The Environmental Defense Fund has asked OMB Watch to distribute this announcement about their new online service that provides information about toxic chemicals. Their service complements RTK NET http://rtk.net, an online service that OMB Watch and Unison Institute have been running since 1989.
-------------------- Major new information service on toxic chemicals -- free!
On April 15, the Environmental Defense Fund launched a unique Chemical Scorecard on the World Wide Web at http://www.scorecard.org click here to see scorecard . It provides a wealth of information about nearly 6000 chemicals. It also provides localized information about air and water releases from 17,0000 facilities that reported under EPA's 1995 Toxic Release Inventory -- not just in terms to total pounds released, but also in terms of pounds weighted by relative toxicity.
The Chemical Scorecard combines scientific, geographic, technical and legal information from over 150 electronic databases to produce detailed local reports on toxic chemical pollution, available free on the Internet. Users can get reports on any of 50 states, 2,000 counties, 5,000 zip codes, or 17,000 individual TRI facilities. In addition to showing total quantities of pollutants, each report provides comparative rankings; identifies the individual chemicals involved; highlights the top-ranked hazards; etc. Other unique features include:
- * computer-linked maps, allowing any user to click down to a local street-grid map (showing where polluting facilities are located), starting from regional or state maps or from a map of the U.S.
- * "take action" options, to send free faxes directly to high-ranked polluting facilities; to send email to the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and to organize locally.
- * "ignorance" status, showing which chemicals (being emitted in what quantities) don't have enough information to allow their risks to be determined.
- * detailed profiles on over 5,000 chemicals, in 12 different categories of health hazards (e.g., carcinogens; neurotoxicants; cardiovascular toxicants).
Through the Scorecard, EDF seeks to build on the already-demonstrated power of information to reduce toxic chemical risks, by providing information on known and suspected health effects of chemicals. With this information, communities can better target voluntary pollution-prevention efforts, as well as participate more effectively in local pollution-control initiatives.
Please feel free to explore the Scorecard (click here) on your own. Its homepage is www.scorecard.org. By typing in your zip code in the "Find Your Community" box on that page, you'll go straight to a summary for your own county. Or, you can use the "Polluter Locator" to click on maps to zoom in on any region or community and get reports. Or, the search engine lets you call directly for reports on any facility, county, or state in the U.S. for which TRI data is available.
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Name: Gary D. Bass
OMB Watch 1742 Connecticut Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009
TEL: (202) 234-8494 FAX: (202) 234-8584
Web: http://ombwatch.org/ombwatch.html
E-mail: Gary D. Bass bassg@rtk.net
Date: 04/17/98
Time: 10:23:11
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