Although local or state are already protecting more than 20 million people in the United States, the rest of the population still faces an increased risk of cancer, learning disabilities, asthma and behavioral problems linked to exposure to coal-tar sealants. Coal-tar sealants have been widely used on parking lots, playgrounds, streets and residential driveways for many years. However, due to recent research that has proven that coal tar poses significant health risks, many organizations, legislators and concerned citizens have joined forces in their efforts to have coal-tar sealants banned. Rep. Lloyd Doggett has been leading the effort to obtain a national ban on these toxic sealants. The representative from Texas has been vocal on the issue for more than 10 years. He played an important role in securing a ban on coal-tar sealants in Austin, which was the first such ban issued by an American city government. Representatives Jim McDermott, Jared Huffman and Matt Cartwright have joined Doggett in the attempt to outlaw coal-tar sealants nationally. The American Medical Association Joins the Fight …show more content…
According to a policy statement published on the AMA's website, studies have shown that lifelong exposure to pavements treated with coal-tar sealants increases the risk of cancer 38 times. Even if humans limit their exposure, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, contained in these sealants find their way into the air, soil and water, endangering aquatic wildlife as well as humans. The AMA is urging legislators to ban sealants that contain PAHs or at least require that sealants contain minimal PAH
In the video “Fracking Hell: The Untold Story” by Link TV explains how natural gas has been a huge problem not only for the earth in general but for everyone and everything living in it. The video explains how North East of Pennsylvania is having difficulties to conserve a healthy environment and people. North East of Pennsylvania is the main sources to extract gas and send it throughout the United States for gasoline and so on. However, this action is wonderful for the cost of gas, but has a huge impact on the environment and the people living in Pennsylvania. A lot of people in this state are worried having health issues because everything is not usable is being thrown out to the rivers where they get their fresh water.
Every underground gas tank eventually leaks, and the gasoline is soaked up by the surrounding ground. MTBE is not soluble in water; therefore, when the gasoline leaks out of the tank, the MTBE pollutes the ground water (well water), and eventually the surface water also. In addition, though MTBE reduces the amount of most pollutants released from automobiles, it also produces a harmful pollutant, formaldehyde, when combusted [CECA]. Even worse, a study performed by a medical researcher from the University of Pennsylvania, shows that MTBE may be the cause of a seventeen percent increase in asthma among kindergarten students since it has been utilized in gasoline. The study also shows that MTBE has failed to improve smog levels in the years it has been in use [Jones].
West Virginia and Kentucky have been faced with a rise in health-related issues, leading the nation in cancer-related deaths. Many of those cases have been said to be caused from greater exposer to pollution from coal-mining activity, which is said to increase your chances for cancer along with other fatal diseases. The Appalachia area has seen a rise in mortality rates, over 60,000 cases of those being cancer-related deaths directly linked to mountaintop removal practices. Mountaintop removal has been deemed as cleaner and safer than men going below ground to mine for coal, but with Appalachian communities- primarily in West Virginia, Kentucky and Southwestern Virginia seeing a high rise in cancer, cardiovascular disease, and birth defects rates, mountaintop removal has been looked at as one of the main causes.
The opposition to this project is increasing because the people living in those areas are already feeling negative consequences. The large communities living in Boreal Forest and other Natives lands are being affected by the extraction and process of tar sands. Not only this people are being rushed away from their lands, but also, the rate of cancer, renal failure, lupus, hyperthyroidism and other decease, are higher than ever. This health conditions increased because of the air pollution and the high quantities of metals and chemicals in the drinking water. Yet, lots of precautions are being taken by the company, oil spills keep happening over and over. The external metal corrosion caused by extreme temperatures and the corrosive acid components of the bitumen are factors that contribute to accidents like explosions and oil
The diluted bitumen found in tar sands, turns out to be the heaviest, thickest crude oil used today. The reason is so uncommon and concerning to environmentalists is because of the extra amount of energy needed to extract the oil-sands crude compared to regular oil. In summary about the use of diluted bitumen, “The U.S. refineries that process it will produce higher levels of pollutants that damage human health and lead to more smog, haze and acid rain” (Weeks par. 24). Even though the acidic crude oil that comes from tar sands allows the resulting combination to flow more easily through the pipeline, it can result in pipeline corrosion, making it more vulnerable to leaks (Guarino 3). Another concern with leaks affecting other areas, is that it will create a high concern of a potential diluted bitumen oil spill faster than average crude oil, which will sink quicker into the porous soil along its route and contaminate the state’s vital groundwater aquifer (Clayton
Marcellus Shale drilling causes a problem because it involves the use of hundreds of deadly chemicals. Over three hundred chemicals are used in the Marcellus Shale drilling process (Environmental). According to Howells, author of the article “Don’t Frack with Our Water!,” these chemicals are especially dangerous because the companies that use them will not tell the public what specific chemicals are being used. However, through studies of the chemicals, some of them can be identified. Some of the chemicals in the fracking fluid and wastewater have been identified as carcinogens. Many of the other chemicals have been found to be harmful to humans (Environmental). According to Griswold, author of the article “The Fracturing of Pennsylvania,” wastewater is a combination of different chemicals that come from the process of fracking. Not only does this wastewater contain chemicals that were originally used in the drilling, but it also contains harmful substances that come from the earth like salts and other compounds (Griswold).
...Waxmann et al. (2011) 750 different chemicals were used by various oil and gas companies during hydraulic fracturing over a four year period, where a minimum of 29 were identified to contain carcinogens which are listed as hazardous on both the clean air and safe drinking water act. The USEPA (2011) suggested that chemicals used during fracking should be monitored according to specific criteria.
After reading the report titled “Coal Blooded: Putting Profits before People.” I agree that some coal-fired power plants do represent a health issue for those around them. I take exception to the generalization that all coal-fired power plants are unhealthy. The Executive Director of the Indigenous Environment Network, Tom Goldtooth boldly stated: “Clean coal is an oxymoron.” However, one only needs to look at Appendix III of the report. It indicates the exclusion of plants fired by “Anthracite/Bituminous Coal,” “Lignite Coal,” “Subbituminous Coal,” “Waste/Other Coal,” and “Coal Synfuel,” This exclusion shows your bias of the coal industry in general and coal-fired plants specifically. There is also the implication that coal-fired plants are
Because of fracking within our nation we are experiencing an abundance of cheap natural gas that provides power for hospitals, schools, homes and mass transit systems. Because of this sudden growth and development the job market has massive opportunities available for Americans. The regions that have seen the highest growth in these opportunities are in Texas and North Dakota. Additionally North Dakota has seen the highest jump in income by 7.6 percent and the lowest unemployment rate in the United States. However what is ultimately shaping this economic boom is our dependence on fossil fuels. With the ever present dangers to the environment “fossil fuels will lead to increased emissions of greenhouse gases and an acceleration in climate change, the extraction of these materials will involve ever greater cost, danger and environmental risk as energy firms operate deeper and in more problematic rock formations (Klare).” Because of the end of easy access deposits the increase investment of time, money and resources becomes more valuable the deeper we extract and the more we choose to extract the more we pollute. The amount of resources that is invested into a single facking site is staggering. More than 8 million gallons of water can be used in a single frack and laced with over 600 chemicals. Some of these chemicals are known carcinogens and dangerous toxins that cause harm on
For this research paper, I chose to discuss the Louisiana air quality and its effects on the community. I was raised here in Baker, Louisiana which is north of Baton Rouge. Growing up I noticed something very striking and odd. We are overly exposed to chemical plants and their outputs. Driving around Baton Rouge at night and seeing a distant flame I often wonder what it really was. I wonder how this was affecting the community. How was this affecting our health? Upon doing research, I discovered it is called upset emissions. Upset emissions are unplanned events which release VOCs into the air. The Bucket Brigade which is an anti-energy group refers to emissions as accidents. Every year they release an annual report which gives information on the State of Louisiana air quality. A group called Energize LA made a rebuttal against the report. They argued that the Bucket Brigade facts were inaccurate. The views of both will be explained in detail. For this research paper, there will be a discussion on the upset emission effects on communities and health. As well how it correlates to the previous class discussions on the Clean Air Act.
On January 9th, 2014, it was reported that a chemical spill had occurred in a storage tank owned by Freedom Industries. The spill occurred on the banks of the Elk River in West Virginia, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without tap water. The company first reported that 7500 gallons of the chemicals had spilled into the river through a one-inch hole but found that two weeks later, there was an estimated 10,000 gallons of the toxic chemical in the river. The chemicals released include 4-methylcyclohexane (MCHM) and PPH. Methylcyclohexane is a chemical that is used in coal to reduce the amount of ash it produces (Field & Catherine, 2014).
Well, tar is an almost liquid black substance that is derived from coal and has very distressing harmful and environmental effects. According to Wikipedia, “Tar can be produced from coal, wood, and gasoline. It is a black mixture, which consists mostly of carbon and hydro carbons” Hydro Carbons
The Chesapeake Bay is polluted with agricultural waste. We see things like 1.5 billion pounds of chicken waste that no one wants to take responsibility for. Ignoring standards, a waterway was tested for E. coli; the standard is 125 FCU/100ml of water. Yet this waterway’s level was at 48392 FCU/100ml. An industry that will go to great lengths to make sure that Congress doesn’t impose sanction against them.
There are over 650 fracking chemicals that can cause cancer. The EPA has approved all of these chemicals, but do not have health testing data to properly test the chemicals. Most of the time, the EPA does not ask for any tests in the first place. Because of this safety hazard, civilians living near fracking wells fear for their safety and health. Fracking can release chemicals into the air. Benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, and n-hexane all can be released into the atmosphere. Long-term exposure to these chemicals can lead to cancer, birth defects, blood disorders, and neurological
In 2010, roughly 25 percent of the nation’s energy came from natural gas, a “fossil fuel” which American consumers and businesses heavily depend on for transport, light, and heat (Squire 6). As the U.S. population increases, so do the country’s energy needs. Political debate over how the U.S. can meet those needs has slowly simmered for several decades, escalating exponentially when the energy supply grows short. Disputes over just how clean natural gas is, as opposed to coal, dominate headlines and presidential campaigns alike. During the presidency of George W. Bush, a bill exempting oil and gas companies from federal environmental restrictions was passed, thus paving the way for natural gas companies to expand production across the nation utilizing a new drilling technology, enabling easier extraction of shale gas. The drilling process of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” has become synonymous with controversy. Why? Fracking involves injecting dangerously toxic chemicals, mixed with large quantities of water and sand, into wells at extremely high pressure, to release natural gas. Promoted by the natural gas industry as a cleaner, safer alternative to coal, the process of fracking has made shale gas plentiful, which sounds to some Americans as the best answer to their energy prayers. However, the negative consequences associated with the extraction of natural gas through fracking, including environmental hazards and threats to public health, far outweigh the benefits.