Posts

FDA Completes First Round of Compliance Checks to Protect Children From Tobacco Products

/in /by

Pennsylvania is one of the first 15 states to undergo compliance checks for new rules against selling tobacco products to minors under the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.   The Food and Drug Administration now oversees the marketing and sales of tobacco products.

Over three thousand establishments were inspected in Pennsylvania and over 120 warning letters were issued.  Ann Simoneau Director of the FDA’s Office of Compliance and Enforcement for Tobacco Products says violators ranged from big chains to mom and pop stores.  The new provisions of the laws include not selling to a minor, verifying the age of a purchaser if they’re less than 27 years of age by photo ID, and not giving away free samples of cigarettes.

Simoneau says they have a searchable database. People can go to the web site and see if a retailer was inspected and if they passed.  She says they also post every warning letter, detailing what the violations were at each establishment.

They hope retailers will fully train employees about the new requirements of the law and stress the importance of not selling cigarettes to minors. Simoneau says while most in Pennsylvania passed the inspections, and they applaud those efforts, 120 establishments where kids can buy these tobacco products are still too many.

Simoneau hopes retailers will pay attention; continued violations can result in some hefty fines.

Coal Ash Spill In Wisconsin Raises Concerns for Pennsylvania, Other States

/in /by

Earlier this week, coal ash spilled into Lake Michigan when a cliff gave way near a power plant in Wisconsin. The Sierra Club says it’s a reminder these risks to the environment exist in Pennsylvania and other states

In 2008, two large coal ash impoundments collapsed in Tennessee, but since then little has changed to reduce the risk of environmental contamination according to Mary Anne Hitt, director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign. She says the EPA vowed to put safeguards in place but Congress has blocked the way.  

Hitt wants to see changes such as putting liners under the landfills to keep the coal ash out of contact with water and some monitoring wells to tell whether heavy metals such as mercury or lead are getting into drinking water.  She’d like to see a move away from storing the ash in big ponds.

Hitt says Pennsylvania has a couple dozen coal ash sites and some have been designated as potentially hazardous.   After the Tennessee incident, DEP ordered the re-inspection of more than three dozen impoundments in Pennsylvania.    Although it’s not officially classified as hazardous, coal ash can contain low concentrations of arsenic, lead and mercury. 

Hitt says people can go to sierraclub.org/coalash and they can get a list of sites in their area.

Committees Discuss Possible State Disaster Assistance Fund, Prevention is also Highlighted

/in /by

Disaster relief is not only a matter of picking up the pieces from the last severe storm or event, but looking at ways to prevent some of the problems the next time.  State lawmakers heard that message this week as they talked about the idea of a state disaster assistance fund. They’re  considering a fund that would help in recovery, when the threshold for federal aid is not reached.  

Any discussion of a small disaster program should also focus on prevention according to David Sanko, director of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors.  He told a joint hearing of the state House and Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness committees that if municipalities could take preventative action like cleaning out streams and rivers, many flooding disasters could be reduced or eliminated.

 Sanko says the current state Department Environmental Protection process to obtain an emergency permit should be streamlined so that a municipality can go in and take corrective action before, and not after a disaster occurs.  He says the buildup of gravel bars and other items in the stream bed can occur quickly, and increase the possibility of flood damage and its severity.

Sanko says they also recommend DEP amend its regulations to develop a process to preauthorize emergency issuance of all general permits needed to allow municipalities to remove all impediments, such as fallen trees or gravel bars which occur suddenly.  He says DEP should consider using flood prevention money to pay for stream cleanup that they oversee and control.  He says local governments should not have to go through the permitting process, and then foot the bill to alleviate flooding hazards in their community.

Sanko says it’s a matter of prioritizing.  He says prevention is a lot less expensive than cleanup.

Governor Tom Corbett on assistance available to those affected by flood waters in Pennsylvania

/in , , , /by

object width=”560″ height=”345″>

First Probable Human West Nile Virus Case in Pennsylvania This Year

/in /by

Pennsylvania has its first probable human case of West Nile Virus this year.   An elderly Lebanon County woman was hospitalized in late July with a high fever and neurological symptoms.  Officials say she is currently recovering from what they believe is West Nile Virus.

So far this year, mosquito samples in 54 counties have been identified with the West Nile Virus.

 Severe human infections from the mosquito-borne virus can cause encephalitis or inflammation of the brain along with high fever, headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, paralysis and coma.  There is a milder form of the infection known as West Nile fever that may produce head and body aches, skin rash and swollen glands.  Unusually, the infection does not result in any illness.

Earthquake Called Significant for this Region

/in /by

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake centered in Virginia about 80 miles from the nation’s capital caused reports of damage Tuesday afternoon.  It was felt across much of Pennsylvania.       The tremor chased people out of the state capitol complex and even buildings in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It was centered just outside of Louisa, Virginia.

 Dr. Charles Sharnberger, professor emeritus of earth sciences at Millersville University, says a quake of that magnitude is unusual in the mid-Atlantic region. He says it’s in an area called the central Virginia seismic zone that has been  known to have earthquakes over the decades, but not ones this big.

He says the aftershocks from this earthquake may go on for months. He says the largest ones are one step down from the main shock, but most will be in the magnitude 2 to 3 range.

In the Harrisburg area, Dr. Sharnberger says the earthquake  was apparently felt at an intensity of 3 to 5 on the 12 point scale, with 7 the beginning of damage.

As a precaution, PennDOT started inspecting bridges after the quake  on Tuesday that were at least 200 feet long or at least 60 feet high. They have been focusing on bridges that could be susceptible to earthquake damage.  They were not finding any problems.

The biggest earthquake in PA was a 5.2 magnitude in the Lake Erie region in 1998.    There was a 4.1 magnitude earthquake in the Lancaster Seismic Zone in 1984, and there was a 4.7 magnitude earthquake in Reading in 1994.  

 

**Map courtesy of the United States Geological Survey

Hurricane Irene Could Impact Pennsylvania Weather, Depending on Track

/in /by

Hurricane Irene  potential path may bring it close enough that it could impact parts of Pennsylvania this weekend. The latest forecast has it taking a slightly more westward track.

Walter Drag, with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly New Jersey, says it’s a large storm that could have some impact on Pennsylvania, depending on the track it takes up the coast.

Drag says some areas that had heavy rain recently, in Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Northern Delaware and Northeastern Maryland could be facing another bout of heavy rain as the result of Irene.

Drag says even if the storm passes off to the east, a predecessor rainfall event could still bring some rain to eastern parts of the state.  Predecessor events can be associated with tropical systems.  They are not part of the bands of rain directly caused by the hurricane or tropical storm.

Drag says if the storm comes closer, it could bring squally winds and heavy rainfall. The Philadelphia area could get anywhere from a fraction of an inch to more than five inches, depending on the track of the storm.

Drag says people who have weekend plans along the coast should pay special attention to the National Hurricane Center forecasts.   The head of FEMA says people along the entire Eastern Seaboard need to pay attention to Hurricane Irene. 

 

**Chart courtesy of the National Hurricane Center

Pennsylvania Among States Affected by Salmonella Outbreak

/1 Comment/in /by

Federal officials say the government hopes to pinpoint the source of a salmonella outbreak linked to ground turkey very soon.    The outbreak dates back to March and Pennsylvania has confirmed five cases in the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas. One death has been reported in California and 71 people have been sickened in two dozen other states.

Dr. Andre Weltman, public health physician with the Pennsylvania Health Department, says the cases in Pennsylvania were not recent, they happened earlier in the outbreak.

Dr. Weltman hopes people will not be afraid to eat ground turkey. He says they just need to avoid cross contamination and prepare it properly. This means cooking any raw ground meat product thoroughly, all the way to the middle.

Ideally, Dr. Weltman says a thermometer should be used to check the internal temperature.  The U. S. Department Of Agriculture says ground turkey should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. He says remember to wash or sanitize the thermometer after checking the temperature.

Dr. Weltman says although 77 salmonella cases have been confirmed across the country, many more may have gone unreported. He says there could be as many as 38 cases for every one that is cultured and reported to a local or state health department as having the organism linked to the illness. This is because some people may have only suffered minor symptoms, and did not seek medical care.

 Dr. Weltman says turkey is a healthy alternative and if you take care with it, it’s fine to eat to help reduce fat and cholesterol.  

Bill Calls for Funding, Accountability Changes for Charter, Cyber Schools in Pennsylvania

/in /by

The Democratic chairman of the state House Education Committee is proposing changes to the funding and oversight of cyber charter and charter schools in Pennsylvania.    Representative Jim Roebuck (D-Phila) says the amendments to the state’s Charter and Cyber Charter School law would improve administrative oversight and accountability.

Roebuck says the bill would establish state responsibility for funding cyber charter schools, relieving school districts of a major funding mandate.  He adds that school districts would not receive any state funding for students residing in their district who attend cyber charter schools.

Roebuck says since it is the state, through the Department of Education, that approves, renews and monitors cyber charter schools, he believes it should also be the responsibility of the state to fund those schools.  He says the state cannot afford to delay the issue of funding cyber charter schools, calling the current system an unfair funding mandate on local school districts.

Representative James Roebuck, Jr.

Matt Pryzywara, chief financial officer of the School District of Lancaster, agrees that  a change is needed in the way cyber charter schools are funded.  He says school districts make vastly different payments, with some paying more than the actual cost of instruction and some paying less.  He says this leads to some districts subsidizing cyber school students from other districts.

The bill would also create an office of Charter and Cyber Schools within the state Education Department which would have oversight responsibilities and could investigate complaints of fraud, waste and mismanagement.

Other bills (SB 904, HB 1348) to amend the Charter and Cyber Charter School law have been introduced in the Senate and House.  Representative Roebuck’s bill differs from those in several ways, most notably regarding the funding of Cyber Charter Schools.

June 11th is “Get Outdoors Day”

/in /by

This Saturday (June 11) is “Get Outdoors Day”.   Surveys show that kids spend 50% less time outdoors than they did 20 years ago according to Jim Hubbard, Deputy Chief for the U. S. Forest Service. 

Hubbard says they want families to reconnect and experience nature. He says just being there is worth it.  He says people will experience what it’s like to stand on a trail in the trees or listen to birds and streams.

Hubbard says there are other benefits as well, such as stress reduction.  He says environmental awareness is also part of the campaign.

Hubbard says if you can’t take part in an activity scheduled for “Get Outdoors Day”, then just visit a national, state or local park. You can also just go outdoors near your home and take a walk.

Hubbard says there are special activities across the country on Saturday.  You can find a list of events near your home at discovertheforest.org.

In Pennsylvania, events are taking place at Bald Eagle, Moraine, Parker Dam and Pine Grove Furnace state parks. The state has 117 state parks and 2.2 million acres of state forestland. You can get more information on events at state parks at www.dcnr.state.pa.us/Calendar

Governor Tom Corbett has proclaimed June as Great Outdoors Month in Pennsylvania. 

Boating at Moraine State Park