Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
EPA Eyes Federal-Funded Cleanup For Atlanta Lead Contamination
The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to add a westside Atlanta area that鈥檚 contaminated with lead to the Superfund program鈥檚 National Priorities List (NPL), which would allow more federal funding for clean-up. The Superfund program, created in 1980, has the responsibility of identifying dangerously polluted sites around the nation, cleaning them up and when possible, holding polluters financially accountable. There are thousands of Superfund sites, but a relatively small percentage are on the NPL, meaning they are especially dangerous. (Miller, 9/8)
An ordinance banning the sale of flavored tobacco within city limits has passed its first hurdle after the city鈥檚 government operations committee unanimously voted Wednesday to send it to the Bangor City Council. If enacted by the council, the ordinance as currently drafted would ban the sale or marketing of all flavored tobacco products in the city 鈥 聽including menthol cigarettes and e-cigarette flavors that have a taste or smell other than that of tobacco 鈥 on Jan. 1, 2022. (Marino Jr., 9/8)
As amended, the bill would require warehouse employers such as Amazon to disclose productivity quotas for workers. It would prohibit any quota that prevents workers from taking state-mandated breaks or using the bathroom when needed, or that keeps employers from complying with health and safety laws. In negotiations, backers of the bill agreed to cut a provision that would require Cal/OSHA, the state鈥檚 workplace safety agency, to create a rule that would help to minimize musculoskeletal injuries among warehouse workers. (Hussain, 9/8)
U.S. Rep. Darren Soto of Florida said Wednesday that he recently tested positive for COVID-19 and believed he had only mild symptoms because he was vaccinated. Soto, an Orlando-area Democrat, tweeted that he had received monoclonal antibody treatment to reduce potential symptoms. 鈥淭his treatment is helpful but not a substitute for the COVID-19 vaccine. I encourage everyone to get vaccinated as soon as possible,鈥 he said. (9/8)
