I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]
An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.
Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.
Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.
MARSHALL — The Calhoun County Health Department has issued a recommendation that people around the area of the Kalamazoo River oil spill evacuate the area. County health officials say they have detected “higher than acceptable levels of benzene” in air quality studies.
The area affected by the recommendation are directly north and northwest of the spill site in Calhoun county. Officials will be knocking on doors and hand delivering evacuation notices and talking to residents, according to a press release from the county.
Officials have been worried about benzene since the spill was first discovered. As a result, they have been monitoring for the chemical through air samples.
Benzene is an organic chemical which has been linked to cancer in human beings. The county health department had this to say about the chemical in its press release:
“Benzene is a chemical that is a colorless or light yellow liquid at room temperature. It has a sweet odor and is highly flammable. People who breathe in high levels of benzene may develop the following signs and symptoms: drowsiness, dizziness, rapid or irregular heartbeat, headaches, tremors, confusion, or unconsciousness.
The long-term effects of Benzene exposure is on the blood. Benzene causes harmful effects on the bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells, leading to anemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and can affect the immune system, increasing the chance for infection. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that benzene causes cancer in humans. Long-term exposure to high levels of benzene in the air can cause leukemia, cancer of the blood-forming organs.”
The evacuation recommendation will impact 30 to 50 homes, officials say. Enbridge Energy, which owns the pipeline, has agreed to pay for hotels and other accommodations for residents impacted by the spill. But they aren’t paying up front. Families will have to pony up the cash for hotels first, then Enbridge will reimburse them.
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