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 "toxins" ...
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"Amazon Crude"
More than 15 years ago, Ecuadorean residents sued Texaco for contaminating the Amazon Rain Forest with crude oil. The "oil waste pits" built by Texaco, now owned by Chevron, continue to leak toxins into the "region's waterways." According to an agreement between the company and the Ecuadorean government, Chevron is to cleanup 40 percent of the mess; however, the company "admitted" there is no record of all the contaminated sites.
Tags: Ecuador; Chevron; Texaco; Amazon; oil spill; toxic waste; rainforest; environmental; Petroecuador
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"A Toxin in the Air"
Toxic emissions have been found near natural gas facilities in the Barnett Shale in Texas, an area that spreads out over 15 counties. Originally, the emission were believed to be non-harmful, but recent testing reveals "high level of benzene, a cancer-causing toxin." WFAA also reveals a major "lack of oversight" of "drilling in the Barnett Shale."
Tags: Barnett Shale; Fort Worth; environmental agency; benzene; natural gas; Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; TCEQ; North Central Texas Communities Alliance; Al Armendariz
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The Body Toxic
Baker writes about the "dizzying array of chemical contaminants, the by-products of modern industry and innovation that contribute to a host of developmental deficits and health problems that are just now being understood."
Tags: toxins; health; poison; well-being; health problems; chemical poisoning; chemical pollutants; biomonitoring; FDA; EPA
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Red River Dumping
Millions of gallons of toxic waster were secretly being dumped into a northern Louisiana waterway. The September story started with an anonymous tip and led to the discovery of thousands of pages of online documents revealing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality concerns about the presence of dangerous toxins in waste water stored by CCS Midstream Services, LLC, hidden caches of toxic waste, falsified records and a hidden pipe leading into Red River.
Tags: toxins; public health; environmental violations; protected waters; toxic waste; pollution; dumping chemicals;
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Toxic Showdown
Rita Smith's husband Steve won his court case with his former employer Searles Valley Minerals regarding the toxins that killed thousands of migratory birds in a nearby lake.
Tags: department of fish and game; health problems; substances; poison; inspector; brine;
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Toxic Neighbors
Industrial plants with toxic chemicals were located blocks from homes, apartment complexes and schools. Some were found across the street from residences. The staff mapped where hazardous material sites were located in relation to densely-populated areas.
Tags: housing; toxins; poison; factory; zoning; subdivision; inner city; EPA; health; chlorine;
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Chemical Fallout
"The reporters exposed inept government programs that favor chemical makers over the needs of the public. They detailed conflicts of interest among regulators and uncovered new hidden threats for consumers. The newspaper tested common household plastics billed as "microwave safe" and found toxic levels of chemicals leaching from every item tested."
Tags: chemicals; toxins; public safety; government protection; bisphenol A; Environmental Protection Agency; Food and Drug Administration;
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Chronic Polluters, Tainted Water
"Nearly half of the Connecticut companies that discharge chemical-laden wastewater directly into rivers are doing so with expired permits.In some cases, they lapsed 10 years ago.The companies can legally continue to dump while applying for new permits, but the backlog means they're discharging under old toxin limits with no adjustment for diminishing water quality."
Tags: toxic; water; pollution; rivers; wastewater; permits; renewal; EPA; Clean Water Act; chemical waste; Toxic Release Inventory
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Disease is swift, response is slow
Diacetyl is found in thousands of food products and used as a butter flavoring, but the toxicity levels has never been tested. Hundred of workers is a Midwestern popcorn plant developed lung damage after exposure to the chemical.
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The Hundred Year Lie: How Food and Medicine are Destroying Your Health
This book "shatters dozens of myths being perpetuated by the chemical, pharmaceutical, and processed foods industries. It shows how early advances led to a buildup of industry, and how the profit motive then led companies and even our own government to ignore troubling signs of widespread illness and disease.
Tags: health sciences; nutrition; chemicals; public health; FDA; toxins