psychosis in which suffers hold a delusional belief that they are infected by parasites. The Morgellons, GM Link According to the CDC statement, the etiology of Morgellons is unknown, and the medical community has insufficient information to determine whether persons who identify themselves as having the disease have a common cause for their symptoms. In April, 2006, the CDC recommended an epidemiologic investigation. It was not until January 16, 2008 that the care grant to Kaiser Permanente was announced. In the meantime, a research team from Oklahoma State University lead by Dr. Randy Wymore, studied some of the fibers sent to them by Morgellons patients. They discovered that fibers from different people looked remarkably similar to each other and yet seemed to match no common environmental fibers. Ahmed Kilani, a specialist in infectious disease detection, claimed to have broken down two fiber samples and extracted their DNA. He found that they belonged to a fungus. In an even more provocative finding, Vitaly Citovsky, Professor of Biochemistry and Cell Biology at Stony Brook University in New York, discovered that the fibers contained the substance Agrobacterium, a genus of gram-negative bacteria capable of genetically transforming not only plants, but also other eukaryotic species, including human cells. Anonymous samples were provided to Professor Citovsky by the Morgellons Research Foundation to use in investigating the potential presence of Agrobacterium in biopsies from Morgellons patients. Control reactions included samples provided by healthy donors. Only Morgellons, not healthy subjects, tested positive in these studies. According to a statement issued by Professor Citovsky, this observation does not imply that Agrobacterium causes Morgellons or that Morgellons is indeed an infectious disease. However, it does encourage future studies to determine (1) statistical significance of data, (2) whether Agrobacterium is not only present extracellularly, but also causes genetic transformation of the infected tissues, and (3) whether infection of laboratory animals with Agrobacterium can recreate symptoms of Morgellons. Sources: "Background information on the involvement of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the investigation of Morgellons disease in the U.S.", published by the CDC. "Skin Disease May Be Linked to GM Food", Whitley Strieber's Unknown Country , Oct. 12, 2007. "Serious Study of Mystery Disease" Whitney Strieber's Unknown Country , Jan. 31, 2008. "GMO Disease Epidemics: (10) Bt-cotton Fiber Disease", Myron Stagman, Ph.D., Portland independent media center Morgellons Watch , "Clarification from Vitaly Citovsky" About the author Barbara is a school psychologist, a published author in the area of personal finance, a breast cancer survivor using "alternative" treatments, a born existentialist, and a student of nature and all things natural.

A California asbestos awareness group sued CBS Corp, a toy maker and several retailers on Friday, claiming they sold toy crime-scene kits based on the hit CBS series "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" that contained the cancer-causing substance.

LOS ANGELES - A California asbestos awareness group sued CBS Corp, a toy maker and several retailers on Friday, claiming they sold toy crime-scene kits based on the hit CBS series "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" that contained the cancer-causing substance.

W.R. Grace writes new rules for surviving the asbestos beast.

Discovery of how material injures the lungs could lead to lifesaving treatments

NEWARK, N.J. (March 31, 2008) - The Newark office of Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis LLP (K&L Gates) welcomes Charles F. Rysavy as a partner in the firm's toxic tort practice. Rysavy joins K&L Gates from McCarter & English, LLP, where he was the past chair of the mass and toxic tort practice group. An experienced toxic tort litigator, Rysavy has appeared before numerous state and federal courts in a wide range of complex class action and mass products liability cases involving chemicals, asbestos, radiation, medical devices, and industrial machinery. Rysavy has also filed appeals and amicus briefs with several circuit courts and both the United States and New Jersey Supreme Courts on behalf of industry groups in such cases as BMW of North America v. Gore and In re Three Mile Island Litigation. Rysavy is joined by longtime colleague Roger P. Shaw, who will serve as a technical specialist supporting K&L Gates lawyers on litigation, transactions and client counseling on matters related to radiation injury claims and the commercial nuclear industry. A certified health physicist, Shaw is the former head of radiation protection at the Three Mile Island and Oyster Creek nuclear generating stations.

Tony La Rocco, Administrative Partner of K&L Gates' Newark office, said: "K&L Gates is delighted to welcome Charlie as the newest member of the firm's toxic tort practice. His diverse experience in the products liability and toxic tort fields - including representing clients in the defense of a variety of toxic exposure matters, radiation exposure claims, and claims of chronic injuries by workers involved in the World Trade Center disaster site cleanup - will be of much benefit to the firm and its clients."

K&L Gates' Chairman and Global Managing Partner Peter J. Kalis said: "With the global resurgence of nuclear energy, Charlie will help to ground a leading practice for industry members, and his arrival is yet another reminder of the formidable growth of K&L Gates' Newark office." K&L Gates comprises approximately 1,500 lawyers in 24 offices located in North America, Europe and Asia, and represents capital markets participants, entrepreneurs, growth and middle market companies, leading FORTUNE 100 and FTSE 100 global corporations and public sector entities. For more information, visit www.klgates.com .

K&L Gates comprises multiple affiliated partnerships: a limited liability partnership with the full name Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis LLP qualified in Delaware and maintaining offices throughout the U.S., in Berlin, and in Beijing (Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis LLP Beijing Representative Office); a limited liability partnership (also named Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis LLP) incorporated in England and maintaining our London and Paris offices; a Taiwan general partnership (Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis) which practices from our Taipei office; and a Hong Kong general partnership (Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis, Solicitors) which practices from our Hong Kong office. K&L Gates maintains appropriate registrations in the jurisdictions in which its offices are located. A list of the partners in each entity is available for inspection at any K&L Gates office.

Chemical company WR Grace cleared a major hurdle in its 7-year effort to emerge from bankruptcy yesterday, agreeing to pay more than $3 billion to settle asbestos-related personal injury lawsuits, reports the Baltimore Sun. The deal, which a bankruptcy judge must approve, would establish a trust fund to settle current and future lawsuits. "In the final analysis, nothing will really compensate for people who lose their husbands or wives," said a lawyer for the claimants.

The Maryland chemical conglomerate W.R. Grace and Co. said it agreed to settle all of its remaining asbestos cases with a $1.8 billion offer.

Specialty chemical company W.R. Grace agreed yesterday to settle outstanding asbestos-related claims with cash, future payments to a victims' trust and 10 million warrants that would allow claimants to buy company stock at a favorable price.

Posted on: Friday, 4 April 2008, 18:00 CDT To: NATIONAL EDITORS Contact: Jessica Like of The Pacific Heart, Lung & Blood Institute, +1-310-478-4678, info@phlbi.org LOS ANGELES, April 4, 2008 /PRNewsw...

(NaturalNews) Picture this: Three guys go into a bar. The batender asks, "What'll you have?" "A beer", says the first guy. Second one says, "Whiskey" and turning to the third guy asks, "what about you?" "Oh me, I really need a good strong kick, one with lots of punch to it... Yep, I think this day calls for a big one on tap! Hey bartender, how about some of your tap water!" It was hard not to hear about the mess our water supply is in; the March AP (Associated Press) story was picked up by almost every media outlet imaginable. Members of a "National Investigative Team" reviewed reports and talked to over 200 officials and scientists for a five-month period. The AP writers' conclusions struck fear into many a thirsty American, who was suddenly told he was drinking urine. Not any urine either, but drug-filled urine, possibly from their neighbor up the road. The first to feel the effects were the water filter companies, who have received many inquiries from consumers. Even though a less widely published story came out in 2000 after the U.S. Geological Survey's research, apparently few in the industry have run tests on their products to find out if they could filter out pharmaceuticals. Those that did run checks only tested a few drugs. The EPA hasn't responded either, as to this day there are still no minimum standards detailing how many parts per million of drugs to water is tolerable. Nor does anyone know the long-term effects on our bodies from drinking such pharmaceutical cocktails on a daily basis. Research on fish and other animals shows many ill effects, which suggests we will be affected as well, if only by eating the fish. It was pointed out that this problem did not only pertain to the U.S., but recent studies have found similar drugs in the water supplies of Canada, Asia, Australia, Europe, and even in Swiss lakes and the North Sea. Other studies have found them in Brazil and South Africa. The article also made it clear that bottled water is no solution, as it can pick up the contaminants from the tap water from which it is filtered, or the natural springs from which it is collected. Virtually no water source is safe, since the problem has not yet been thoroughly addressed. Many opinions and old surveys no longer relevant are cited, but after a critical look at the article, we aren't enlightened much. The writers state that when it comes to water filters, reverse osmosis models do the best job. No evidence for this is given, however. A little deeper investigation highlighted the problem of antibiotics. Since bacteria can adapt to them and nullify their effectiveness, the constant exposure of antibiotics in the water will give the many bacteria strains ample time to mount their resistance. There are additional issues to those highlighted by the AP's article. Besides the overwhelming conclusion that our world has become too enamored with pharmaceuticals for our own good, the question still should be asked: Why do most local governments prescribe large doses of one drug equally distributed to every man, woman and child without regard to need and without any scientific basis? The drug is fluoride. Many readers know it as a chemical waste product of the fertilizer industry that is problematic environmentally in regard to how to dispose of it. So the government and the industry figured out that putting it in our drinking water would solve the problem. For more Natural News articles on fluoride, go to: (http://www.naturalnews.com/GoogleSearchResults.html?q=fluoride&cx=010579349100583850635%3Aw_kzwe9_yca&cof=FORID%3A11#1341) . Many states voted to require fluoridated water, but in a few states it is up to the local water company. Oregon Citizens for Safe Drinking Water is an example of one group which has actively opposed the fluoridation. They feel that the fluoride itself is bad enough for health, but its negative effects are multiplied because fluoride compounds are contaminated with lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and other toxins. Not only that, but studies have shown that fluoride can pull lead from pipes and add that to the poisonous mix coming from our taps. That might be the reason fluoride also seems to bring copper and aluminum with it as well as the lead. Animal studies have demonstrated evidence of fluoride's toxic effects on brain tissue. These include brain cell damage, reduced lipid content, impairment in anti-oxidant defense systems, increased aluminum uptake, and the formation of beta-amyloid plaques. These are the plaques which are indicative of Alzheimer's Disease. Maybe this explains why many dogs seem to prefer to drink from puddles than their own tap-filled water dishes. Complicating the ability to control the level of fluoride is the presence in many rivers of "naturally occurring fluoride". It has been hard to find research on the source of such "natural" fluoride, but it possibly could come from the same source as the pharmaceuticals, or from fertilized soils along the stream banks. It appears that, whatever the agenda of the AP for its wide dissemination of the news that the presence of pharmaceuticals in our water supply is alarming, it would have done us all a service if a result is that citizens become more aware of the problems with fluoride. At least, most kinds of water filters will filter out the fluoride and chlorine in the tap water. A more difficult problem is filtering out the other pharmaceuticals. In-home filters come in several basi