 |
Lead – 2010
The Minnesota Legislature has adjourned and Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy scored a big success.
A bill to protect children from lead in the environment, drafted by MCEA’s Public Health Scientist Samuel Yamin, was passed as part of the health bills in the short special session.
The bill, authored by Minneapolis DFLers Rep Jim Davnie and Sen. Patricia Torres Ray, directed the Minnesota Department of Health to consult with public health and lead exposure experts to revise clinical guidelines and recommend actions when a child’s blood lead test result exceeds five micrograms in a deciliter of blood.
A few cost-effective measures could make a big difference in protecting children from lead’s toxic effects on the brain, Yamin said.
For example, parents and guardians could be better educated on lead hazards and ways to prevent exposure. Clinics could recommend a follow-up blood test, to confirm the effectiveness of those preventive measures. The current federal limit only requires action if a child’s blood contains more than 10 micrograms of lead.
Big Stone 11
MCEA attorney Beth Goodpaster received River Keeper environmental award for her work in stopping the Big Stone II power plant.
Our friends at Clean Up the River Environment celebrated the good work of Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy lawyer Beth Goodpaster in fighting the Big Stone II by awarding her the CURE River Keeper Tokheim Stoneware Plate.
Goodpaster safely transported the beautiful plate from the Hollywood Theater in Montevideo to MCEA’s St. Paul office where it now resides. Goodpaster also took some swings at a Big Stone II pinata with a Minnesota Wild hockey stick. When she broke it apart, bags of chocolate kisses, licorice “crows” and Beanie Babies were set free and distributed to the crowd of nearly 300 people.
The River Keeper award is presented annually to an individual or organization that exemplifies exceptional commitment to the Minnesota River. The folks at CURE, a grassroots organization that celebrates and works to restore the upper Minnesota River, were strong allies in the fight to keep the coal-fired power plant from being built on the South Dakota shore of Big Stone Lake, the source of the Minnesota River.
|
|
