EPA proposes banning cancer-causing chemical used in automotive care, other products_我的网站
一 | WOBURN, Mass. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday proposed banning the cancer-causing chemical trichloroethylene, which can be found in consumer products including automobile brake cleaners, furniture care and arts and crafts spray coating. The move would end a nearly four decade battle to ban the chemical known as TCE, which can cause sudden death or kidney cancer if a person is exposed to high levels of it, and other neurological harm even at lower exposure over a long period.EPA’s recent risk-evaluation studies found that as much as 250 million pounds of TCE are still produced in the United States annually. One of the first places the chemical raised concern was in Massachusetts, where it was linked to contaminated drinking water in the city of Woburn. Two locations there were ultimately designated as massive Superfund sites. Monday's news conference was held at one of them, a location which now serves as a transportation center.“For far too long, TCE has left a toxic legacy in communities across America," said Michal Freedhoff, the EPA’s assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “Today, EPA is taking a major step to protect people from exposure to this cancer-causing chemical.” Massachusetts Sen. Edward Markey, who has led the effort to ban TCE, welcomed the move. “With this rule, we can see a future where we will no longer be manufacturing, processing and distributing a chemical known to be deadly,” Markey said. “We will no longer be exposing American families, communities and workers to a toxic chemical legacy that leaves questions, cancer and catastrophe in its wake.”Markey called the effort personal, citing his long-time work with Anne Anderson, a resident-turned-activist whose son Jimmy died in 1981 of leukemia.“Since Anne and I met in 1980, we have been partners in the effort to clean up Woburn, to get justice for her son, and to save other families from seeing their children fall sick as a result of contamination,” Markey said. "Thanks to the advocacy of Anne Anderson and the action of the EPA, the era of corporations using communities like Woburn as dumping grounds for toxic TCE is over.” A 1982 lawsuit over the contaminated water supply involved eight Woburn families, including the Andersons. The case garnered national attention and led to the book and movie titled “A Civil Action.” The American Chemistry Council said in a statement that TCE has several important uses in packaging and in formulating products. The proposed rule “is inconsistent with the underlying science,” the council said, calling on the EPA to avoid unnecessarily restricting valuable industrial uses for the chemical. “EPA must base its risk management proposals on best available science, including accurate assessments of exposure," the industry group said. “Where uses of chemistries have decreased over time, this must be reflected in EPA’s underlying risk assessment, because decreased use reduces potential exposure.”Meanwhile, environmental groups praised the proposed rule, which would take effect in a year. “EPA followed the science, listened to impacted communities, and proposed one of the strongest chemical regulations in recent history,” Earthjustice Senior Attorney Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz said in a statement. “Some chemicals are simply too harmful to remain on the market." TCE is used to make refrigerants and in solvents that remove grease from metal parts. It is also used in carpet cleaners, laundry spot removers and hoof polish for horses. The chemical presents an “unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment” in 52 of 54 uses in industrial and consumer products, the EPA has found.“I am overwhelmed that all of you are here to acknowledge everything that has happened and everything that was bad has turned good,” Anderson said. “I owe so much to you people to keep the fight going, making sure that everybody is safe and that toxic chemicals like TCE will no longer exist.”The proposed ban stems from a major expansion of EPA's regulatory powers under a landmark 2016 law that overhauled rules governing tens of thousands of toxic chemicals in everyday products, from household cleaners to clothing and furniture.The statute authorized new rules for tens of thousands of toxic chemicals found in everyday products, including substances such as asbestos and TCE, that for decades have been known to cause cancer but were largely unregulated under federal law. Known as the Frank Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act, the law was intended to clear up a hodgepodge of state rules governing chemicals and to update the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976.The 2016 law required the EPA to evaluate chemicals and put in place protections against unreasonable risks. The agency moved to ban asbestos last year and has also proposed banning methylene chloride, perchloroethylene and carbon tetrachloride.__ Associated Press writer Matthew Daly in Washington contributed to this report.。 转自公众号：新西兰中文先驱Chinese_Herald “太阳风暴摧毁通信、电力传输，人类重回黑暗时代……” Advertise with us 在末日灾难片中，他们是这样形容太阳风暴的。
二 | 今天，近20年来最严重的太阳风暴袭击地球，新西兰电网发布紧急提醒，停掉8个变压电工作，奥克兰再现极光美照…… 01 近20年最严重 昨天，美国国家海洋和大气管理局（NOAA）发布了严重太阳风暴警报： 预计周五至周日期间（新西兰时间周六至下周一），地球将受到严重的的地磁风暴影响，将会给电子通讯、GPS导航和电网等带来混乱。
三 | 这场风暴是近20年来最强烈的事件，也是美国自2005年以来首次发布此类警报。 NOAA表示，此前最糟糕的情况将发生在 1859 年的卡林顿事件中，当时电报站着火，全球通信中断。 按照NOAA的等级划分，地磁风暴分为5级，1级最低，5五级最高，而这次风暴被评定为4级（G4），是一场严重的地磁风暴。 不过，“对于地球上的大多数人来说，他们不需要做任何事情，”NOAA的太空科学家表示。 02 新西兰电网紧急通知 今天 ，新西兰国家电网运营商Transpower已发布“电网紧急通知”。 其发言人表示，由于太阳活动频繁，地磁风暴可能会在本周末影响地球，G4 级事件非常罕见，自 2019 年 12 月以来，本太阳周期仅观测到了 3 起。 发言人表示，其控制室正在监测该事件。 “作为应急计划的一部分，也是预防措施，我们正在取消南岛的一些输电线路。
四 | 为此，我们必须发布电网紧急通知，但这一初步行动不会影响消费者的电力供应。” （Photo / Pixabay） 紧急通知的期限最初是从今天上午 9 点到中午，但 Transpower 之后将其延长至周六下午 6 点。 Transpower 系统运营商发出指令，要求在警报期间停止使用南岛的8个变压站。它们分布广泛，包括Manapouri, Benmore, Ashburton和Halfway Bush。 03 风暴今晚将达到峰值 就在Transpower 发布通知后不久，美国NOAA表示，新西兰时间今天上午 11 点前不久，观测到极端地磁风暴抵达地球。 新西兰气象机构Niwa Weather表示，强烈的太阳风暴预计将在周六晚上达到峰值（新西兰时间）。 预计未来两天内，至少有5次不同强度风暴将抵地球，引发自 2005 年以来的首次严重地磁风暴观测。 04 奥克兰爆现极光 太阳风暴袭击地球，人们最容易看到的影响是极光出现。 今天早上6点，在奥克兰Blockhouse Bay，当地居民Rinshu Jaiswal Nerkar拍到极光照片↓↓ （Photo / Rinshu Jaiswal Nerkar） MetService 气象学家Clare O'Connor 表示，南岛比较容易看到极光，但在北岛，奥克兰看到它，非常罕见。 早上6点05分，从基督城飞往墨尔本的新西兰航空NZ211航班上，乘客们看到了极光景色。 （Photo / Stuff） 今天早上 5 点 30 分左右，坎特伯雷南部的Rangitata Island的极光。 （Photo /KARYNE TAYLOR） 早上6点左右，西海岸Hokitika小镇的极光。 (Photo /WENDY BENNETT) 南岛其他地方也拍到各种各样的极光照片： （Photo /SJ & SJ Schmack） 新西兰天文学家Rob Davison告诉记者，周末新西兰会看到美丽的极光。 “根据预测，新西兰看到极光的最佳机会可能是在 5 月 11 日至 5 月 12 日的夜间。
五 | ” 喜欢追极光的朋友 见证重要历史时刻来了 相关阅读： “地磁暴预警刷屏”，专家称今年到明年是太阳活动高峰年 多图：绝美极光！你的朋友圈被刷屏了吗？ 绝美极光昨晚降临，新西兰从南到北夜空斑斓 太罕见了！壮丽的极光照亮奥克兰夜空 在新西兰的朋友们，极光又来了！ 地球热层迎20年来最高温 这跟最近的高温天气有关系吗？ 注：本文为编译/原创，欢迎转发分享；但严禁复制等未经授权的非法使用。违反上述声明者，本网将追究其相关法律责任。
六 | 使用授权请联系[email protected]。 chineseherald.co.nz All Rights Reserved 版权所有 相关内容 驻新西兰使领馆发布提醒：谨防这两类诈骗！ 注意！奥克兰西区可能发生大规模斗殴，学生们尽量避开New Lynn车站！ WoF，路税贴纸都要取消了么？交通部长这么说…… 今年最冷的早上，你被冻醒了么？电力公司警告，可能出现断电！ 全球首例“牛传人”！新西兰需要担心吗？ 明晨请减少用电！气温骤降供电不足，可能会停电 奥克兰一辆建筑卡车翻车，撞上工人后逃逸，造成其重伤 躺平没戏了！政府对领失业补贴的人宣布一项强制要求。
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