skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI; Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong but lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Groups Want Decision on EPA Standards for Healthy Fish Consumption

play audio
Play

Thursday, March 3, 2016   

SEATTLE - A lawsuit filed by a number of environmental groups in the state of Washington against the Environmental Protection Agency might have you rethinking the fish proportions you eat.

Waterway watchdog groups and commercial fishing organizations are asking the U.S. District Court to decide on a case against EPA for not finalizing rules in Washington that would more accurately reflect average fish consumption rate, and thus regulate the waterways they come from better.

Attorney for Earthjustice Janette Brimmer says she was asked to delay the lawsuit.

"And wait for the state to take their 999th try at this," says Brimmer. "And we just said, 'no,' that people are being affected by this and it's not OK. So we just moved ahead and haven't heard anything else from them."

Environmental groups are concerned the standards for healthy consumption are too low, and people could be consuming too much fish from polluted waterways with high levels of toxins.

According to environmental groups, because EPA assumes people eat less fish than they might actually be eating, a higher level of toxins such as mercury and PCBs is allowed in the waters where fish are caught.

EPA proposed a rule change back in September to reflect more current data but has yet to finalize it.

Katelyn Kinn, staff attorney of the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, says the EPA action is long overdue.

"At this point it's crystal clear that they've made the determination our state agency is not setting a protective standard and it is time for EPA to step in and set one that does protect us," she says.

The current rate is 6.5 grams per day, which amounts to about two cans of tuna per month.

Brimmer says this low standard doesn't take into account cultural differences for eating fish and disproportionately affects certain groups in Washington.

"There are surveys of the Lower Elwha tribe that are over 500 grams per day," says Brimmer. "So plainly, people eating what in their culture is a normal amount of fish are getting so much more in terms of toxins with the standards set the way they are."

Brimmer adds Asian Pacific communities and fishermen also are concerned about the low standards because of their high consumption rate.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …


Medicaid has covered more than $28.6 million in claims for dental services since expansion began, according to state data. (DC Studio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

A 2023 report by Oceana and Turtle Island Restoration Network found that more than half of the animals caught in gillnets are thrown overboard as waste. (Oceana and Blancpain)

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a …

Environment

play sound

Rising demands for clean energy efficiency are producing a wealth of work opportunities in Illinois. These in-demand jobs are also promoting a …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021