In Gates v. Rohm & Haas Co. et al , 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 17756 (3rd. Cir.: 8/25/11), Plaintiffs were residents of a primarily residential area of approximately 2,000 people and 400 homes. Defendant chemical companies owned and operated a facility... Read More

By Steven M. Siros, Partner, Jenner & Block A recent study by the Colorado School of Public Health has linked hydraulic fracturing to elevated levels of petroleum hydrocarbons in the air near drilling sites. The study, to be published in Science... Read More

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has announced that it is considering implementation of the most significant changes to Prop. 65 regulations in more than two decades. OEHHA has posted the draft regulation and Initial... Read More

Prior posts have addressed the various studies that have been published regarding the impact of exposure to the toxic dust and smoke that was generated by the 9-11 disaster. Researchers have now identified that male firefighters who were exposed to the... Read More

Dioxins collectively refers to hundreds of chemical compounds that share certain structures and biological characteristics. See Dioxin . Dioxins fall into three closely related groups: the chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (CDD's) chlorinated dibenzofurans... Read More

Consumers are attracted to organic products because they are perceived to be healthier than conventional food sources. To borrow a phrase from Porgy & Bess (as I have done in the past), it ain't necessarily so. [See http://www.youtube.com/watch... Read More

As noted repeatedly in prior posts, toxic torts require proof of causation. As such, an assessment of alternative explanations for the disease or illness at issue becomes important. The consumption of alcohol (usually in excess of some amount) has been... Read More

By Katherine M. Rahill, Partner, Jenner & Block In December and January, the California Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment ("OEHHA") announced its intent to add seven new chemicals... Read More

Prior posts have noted that gene functioning can be modified by a number of processes, such as methylation. Recently animal tests have found that some of these modifications are passed on to off-spring even though no change is made to the gene itself... Read More

EPA has posted its final health assessment for tetrachloroethylene (aka perc) to its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Perc is widely used in the dry cleaning industry, although states such as California are requiring that it be phased out... Read More

Formaldehyde is a Group 1 human carcinogen. Search at Toxnet Toxicology Data Network . In the past, exposure to the populace was often linked to its presence in glues and binders used in furniture and paneling, although it is also found in shampoo, conditioners... Read More

Prior posts have noted that for toxic torts causation is the central focus, and that it is very difficult to prove. Prior posts have also noted that the makeup of the bacteria in one's GI tract can have a major influence on generating inflammation;... Read More

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) announced that it will add diisononyl phthalate (DINP) to the list of chemicals known to the State to cause cancer for purposes of the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act... Read More

It has always amazed me the extent to which individuals are not satisfied with their physical appearance; this dissatisfaction is the foundation of much cosmetic surgery. However, it also has dangerous implications. After decades of warnings, individuals... Read More

As noted repeatedly in prior posts, toxic torts require proof of causation. As such, an assessment of alternative explanations for the disease or illness at issue becomes important. The consumption of alcohol (usually in excess of some amount) has... Read More