Connecticut is pursuing Bioscience Connecticut, an ambitious initiative to stimulate economic growth and create jobs by establishing the state as a national leader in high-technology fields such as bioscience and engineering. The state’s prominence in these areas was highlighted recently by honors and grants awarded to UConn Health Center faculty member Dr. Cato T. Laurencin

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The 13-member Bioscience Innovation Advisory Committee, named Dec. 23, consists largely of executives living west of the Connecticut River. Committee members, headed by Connecticut Innovations’ chief executive Claire Leonardi, will approve disbursements of money from the Connecticut Bioscience Innovation Fund overseen by Lyme resident Jeremy Crisp, a former Novartis executive who serves as CI’s executive

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In Connecticut, no one is quite sure, in part because no one knows how much pesticide is being used on lawns, playgrounds, parks and agricultural fields. That from an article in ctnow.com by Greg Hladky, who reports that while licensed landscapers, lawn-care professionals and farmers send in reports to the state each year on how

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“Now, finally, the EPA is retracting assuring people of the safety of these fields,” EHHI Executive Director Nancy Alderman said in a news release.

Now, she said, maybe people will finally believe us about the dangers of synthetic turf, even though hundreds of towns have spent millions of dollars installing exactly these kinds of fields for their residents, including children, to play on.

Enter the search term “turf” in the search box on this page for more stories about artificial turf and towns that have spent millions installing them for children and others to play on.

This is to announce the availability of an updated Air Quality Guide for Particle Pollution at http://www.epa.gov/airnow/air-quality-guide_pm_2013.pdf. The guide provides information about who is at risk, ways to protect health when particle pollution levels reach the unhealthy range, and ways to reduce particle pollution. This new version contains the following updates to health information:  

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Environment and Human Health, Inc.’s new research report closely examines the health risks that flame-retardants pose to the general population and recommends sweeping policy changes to protect the public. Recent toxicological studies demonstrate that flame-retardants pose the greatest risk to the normal growth and development of fetuses, infants and children.

The Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut has acknowledged a recent bi-partisan federal effort to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act. “It’s about time that our outdated, inadequate law is reformed,” said Anne Hulick RN, MSN, JD, of the coalition. “For years we’ve maintained that protecting children from toxic chemicals should not be a partisan issue.” The federal bill recognizes that we need more protective chemical policy and actually supports what we are trying to do here in Connecticut. Click on this Environmental Headline for more on this story.

A Connecticut bill banning young people from using indoor tanning services is moving to the governor’s desk.

Environment and Human Health, Inc. — along with just about every health organization in CT – as well as a lot of very dedicated individuals — worked to pass a ban on tanning bed use for minors. CT legislators did not want to ban tanning beds for all minors – and so a compromise Bill

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A compromise tanning Bill ban has just passed the CT Senate — and it passed unanimously. Environment and Human Health, Inc. — along with  just about every health organization in CT -  as well as a lot of  very dedicated individuals —  worked to pass a ban on tanning bed use for minors.  CT legislators

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(HARTFORD, CT) – Gov. Dannel P. Malloy released the following statement on the Next Generation Connecticut and Bioscience Connecticut initiatives passing out of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee earlier today: “I would like to commend Co-Chairs Sen. John Fonfara and Rep. Patricia Widlitz and members of both parties on the Finance, Revenue and Bonding

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Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has announced a comprehensive settlement with CVS in Connecticut under which this major national pharmacy chain is paying penalties of $800,000 for violations of the state’s hazardous waste management regulations and recycling laws found at seven CVS stores in Connecticut.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) is urging federal officials to “impose greater control” over the manufacture and distribution of tanning beds, citing an elevated risk of cancer from their use. “Indoor tanning beds are not safe and not appropriately regulated,” ACS Deputy Chief Medical Officer Len Lichtenfeld, M.D., wrote to Sebelius.

Connecticut public health officials say asthma is increasing in the state but it’s not clear why. The state Department of Public Health says in a recent report that the number of adults with asthma increased by 17.9 percent between 2000 and 2010, and rose 7.6 percent among children between 2005 and 2010. For more on

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The state of Connecticut is making $360,000 in grants available to replace on-road, heavy-duty diesel trucks with new, low-emission trucks. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection unveiled the program on Friday. For more on this story, visit: New Connecticut program to cut diesel emissions – Norwich, CT – The Bulletin. Connecticut Department of Energy

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The University of Connecticut has announced that it is a Grand Challenges Explorations winner, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Obama administration has finalized new clean car standards that will double the fuel efficiency of today’s vehicles by 2025, drastically reducing emissions of carbon pollution and cutting oil use in Connecticut and nationwide. The standards will cover new cars and light trucks in model years 2017-2025, and require those vehicles to meet the equivalent of a 54.5 miles-per-gallon standard by 2025.

Nancy Alderman, of Environment and Human Health writes: 1. With Connecticut having tanning laws less strict than other states (see article in the New Haven Independent that researched this http://c-hit.newhavenindependent.org/health/entry/ct_indoor_tanning_law_not_as_strict_as_other_states     2. With the CT state legislature not getting last year’s tanning Bill out of the Public Health committee;     3. Now we

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From Nancy Alderman at Environment and Human Health Inc. Although the franchise pesticide spraying business, “Mosquito Squad,”  (http://www.mosquitosquad.com) has taken down their coloring book for toddlers – their cartoon pesticide spraying mascot, “Dred Skeeter,” is all over YouTube —  he is at parades, playing with children, playing with small dogs, attending baseball games etc. Is

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PSEG, residents, environmenalists, others face off over Bridgeport power plant

Even though less than 2 percent of Connecticut’s power came from coal burning sources last year, the owners of the PSEG Bridgeport Harbor Station seem determined to get their operating permit renewed.

Click on this environmental headline for more on this story from Environmental Headlines and other news sources.