Earlier today, the federal Environmental Protection Agency laid out its new plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. But there’s a pretty good chance that some energy interests and lawmakers will try to either sue or legislate the proposed rules into oblivion. The EPA is using a technical regulatory process to implement the […]
public health
Posted inNews & Opinion
Lyme disease on the rise
Dogs and ticks have a long history together. And because of that relationship, man’s best friend is a good indicator of how prevalent Lyme disease is in an area. In Monroe County, the number of dogs testing positive for Lyme disease has been increasing. So far this year, 550 Monroe County dogs have tested positive […]
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Monroe County’s air quality ranking slips
Monroe County’s grades are slipping a little in terms of air quality. This morning, the American Lung Association released its annual State of the Air report. It uses data from a few years to grade air quality in counties and metro areas across the country. Specifically, the Lung Association looks at the number of days […]
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Climate Change: Rochester’s environmental record is mixed
Despite its successes, the Rochester region still has its share of environmental problems.
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Local public health officials encouraged by lead trends
Childhood lead exposure hasn’t been eliminated in Monroe County, but the numbers look a lot better than they used to. Much of the credit goes to local efforts to attack the source: lead paint in homes, particularly in older rental units. This morning, the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning released 2013 county figures on childhood […]
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The end of antibiotics
Popular media has been promising the world a pandemic for some time now. But here’s a frightening thought: What if the real threat isn’t a genetically engineered superbug or an ambitious avian virus that makes the jump to humans? What if, instead, something neutralizes our most basic defenses so that, for example, strep throat becomes […]
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Testing the waters
Monroe County public health officials may have found a better way to determine if and when the county’s beaches should be closed to swimming. The county has long used a model that considers several factors, including recent rainfall, algae levels, the Genesee River’s flow into Lake Ontario, and water cloudiness. The model has been refined […]
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Infant death study
Infant mortality is a serious issue in Monroe County, and it’s about to get some added attention. County officials will work with the Perinatal Network of Monroe County to study the causes of death in local children less than a month old. Last week, the County Legislature approved a measure allowing the study to go […]
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Lead exposure numbers down; federal funding in danger
In 2012, 182 children tested positive for blood-lead levels above the 10 micrograms per deciliter threshold, according to data released today by the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning. That’s down from 222 children in 2011, 290 children in 2010, and, going back to 2000, 1,293 children.
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Week Ahead: Monroe Community Hospital’s new advisory board meets for the first time
Monroe Community Hospital’s new advisory board meets for the first time at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, according to a report by the Democrat and Chronicle. FILE PHOTO Maggie Brooks. County law requires MCH to have an advisory board, but for unknown reasons, the board disbanded sometime in the early 2000’s. The board is being reactivated […]
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[UPDATED] Shale drilling moratorium on today’s Assembly agenda
This afternoon, the state Assembly passed legislation that would enact a moratorium on drilling in the Marcellus and Utica Shales.
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A lead-crime connection?
Violent crime began trending down in the 1990’s after the highs of the 1970’s and 80’s,The Christian Science Monitor reported that in 2012, the national rate of serious crimes was at its lowest since 1963. Researchers have developed many theories about why the crime rate unexpectedly dropped. Some credit tough-on-crime policies. Others credit the rise […]
