Should There Be Higher Levels of Selenium?
Purpose:
The purpose of my project was to inform the class on the EPA review process that allows companies to conduct their own scientific studies in order to lower regulation standards and to educate the class on the negative effect mining has on the environment: selenium.
Discussion Questions:
–Do you think selenium levels should be raised?
–Do you believe the company’s conclusions are accurate or biased?
Jeff Holmstead, head of the environmental strategies group at Bracewell & Giuliani and adviser for the EPA during President George W. Bush’s administration, said it was “not at all unusual” for federal agencies to differ on this kind of issues.
“It is surprising that the E.P.A. is supporting a less stringent standard than another agency,” he said. That may be, he added, “because selenium is primarily an issue for wildlife and not for human health,” which is the agency’s top priority.
–If what Jeff Holmstead says is true (EPA is supporting a less stringent standard; selenium is primarily an issue for wildlife and not for human health), do you think the Environmental Protection Agency should be more or less stringent on policies concerning wildlife?
Picture:
Scientific study commissioned by the J. R. Simplot Company, whose mining operations have polluted nearby creeks in southern Idaho. These are photographs of variously mutated brown trout from within the study. Some of the trout have two heads; others had facial, fin and egg deformities.
Powerpoint Presentation:
Follow up research:
Picture:
Scientific study commissioned by the J. R. Simplot Company, whose mining operations have polluted nearby creeks in southern Idaho. These are photographs of variously mutated brown trout from within the study. Some of the trout have two heads; others had facial, fin and egg deformities.
Follow up research:
-Article written by the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/science/earth/mutated-trout-raise-new-concerns-over-selenium.html?pagewanted=2&ref=earth
-Integrated Risk Information done by the EPA: Health assessment information on a chemical substance is included in IRIS only after a comprehensive review of chronic toxicity data by U.S. EPA health scientists from several Program Offices and the Office of Research and Development.
http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0472.htm
-EPA basic information on Selenium:
http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/selenium.cfm
Sources:
Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/science/earth/mutated-trout-raise-new-concerns-over-selenium.html?pagewanted=2&ref=earth
-Integrated Risk Information done by the EPA: Health assessment information on a chemical substance is included in IRIS only after a comprehensive review of chronic toxicity data by U.S. EPA health scientists from several Program Offices and the Office of Research and Development.
http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0472.htm
-EPA basic information on Selenium:
http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/selenium.cfm
Sources:
Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/science/earth/mutated-trout-raise-new-concerns-over-selenium.html?pagewanted=2&ref=earth
http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/selenium.cfm
Images:
-http://periodictable.com/Samples/034.12/s9s.JPG
-http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/tableofelements.png
-http://ecohydrology-research.org/images/US-FishAndWildlifeService-Logo.png
-http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2012/02/23/us/jp-SELENIUM.html
-http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/barbara_boxer/index.html?inline=nyt-per
-http://www.peyron.com/images/clients/rpnt1_Simplot%20logo%20(3).PNG
-http://buildinggreennetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/EPA-Logo.jpg
-http://seleniumhq.org/images/big-logo.png
