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BP plans to get rid of safety watchdog, sources sayCNN.com    
By Drew Griffin and David Fitzpatrick, CNN Special Investigations Unit
STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Don’t miss "AC360°" at 10 p.m. ET Wednesday for more on this story.

Washington (CNN) — BP has been trying to shut down an internal safety watchdog agency it set up under congressional pressure four years ago, according to sources close to the office and a leading congressman.

The Ombudsman Program was set up after a 2005 explosion at a BP refinery in Texas that killed 15 workers and a massive oil spill in Alaska the following year. Its chief, former federal judge Stanley Sporkin, would not comment for this story — but a source inside his office told CNN, "I’m surprised we’re still here."

The Washington-based office was set up to hear BP workers’ safety concerns after investigations into the Texas City refinery explosion raised questions about whether employees feared retaliation for speaking up. Since then, 112 employees have filed complaints, and 35 of them have dealt with "system integrity or safety issues" that the office says are extremely serious.

But sources close to the office say BP doesn’t like having independent investigators pursuing those complaints. A union representative told CNN that some workers who complained have faced retaliation. Jeanne Pascal, a former lawyer for the Environmental Protection Agency, agreed.

"They’ve been demoted, they’ve been terminated, they’ve also been blackballed," Pascal said.
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http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/30/gulf.bp.ombudsman/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn

NaturalNews.com  printable article
Originally published June 26 2010
If You Live Near the Gulf Coast Oil Spill, Use House Plants for Cleaner Air
http://www.naturalnews.com/029078_oil_spill_house_plants.html
by Tony Isaacs, citizen journalist
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(NaturalNews) As if Louisiana and other gulf coast residents didn’t already have enough to worry about from the catastrophic oil spill, new reports are indicating that the very air they breathe has become a health threat. Air quality samples have found levels of sulphur dioxide, benzene and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) anywhere from 100 to 1000 times the maximum levels considered safe. One place Gulf Coast residents may look to find considerable relief from VOCs in their homes and offices is their local organic nurseries where they can find indoor plants that are proven natural toxin removers.

The good news is that common indoor plants may offer considerable improvement for the air in homes and offices. In the late 1980s, NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) spent two years testing common house plants for their ability to remove the volatile organic
compounds benzene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde from the air.

The study found that all of the plants were useful, with some houseplants capable of removing as much as 87 percent of indoor air pollutants within 24 hours. The plants the study found effective were:

*Bamboo or Reed Palm
*Elephant Ear Philodendron
*Chinese Evergreen
*Chrysanthemum
*Cornstalk Dracaena
*English Ivy
*Gerbera Daisy
*Golden Pothos
*Heartleaf Philodendron
*Janet Craig Dracaena
*Peace Lily
*Red-edged Dracaena
*Selloum Philodendron
*Snake Plant
*Spider Plant
*Warneck Dracaena
*Weeping Fig

. The plants which were found to be most effective for benzene removal were: English Ivy, Dracaena marginata, Janet Craig, Warneckei, Chrysanthemum, Gerbera Daisy and Peace lily.

Besides the benefits of eliminating toxins from the air, plants are a source of oxygen. They have been found to elevate mood as well as productivity and they reduce fatigue, coughs, sore throats and other cold-related illnesses by more than 30 percent, partially by increasing humidity levels and decreasing dust.

Sources included:

http://www.fastcompany.com/1644802/…
http://www.examiner.com/x-38220-Orl…
http://www.naturalnews.com/025587_N…
http://hubpages.com/hub/carbon-filters

ConAgra Recalls Marie Callender’s Frozen Chicken Products Due To
Possible Salmonella Contamination

ConAgra Foods Packaged Foods, LLC has
recalled Marie Callender’s Cheesy Chicken and Rice
frozen meals.

ConAgra is recalling all Marie Callender’s brand Cheesy Chicken and
Rice frozen meals in commerce, regardless of production date. These
products are being recalled after the company was informed by the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of an investigation
involving 29 people in 14 states who have been diagnosed with
salmonellosis linked to Salmonella
serotype Chester. Eight of the case-patients specifically reported
eating Marie Callenders Cheesy Chicken and Rice frozen meals in April
and May, 2010, prior to illness onset; the last reported illness was
reported on May 22.

FSIS became aware of the problem during the course of an ongoing
investigation of a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella serotype Chester
illnesses. CDC, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FSIS, and state
health and agriculture departments are cooperating in this ongoing
investigation. The investigation is ongoing, and has not yet
definitively identified a food vehicle(s). Further information will be
released to the public as it becomes available.

The products subject to recall include: 13-ounce packages of "Marie
Callender’s Cheesy Chicken & Rice White Meat Chicken and Broccoli
over Rice Topped with Rich Cheddar Sauce." (READ FULL ARTICLE)

I love this idea. Sort of obvious once you think about it,
but hardly considered or discussed when talking about ways to reduce climate
change, obesity, driving, and so on. Why do people think life in the suburbs
sounds so nice? One major reason is because they think of the benefits of a nice
big [...]

[Preventing Urban Sprawl with Parks from Green Living Ideas]