These bulletins are archived and searchable on our website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDIbulletins.html If you would like to join the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) and the LDDI Working Group, please complete the application on the CHE website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/application Joining CHE means receiving up to four email messages a month from the CHE National listserv. CHE costs nothing to join and the benefit is shared information and opportunities for further engagement, if you choose. Be sure to mark that you want to join the Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative Working Group at the bottom of the application.
Companion bulletins are available for different audiences:
While there is overlap with this bulletin, there are some events and announcements unique to those bulletins.
Tuesday July 8, 2008
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: LDDI partner American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Environmental Health Initiative (EHI)
Scientific research and experience has clearly established that environmental contaminants can cause developmental disorders. The LDDI Scientific Consensus Statement outlines the current scientific understanding of the links between environmental factors and learning and developmental disabilities. It also identifies important research areas that hold promise of further advancing our understanding of these links. This statement is intended as a guide to scientists, medical professionals, policymakers, public health advocates and the general public in advancing their efforts to address the important individual and social issues raised by learning and developmental disabilities.
Price: free
Website: http://www.ehinitiative.org/Projects/tele_con.htm
Contact: Laura Abulafia, 202-387-1968 or Laura@aaidd.org
Wednesday through Saturday, July 9 - 12, 2008
Kissimmee, Florida
at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center, 6000 W. Osceola Parkway
Sponsor: Autism Society of America
This is the largest gathering of people with autism, families and professionals with over 200 sessions and 150 exhibitors. Continuing education is available to professionals.
Price: see https://secure.expoplanner.com/aut2008/regform.wcs?intro=yes&formtype=new
Website: http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_conference
Contact: 800-328-8476 x7 or conference@autism-society.org
Thursday July 10, 2008
11:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Portland, Oregon
at Kaiser Permanente's Town Hall in the Ballroom, 3704 North Interstate Avenue
Sponsor: Northwest Health Foundation
Public policies have an enormous impact on our personal health and well-being, as well as on that of our communities. Community-based research partnerships (CBRP) are uniquely qualified to devise and propose healthy public policies. In this half-day training, CBPR practitioners will learn how to design a policy-change project from the ground up, as well as how to use completed research to impact policy.
Price: free, but space is limited and registration is required
Website: http://nwhf.org/registration_form_new.php
Contact: David Rebanal, 503-220-1955 or rebanal@nwhf.org
Friday July 11, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Eugene, Oregon
at Serbu Youth Campus, Carmichael Training Room, 2727 Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard
Sponsor: Northwest Health Foundation
Public policies have an enormous impact on our personal health and well-being, aw well as that of our communities. Community-based research partnerships (CBRP) are uniquely qualified to devise and propose healthy public policies. In this half-day training, CBPR practitioners will learn how to design a policy-change project from the ground up, as well as how to use completed research to impact policy.
Price: free, but space is limited and registration is required
Website: http://nwhf.org/registration_form_new.php
Contact: David Rebanal, 503-220-1955 or rebanal@nwhf.org
Friday July 11, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Washington, DC
at the Ronald Reagan International Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Sponsor: The Center for Science in the Public Interest
Become part of the growing movement to reinvigorate public sector science and end corporate and political influence over the scientific process. Sessions will include 1) Tackling the Climate Crisis: Unleashing Government Research, 2) Curbing Conflicts in Medical & Environmental Science, 3) Rebuilding Research Capacity at Regulatory Agencies, 4) Clean Energy -- Do Special Interests Drive the Agenda?, and more.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.cspinet.org/integrity/conflictedscience_conf.html
Contact: Integrity in Science Project, science@cspinet.org
Saturday through Tuesday, July 12 - 15, 2008
Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
at the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel, 1088 Burrard Street
Sponsor: Sponsor information will be available at the website below.
This is an interdisciplinary conference devoted to improving children's lives by making cutting-edge research in neuroscience, child psychology and medicine understandable and applicable to those who work with children on a daily basis. Continuing education units are available.
Website: http://www.interprofessional.ubc.ca/bdl.html
Contact: 877-328-7744 or devcogneuro@gmail.com
Monday July 14, 2008
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Pacific time
Sponsor: Collaborative for High Performance Schools
Interested in learning more about the CHPS program? CHPS is offering a free one-hour online/phone seminar. Participants will learn about the various resources and programs CHPS offers, the CHPS implementation roadmap, upcoming resources that are under development at CHPS, the newest states developing CHPS programs and the 2009 CHPS Criteria edition that will be released in June. School district officials, design professionals, nonprofits, product and service providers, students and anyone else are invited to join CHPS staff for this informative introduction to the program.
Price: free
Website: http://www.chps.net/events/trainingRSVP.htm
Tuesday July 15, 2008
10:00 a.m. Pacific time/1:00 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: Collaborative on Health and the Environment
American industrial animal farms contribute to major environmental and human-health problems, according to a recent report from the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production. The two-year study outlines the negative impacts that the industrial farm animal production system has on public health, the environment, rural communities and animal welfare, and it proposes some measures to reduce them. Among the topics the speakers will discuss are hormones, pollution and overuse of antibiotics. Featured speakers will include Robert Lawrence, MD, MPH, professor of environmental health sciences, health policy, and international health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (a primary sponsor of the Pew report), and David Wallinga, MD, MPA, director of food and health at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.
Price: free
Website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/articles/partnership_calls/3868
Tuesday July 22, 2008
9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Washington, DC
at EPA headquarters
Sponsor: US Environmental Protection Agency
The purpose of the meeting is to discuss certain modifications of the Voluntary Children's Chemical Evaluation Program (VCCEP). EPA will present the modifications it is considering for VCCEP due to the comments received from stakeholders and the public on VCCEP's performance and implementation. Requests to participate in the meeting must be submitted to by July 17, 2008. Please identify the modification(s) you wish to discuss.
Price: free
Website: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/vccep/index.htm
Contact: roman.catherine@epa.gov
Wednesday July 23, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Boulder, Colorado
at the University of Colorado Humanities Building, 1775 Central Campus Mall
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Training Center
Do you want to learn more about the health effects of chemical exposures? Join Steven G. Gilbert, award-winning author, director and founder of the Institute of Neurotoxicology and Neurological Disorders, for this course. The course identifies potential health hazards of toxic chemicals and methods for preventing exposure. Chemicals we encounter in everyday life are used as examples to evaluate the hazards and risk of exposure and put them into perspective. Learn the basic principles of toxicology, tools for assessing the toxicology of chemicals, effects of chemicals on the body, and why some people are more sensitive to chemicals than others. Continuing education credits are available.
Price: $150, $95 reduced tuition is available for those who qualify.
Website: http://nwetc.org:80/etox-510_07-08_boulder.htm
Contact: Northwest Environmental Training Center, 206-762-1976
Tuesday July 29, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the Northwest Environmental Training Center, 650 South Orcas Street, Suite 220
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Training Center
Do you want to learn more about the health effects of chemical exposures? Join Steven G. Gilbert, award-winning author, director and founder of the Institute of Neurotoxicology and Neurological Disorders, for this course. The course identifies potential health hazards of toxic chemicals and methods for preventing exposure. Chemicals we encounter in everyday life are used as examples to evaluate the hazards and risk of exposure and put them into perspective. Learn the basic principles of toxicology, tools for assessing the toxicology of chemicals, effects of chemicals on the body, and why some people are more sensitive to chemicals than others. Continuing education credits are available.
Price: $150 until July 5th, $245 after, $175 reduced tuition is available for those who qualify.
Website: http://nwetc.org/etox-510_07-08_seattle.htm
Contact: Northwest Environmental Training Center, 206-762-1976
Online Calendar. Upcoming events extending more than one month in the future are listed in a searchable calendar: http://www.iceh.org/cgi-bin/searchevents.cgi
Most of the articles below come from Environmental Health News, http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
New Members. The Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative welcomes these new members:
For a full list of LDDI members, please visit the LDDI website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDImembers.html
Job opening: Rockville and Bethesda, Maryland. The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Department of Bioethics, NIH Clinical Center are announcing a new vacancy for a research bioethicist. The incumbent will provide leadership regarding human subjects' protections and bioethics for the National Children's Study, a large epidemiological longitudinal cohort study of the effects of the environment on child health and development. Additional information about this position, located in Rockville and Bethesda, MD, will be posted by approximately June 30, 2008. Announcement numbers: Health Scientist Administrator # NICHD-08-273950-CR-DE and NICHD-08-273950-MP. Medical Officer # HHS/NIH-2008-2704.
http://www.USAJobs.opm.gov
Children's Health and the Environment: A video introduction for state policy makers. The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) offers an introductory video for state legislators and others on children's environmental health. The video was funded through an EPA assistance agreement and features prominent scientists and legislators with expertise in pediatric environmental health.
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/environ/envhealth/cehvid2.htm
New web portal. The Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSU) announce their new web portal.
http://aoec.org/PEHSU/index.html
Court upholds dump housing payout. A ruling by the Louisiana Supreme Court handed a legal victory to thousands who sued the city of New Orleans, its public housing authority and its school board for putting their homes and school on a toxic waste dump. New Orleans Times-Picayune, Louisiana, 1 July 2008.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1214890235123810.xml&coll=1
Fathering autism. Many families are worried by allegations that the medical establishment is covering up the risks of childhood shots. But what if the father is one of the most prominent vaccine researchers in the country? Washington Post, 1 July 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/27/AR2008062703023.html
Pentagon fights EPA on pollution cleanup. The Defense Department is resisting orders from the EPA to clean up Fort Meade and two other military bases where it says dumped chemicals pose "imminent and substantial" dangers to public health and the environment. Washington Post, 30 June 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/29/AR2008062901977.html?hpid=topnews
A new 'vast waste-land'? The biggest loser in the great HDTV switch-over could be our environment when 80 to 200 million televisions could be discarded over the next 30 months. Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, Virginia, 29 June 2008.
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2008/062008/06292008/390050
US issues health warning over mercury fillings. They're in millions of mouths worldwide, but have been linked to heart disease and Alzheimer's. Now a report concedes they may have a toxic effect on the body. London Independent, England, 29 June 2008.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/us-issues-health-warning-over-mercury-fillings-856582.html
Experts to discuss one puzzling autism case, as a second case has arisen. Federal health officials will call together some of the world’s leading experts on an obscure disease to discuss the controversial case of a 9-year-old girl from Athens, Ga., who became autistic after receiving numerous vaccinations. New York Times, 29 June 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/28/health/28vaccine.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=health&adxnnlx=1214768035-SPyK6CxQFbmprncoX4uvCA
The toxic truth: what you can do to avoid chemicals. When I was tested recently by lobby group Environmental Defence for 69 toxins -- from pesticides to dangerous metals -- it turned out I have 47 of them. CTV News, British Columbia, 28 June 2008.
http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20080625/BC_Toxic_Truth_What_You_Can_Do_080625/20080625/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome
Wells need to be examined for arsenic. Private well owners throughout Washington state are being urged to test their water for arsenic, a naturally occurring chemical that can be harmful to people's health when ingested over many years. Kitsap Sun, Washington, 28 June 2008.
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/jun/27/wells-need-be-examined-arsenic/
Our strict, chemical-laden diet. How can we expect to live long enough to enjoy a hard-earned retirement if the food industry is trying to kill us? Oakland Tribune, California, 28 June 2008.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_9723329
Parents turn to natural products to clean homes safely. Parents are starting to look closely at the labels on cleaning products, realizing the ingredients inside are not good for their families. Appleton Post-Crescent, Wisconsin, 28 June 2008.
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080628/APC04/806280608
Lead allowed to stay in lipstick. A bill that would have banned lead in lipstick in California has failed. The bill (Senate Bill 1712, sponsored by Sen. Carole Migden D-San Francisco) would have required companies to lower the amount of lead in lipstick. Tampa Bay WTSP TV, Florida, 28 June 2008.
http://www.tampabays10.com/news/health/story.aspx?storyid=83631&catid=12
N.J. senator calls for action on turf fields that contain lead. Sen. Bob Menendez sent a letter to the Consumer Product Safety Commission Thursday that urged the agency to expand its investigation into possibly hazardous lead levels in artificial turf. Associated Press, 27 June 2008.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2008-06-26-lead-turf-field_N.htm
Greenpeace outraged over illegal cargo in capsized vessel. Greenpeace expressed outrage regarding the discovery of an illegal shipment of the super-toxic pesticide endosulfan on the capsized MV Princess of Stars with 865 passengers and crew on board since the pesticide has been banned in the Philippines since 1994. GMA News, Philippines, 27 June 2008.
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/103669/Greenpeace-outraged-over-illegal-cargo-in-capsized-vessel
Toxic baby bottles measure advances. California is poised to become the first state in the nation to ban the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in food and beverage containers designed for children three years and under. Beverly Hills California Chronicle, California, 27 June 2008.
http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/66367
The pesticide of last resort. Last fall, Connecticut became the first to ban the use of pesticides (which includes herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides) on the grounds of elementary and middle schools -- a decision that has put it at the forefront of a nationwide movement. Mother Jones, 26 June 2008.
http://www.motherjones.com//news/featurex/2008/06/the-pesticide-of-last-resort.html
Toxic smoke and mirrors. Overexposure to manganese has caused Parkinson's-like symptoms for thousands of welders. So why does the welding industry still get a free chemical pass? Mother Jones, 26 June 2008.
http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/2008/07/witness-smoke-and-mirrors.html
The Mattel loophole. Some companies would be permitted to skirt independent lab testing of children's products in favor of their own in-house certification, thanks in large part to lobbying by the world's biggest toymaker, the Tribune has found. Chicago Tribune, Illinois, 25 June 2008.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-matteljun25,0,889911.story
[Editor's note: See a related article about toy safety standards at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/23/AR2008062302163.html ]
Lead from car batteries contaminates African town. A cottage industry that employed people, including many mothers, to extract poisonous lead from used car batteries has been blamed for the deaths of nearly 20 children in a Senegalese fishing town. Associated Press, 25 June 2008.
http://www.macon.com/world/story/386708.html
Analysis: U.S. poor are vulnerable to 'neglected' diseases. Tropical diseases [caused by chronic viral, bacterial and parasitic infections] that ravage Africa, Asia and Latin America commonly occur among the poor in the USA, leaving thousands of people shattered by debilitating complications including mental retardation, heart disease and epilepsy. USA Today, 25 June 2008.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-06-23-neglected-diseases_N.htm
Family ties can determine how genes react to environmental factors. How our genes behave can change over time in ways that could run in the family, new research has shown. London Daily Telegraph, England, 25 June 2008.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2188598/Family-ties-can-determine-how-genes-react-to-environmental-factors.html
States struggle to deal with nanotech health fears. The science of the very small could pose some very big problems for state and local agencies, according to a new report by Wisconsin researchers. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin, 25 June 2008.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=765573
Chemical seepage prompts call for food packaging crackdown. An Australian consumer group, Choice, is calling for the regulation of the use of phthalates in baby food packaging. ABC News, Australia, 24 June 2008.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/24/2283891.htm
EU toughen pesticide rules. European Union agriculture ministers on Monday agreed on draft proposals to tighten the use of pesticides across Europe, banning those that cause cancer or pose unnecessary health risks to humans. Associated Press, 24 June 2008.
http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?feed=AP&date=20080623&id=8815295
[Editor's note: See a related article about possible effects of the new rules on crop production at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/06/22/eapest122.xml ]
Biofuel use 'increasing poverty.' The replacement of traditional fuels with biofuels has dragged more than 30 million people worldwide into poverty, an aid agency report says. BBC, UK, 24 June 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7472532.stm
Canada confirms new mad cow case. A new case of mad cow disease was confirmed Monday in Canada, its 13th case since 2003. Associated Press, 24 June 2008.
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-canada-mad-cow,0,5992965.story
Fluoride's glory may be cresting. Fluoride, the chemical widely credited with dramatically cutting cavities and promoting oral hygiene, is having its scientific credentials questioned in the city that literally swallowed it first. Chicago Tribune, Illinois, 23 June 2008.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-fluoride-jones_23jun23,0,6241215.story
[Editor's note: See a related article about fluoridation of water supplies at http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0701edit2jul01,0,4648421.story ]
Wonder drugs that can kill. A series of drug recalls have pulled back the curtain to show how medical studies have been misinterpreted or taken out of context to make medical treatments appear safer and more effective than they actually are. Discover, 23 June 2008.
http://discovermagazine.com/2008/jul/20-wonder-drugs-that-can-kill
Federal advisory raises questions on turf fields. Adding fuel to the controversy over synthetic turf, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended older, worn-down playing fields made of nylon should be tested for lead. New York Newsday, New York, 22 June 2008.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-liturf0622,0,6471796.story
DNV approves cosmetic pesticide ban. In an almost unanimous decision Monday, the District of North Vancouver joined 140 communities from across Canada to ban the use of cosmetic pesticides on residential properties. Vancouver North Shore News, British Columbia, 22 June 2008.
http://www.canada.com/northshorenews/news/story.html?id=e7ad41a2-19a2-4e9f-9f88-460ac2e127f0
Fish-eating Indians have crucial stake in clean Columbia River. The Umatilla tribe has been pressing environmental regulators in Washington and Oregon to raise their assumptions about how much fish people eat. Clark Columbian, Washington, 22 June 2008.
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/06/06222008_Fisheating-Indians-have-crucial-stake-in-clean-Columbia-River.cfm
We're in chemical overload. Over the last 50 years, from 70,000 to 100,000 different chemicals have been introduced into the world's markets with about 1,500 new ones added each year. And consumers are the lab rats. Montreal Gazette, Quebec, 21 June 2008.
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=e4c6d71f-2a6f-4952-98c7-24866f28aa67
Catching your breath. Breath can reveal exposure to pollutants such as benzene and chloroform, providing a measure of internal dose that is missed by sampling polluted air. Science News, 21 June 2008.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/33377/title/Catching_your_breath
Wal-Mart charm key chains recalled because of lead. Wal-Mart is recalling another seven charm key chains because they contain excessive amounts of lead that threatens the health of children. The Daily Green, 20 June 2008.
http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/eco-friendly/lead-charm-key-chains-47062001
CDC recommends turf fields should be tested. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that certain artificial turf fields be tested for lead and that young children should be kept away from fields with high lead levels. Bergen County Record, New Jersey, 20 June 2008.
http://www.northjersey.com/health/CDC_recommends_turf_fields_should_be_tested.html
U.S. agencies to clean up uranium on Navajo land. The U.S. government will spend tens of millions of dollars to clean up uranium contamination across the vast Navajo Reservation, but the effort is unlikely to erase decades of frustration. Phoenix Arizona Republic, Arizona, 20 June 2008.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0620uranium0620.html
How much does animal testing tell us? The basic reason for animal trials is to determine two issues before any new compound is introduced into a human: safety and efficacy, whether a compound is safe for human ingestion and also whether or not a product works for its intended purpose. Time Magazine, 19 June 2008.
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1815241,00.html
N.Y. lawmakers urged to ban substances toxic to kids. With the legislative session coming to a close, health and consumer advocates Tuesday urged the Legislature to pass bills to protect children from carcinogenic and developmentally stunting toxins. Albany, New York, 18 June 2008.
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080617/NEWS01/80617055/-1/special68
Measles outbreak rekindles vaccine debate. The recent measles outbreak is renewing health officials' push to keep immunization rates high. But it's an emotional and scientific issue. Naperville Sun, Illinois, 18 June 2008.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/lifestyles/1008540,6_5_NA17_VACCINES_S1.article
Healthy lifestyle triggers genetic changes: study. Comprehensive lifestyle changes, including a better diet and more exercise, can lead not only to a better physique but also to swift and dramatic changes at the genetic level. Reuters, 18 June 2008.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2008/06/17/eline/links/20080617elin011.html
Bush administration says it expects US food inspectors in China by end of year. The United States expects to have food and drug inspectors placed in three Chinese cities by the end of this year, Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt said Tuesday. Associated Press, 18 June 2008.
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/20108984.html?location_refer=Health%20%20%20Wellness
Veolia wants to import banned chemical. Words might fly like fists in the upcoming public hearing the Environmental Protection Agency will conduct into a request by Veolia Environmental Services to import, for purposes of incineration, [PCBs] a banned chemical from Mexico. Beaumont Enterprise, Texas, 18 June 2008.
http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=2287&dept_id=512504&newsid=19782070
AMA passes resolution in support of chemical policy reform. The American Medical Association calls upon the United States government to implement a national modern, comprehensive chemicals policy that is in line with current scientific knowledge on human and environmental health and that requires a full evaluation of the health impacts of both newly developed and industrial chemicals now in use. Science & Environmental Health Network, June 2008.
http://www.sehn.org/news-jun08-2.html