The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "PCB" ...
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What's a Life Worth?
The series began with an investigation into the affects of asbestos contamination on the small country town of Ragland, AL., and its relation to the international asbestos trade and legislation in congress to stem the tide of asbestos related lawsuits. It ended with an investigation of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, which is responsible for protecting the public from environmental asbestos and other hazards.
Tags: asbestos; contamination; public health; Alabama Department of Environmental Management; law suits; lead; PCB; mesothelioma; FOIA
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Our Troubled Sound
The Post-Intelligencer reports on pollution problems in Puget Sound, the nation's second largest estuary and "an ecosystem spinning out of control." The major findings are that scientists have documented decline in keystone species; a state program to control urban runoff is far behind schedule; three out of four businesses are in breach of water-quality regulations or permits; precautions to prevent a possible oil spill in an area where many tankers sail are inadequate; overall, Superfund sites in the area are not being cleaned up. Many of the findings are based on analysis of databases obtained from government agencies.
Tags: environment; ecology; marine organisms; wildlife; endangered species; stormwater; toxic waste; contamination; polychlorinated biphenyls; PCB
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The toxic valley: PCBs along the Upper Hudson
This WNYC special investigation traced how the PCBs found their way to Upper Hudson Valley environment, as a result from General Electric Corporation activities. For three decades many residents have been living with high levels of PCBs around their homes. Over the three months of investigation, WNYC found many people who were sick, even dying, from illnesses that have been linked to PCB exposure.
Tags: AUDIO TAPE; TRANSCRIPT; polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); health; Toxics Targeting; contamination; lawsuits; Department of Environmental Conservation
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Toxics on the Hudson
Multinational Monitor sheds light on the new development in a case dealing with the General Electric (GE) corporation's responsibility for polluting the Hudson River with oily compounds known as polychlorinated byphenyls. The story focuses on a proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to GE for cleaning up the river at the cost of $460 million, and examines the company's concern that the cleanup plan may not work at all. The article reports on some of the health hazards posed by PCB contamination, and reveals that, as early as the 1930s, GE executives knew about health problems in workers exposed to the poisonous substance.
Tags: rivers; contamination; Environmental Protection Agency; Jack Welch; wildlife; PCB; science; Monsanto; fish; carcinogenicity; legislature; Pittsfield; Massachusetts; Rome; Georgia
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What Monsanto Knew
The Nation investigates Monsanto's efforts to conceal the ongoing contamination in Anniston, Alabama, during the 60s and the 70s. The story reveals that the ecological system in the region has been damaged by contamination from polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB). "The neighborhood around the plant [of Monsanto] is populated with by people with cancer, young women with damaged ovaries, children who are learning-impaired and people whose ailments have been diagnosed as acute toxic syndrome," reports the Nation. The article cites Monsanto's internal memos showing that the company's management has been aware of the problem for decades.
Tags: environment; public health; cancer; the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry; toxic substances; landfills; Alabama Department of Environmental Management; Environmental Protection Agency; litigation
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The River: Will the EPA finally make GE cleanup its PCBs?
Kolbert investigates the status of the Hudson River in Albany. For about 30 years, General Electric Corporation dumped millions of pounds of polychlorinated biphenyls -- PCBs -- into the Hudson River. In 1977, GE stopped dumping the "probable human carcinogen" into the river. However, PCB is still prevalent in the river and its underlying sediments. The EPA is considering making GE dredge up the sludge and treat it. The EPA is scheduled to make a decision in the coming weeks. However, the government organization has postponed making a decision 11 times already.
Tags: GE; PCBs; EPA; enviornment; Hudson River; Albany; pollution; health; cancer; dumping
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No title (id: 3673)
Milwaukee Journal investigates the presence and lingering effects of toxic chemicals in the Great Lakes basin in a series covering past pollution, the clean-up, continued pollution, health effects and politics surrounding the toxic remains of industry and agriculture, Nov. 13 - 20, 1988.
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No title (id: 550)
Wall Street Journal explains the infiltration of aflatoxin, a cancer-causing agent 100 times more potent than PCB, into the nation's food supply; details the difficulties in controlling aflatoxin and the problems it causes for Midwest farmers, Feb. 23, 1989.