European chemicals threaten watchdog

Chemical companies threaten EU watchdog with legal action if harmful products publicized: Report

In a letter from chemical industry group CEFIC to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki,  “released after Reuters invoked freedom-of-information laws,” the chemical group said:

Going beyond its remits exposes unnecessarily the ECHA Management Board and its individual members to tremendous and unprecedented liability risks.

ECHA is responsible for “evaluating and restricting ” at least 30,000 unregulated substances, many of which pose a potential threat to human health, and maintaining  a data base for chemical substances and details of their toxicity, the report said.

ClientEarth lawyers and chemicals campaigners ChemSec earlier said they had started legal proceedings against ECHA for refusing to divulge “the names of facilities producing 356 potentially dangerous chemicals.”

“The public knows too little about them, because chemicals companies use the shield of commercial interests,” said ClientEarth lawyer Vito Buonsante.

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More Severe Thunderstorms, Rain and Flash Flooding

BREAKING:

• A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for the Texas Panhandle until 11 AM this morning.  

• Active weather period in store for most of United States through Wednesday

Weather Forecast Map

Click images to enlarge.

GOES Eastern US SECTOR Infrared Image

Fire Weather Outlook

From:   2011 Disaster Calendar – MAY 

• Day 496 [May 11, 2011]
• Tennessee, USA. The White House has declared Shelby and  14 other Tennessee counties disaster areas following the damage caused by rising Mississippi River and extreme weather events that have buffeted the region since mid April, reports say.
•  Minnesota , USA. The White House has declared 20 counties in both the Red River Valley and southern Minnesota federal disaster areas because of widespread flooding and severe  storms in March that wreaked havoc in the state, a report said.
• Missouri, USA. The White House has declared five Missouri counties major disaster areas, following devastation from tornadoes, storms and flooding. “Property owners who’ve gone into the Mississippi River Floodway say the situation is bad.” Said a report.

Related Links

• Flooding in Memphis – Update May 10

• Mississippi River Flooding: Disaster in Slow Motion
• Epic Flooding Could Inundate Large Parts of the U-S  Posted on February 10, 2011
• The Day Before Washington’s Birthday   Posted on February 20, 2011

Global Mega Disasters

• 2011 Much More Disastrous
• 2010 Disasters [Includes Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters: 2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010
• 2011 Disaster Calendar