Was out of the state last week when this released.

CEC:AUSTIN ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS UPDATE =AD 2/20/04
__________________________________________________ _______________________=


LOCAL
(1) Latest studies out on PBDE contamination
(2) New Austin nonprofit to educate about land use

THE WEEK'S EVENTS
(3) Sustain US Austin Meeting
(4) Austin Ishmael weekend
(5) ECO Book Club discusses "Ecology Against Capitalism"
(6) Panama case studies in Sustainability
(7) Protecting Central Texas
(8) Volunteer to sort recycling

IN THE NEWS
(9) Austin American Statesman
(10) Austin Chronicle
(11) News 8 Austin
__________________________________________________ _____________________

LOCAL

(1) LATEST STUDIES OUT ON PBDE CONTAMINATION
by Erika McDonald

The Texas Public Interest Research Group released a report Wednesday
detailing the widespread use of a toxic chemical, decabrominated
diphenyl
ether, more commonly known as deca. Recent studies link the chemical to
neurological and reproductive damage and cancer.
The chemical is a type of polybrominated diphenyl ether, a toxin that
recently attracted national attention when a study at the University of
Texas School of Public Health found high levels in the breast milk of
all
52 women tested.
TexPIRG is asking the EPA to ban the manufacturing of brominated flame
retardants throughout the US. The chemicals are currently banned by the
European Union and the state of California.
UT School of Public Heath Scientist Arnold Schecter, who conducted the
breast-milk study, said he supports a nationwide ban. But he and other
scientists stopped short of recommending that nursing mothers stop
breastfeeding. =

In addition to causing serious health problems on its own, deca has a
tendency to break down in sunlight into other PBDEs that are more toxic
and
easily absorbed into the body.
Toxic flame retardants are used on a wide range of common household
products including furniture, clothing, and electronics. But traces of
the
chemicals were also found in air and water samples.
"Deca is not chemically bound to the products that are treated with
it,"
Tex PIRG=B9s Staphanie Gros said.
TexPIRG blames the widespread use of toxic chemicals on a failed
federal
policy that takes an innocent-until-proven-guilty approach to regulating
the
chemical industry. A law that could be used to regulate PBDE, the Toxic
Substances Control Act, has not been invoked since the 1970s. The last
chemical banned by the Environmental Protection Agency was PCB in 1976.
"They just, for whatever reason, haven't prioritized taking a hard look
at
how these chemicals are affecting health and making sure that before
these
chemicals are on the market they are proven safe," Gros said.
According to Schecter, the adverse health impacts of PBDEs and their
persistent nature are similar to PCBs.
There are currently eight sites in Texas where brominated flame
retardants
are either stored or manufactured.
will paste you edited version from Houston once its final to avoid
confusion

(2) NEW AUSTIN NONPROFIT TO EDUCATE ABOUT LAND USE
Gulf Coast Growth News

A new, Austin-based nonprofit organization, Keep The Land, was
launched
in
response to a lack of public knowledge about the choices for keeping,
leasing, and selling public land.
Their initial project involves the sale or lease of Austin=B9s former
Mueller Airport tract. The tract covers 700 acres of land three miles
from
downtown Austin, making it valuable property.
KTL is invoking the Texas Open Records Act to allow disclosing the
revenue, after development, from market-rate ground leases of the entire
former Mueller airport tract and, in the event of a sale to the
developer,
the yearly land tax revenue, which the group expects to be much less.
According to the group, sale proponents, including the developer, have
not
supported making such figures public.
The entire sale-versus-lease issue will be discussed at an Austin Town
Hall meeting in March with the city staff present to answer questions.
More
information about the group and the deal can be found at
http://www.keeptheland.org/.
__________________________________________________ _______________________=


THE WEEK'S EVENTS

(3) SUSTAIN US AUSTIN MEETING

Date: Tues, Feb 24 =

Location: Austin Public Library Ruiz Branch, 1600 Grove
Time: 7:30 pm
Contact: http://www.sustainus.org/austin.html

(4) AUSTIN ISHMAEL WEEKEND

Date: Sat-Sun, Feb 28-29
Time: Sat. 8:30 am-6 pm, Sun. 12:30 pm - 5 pm
Location: Casa de Luz, Cielo Room, 1701 Toomey Rd
Contact: For more details, visit web site
http://www.ishmaelswiki.org/wiki/index.php

(5) ECO BOOK CLUB DISCUSSES "ECOLOGY AGAINST CAPITALISM"

Date: Mon, Mar 1
Location: MonkeyWrench Books, 110 E. North Loop
Time: 8 pm
Contact: or

(6) PANAMA CASE STUDIES IN SUSTAINABILITY

Date: Tues, Mar 2 =

Time: 7 pm
Location: University of Texas, Parlin, Rm 203
Contact: http://www.sustainus.org/austin.html
=

(7) PROTECTING CENTRAL TEXAS, ENVIRONMENT AND ECONOMY

Date: Tue, Mar 9
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: Advanced Micro Devices Auditorium, 5204 E. Ben White Boulevard
Contact: Air and Waste Management Association, Central Texas Chapter
http://www.main.org/awmactc/Conf.html

(8) VOLUNTEER TO SORT RECYCLING

Date: Tues and Fri, ongoing
Time: 5 pm =

Location: Ecology Action, 9th street and the southbound access road of
IH
35
Contact: http://www.ecology-action.org/wheremap.shtml

IN THE NEWS

(9) AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN

NEIMAN MARCUS COMING TO THE DOMAIN, 2/20/04
Luxury retailer will be an anchor in $150 million North Austin project,
sources say.

http://www.statesman.com/business/co...ns/friday/bus=
in
ess_0453fbb8e14862021010.html

OP/ED: BIG BOX BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT, 2/20/04
Give beauty: Wrap a big box in vinyl.
http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/...02/022004.html

AUSTIN=B9S I-35 CHOKE POINT, 2/20/04
We may not be Houston or Los Angeles, but downtown drivers endure a
substantial bottleneck around MLK.

http://www.statesman.com/news/conten...riday/news_04=
53
0cd2656c30230074.html

RIVAL FACTIONS COMPETE TO CONTROL SIERRA CLUB, 2/18/04
The future of the Sierra Club is being challenged by members urging a
stronger stance against immigration.

http://www.statesman.com/news/conten...ednesday/news=
_0
433c19672c0f0050079.html

WHO SHOULD PROTECT THE SPIDERS? 2/16/04
Officials spar over paying for caves to preserve species.

http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/...ions/monday/m=
et
ro_state_040397b31325105b00cb.html

SEWAGE PLANT A CONCERN ON SAN GABRIEL, 2/15/04
River authorities say their plant would avert more polluting options.

http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/...ions/sunday/m=
et
ro_state_04f2723b132532930032.html

(10) AUSTIN CHRONICLE

NAKED CITY: RANCHO PIPELINE, 2/19/04
In May, council members agreed to buy natural gas from Kinder Morgan to
operate the Sand Hill power plant in Southeast Austin.
http://www.austinchronicle.com/issue...ols_naked.htm=
l

THE HIGHTOWER REPORT, 2/19/04
Instead of following America's environmental rules, polluters have found
a
better deal.

http://www.austinchronicle.com/issue...ls_hightower.=
ht
ml

(11) NEWS 8 AUSTIN

MORE CARP RELEASED IN LAKE AUSTIN
Fish are part of city plan to rid lake of golden algae.
http://www.news8austin.com/content/h...8424&SecID=3D2
__________________________________________________ _____________________

ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION

CEC Environmental News Update is a weekly publication of the Citizens'
Environmental Coalition, a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to fostering
dialogue, education and collaboration relating to environmental issues
in
the Houston/Galveston and Austin regions. Visit the CEC online at
http://www.cechouston.org

To subscribe or unsubscribe, email To
suggest
items for inclusion or if you have news tips or story ideas, send your
request via e-mail to Erika McDonald at .

Phone: (713) 524-4232
Fax: (713) 524-3311



-- =

Celestial Habitats by J. Kolenovsky
2003 Honorable Mention Award, Keep Houston Beautiful
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=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.hal-pc.org/~garden/personal.html - personal