Political Health

USDA Won’t Pay 2 Idaho Families over Pesticide Contamination Cases

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has rejected claims filed by 2 families in Boise, Idaho, who alleged the USDA’s pesticide treatment contaminated their crops and poisoned a cattle herd.
In a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter called for a quick resolution to the tort claim filed by the 2 families. Otter defended the families, telling Sec. Thomas Vilsack that neither family was at fault for the damages and debts they have racked up by allowing the USDA to treat the fields.
Otter wrote:

Farmers Sue USDA for Appointing Unqualified Individuals to Organics Board

The Cornucopia Institute, a public interest group of thousands of organic farmers and consumers, and two of its members have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, alleging unqualified individuals have been put in place to determine what is “organic.”

Pennsylvania Becomes 24th State to Legalize Medical Marijuana

After the state House voted in favor of the medical marijuana bill, marijuana activists were biting their nails for fear the Senate would find a way to slow or stall the bill, but the bill passed last week.
Supporters knew they’d been successful, as Governor Tom Wolf had vowed to sign it into law. And the governor did not disappoint. Wolf signed the bill on Sunday, making Pennsylvania the 24th state in the nation to embrace marijuana as a legitimate form of medical treatment.
Wolf said:

Will the DEA Choose to Reschedule Marijuana this Summer?

The list of states that have decriminalized marijuana for medical use is growing, but there are still many rules and stipulations which make it incredibly expensive and difficult for patients to actually get their hands on cannabis. Marijuana’s classification as a Schedule I drug has been a major hurdle for drug researchers seeking to understand the full benefits of the herb, but that might change in a few short months.

Medical Marijuana Could Be Legal in Pennsylvania by Week’s End

The Pennsylvania medical marijuana bill is back in the hands of the state House after the Senate passed the chamber by a vote of 42-7 Tuesday. If the House passes the bill, it will go to Governor Tom Wolf’s desk, where it is expected to be signed. The bill has been in the works for more than 2 years, and the volley between the 2 branches has been ongoing for more than a year.
Source: Daily Collegian

Study: Monsanto’s PCBs Causing ‘Severe Impact’ on Whales and Dolphins

It has been highly reported that biotechnology company Monsanto made attempts to hide the true impact that toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have on the environment, which has led numerous cities to file lawsuits against the company. Now, new research has surfaced on the true effects behind Monsanto’s PCBs and their impact on wildlife.

Japan to Release Radioactive Water from Fukushima into the Sea

At the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, scientists are running out of space for the plant’s enormous amounts of irradiated water. The radioactive water is being stored in thousands of tanks, and contains tritium, a substance that is hazardous to health. About 300 tons need to be pumped into the plant every day to keep its reactors cool.
Tritium can be removed from water in laboratories, but such an effort would be preposterously expensive, so scientists have another idea in mind: dumping the nuclear waste into the ocean.