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EPA Rebuilds Endocrine Disrupter Screening Program to Better Assess Human Endocrine Effects of Pesticides

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the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a strategic plan to ensure that its assessments of pesticides more closely, quickly, and effectively evaluate the potential for endocrine effects in humans. These strategies will also improve EPA’s ability to protect against those effects as part of its pesticide decisions under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and to implement the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) under section 408(p) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

“This plan is a major milestone in our efforts to ensure that pesticide decisions continue to protect human health,” said Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pesticide Programs for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Jake Li. “Starting with our highest priority chemicals, EPA will communicate more transparently our endocrine findings for humans, pulling from existing data when possible, and requesting new data when necessary to evaluate potential estrogen, androgen, and thyroid effects.”

Endocrine systems, also referred to as hormone systems, are found in all mammals, birds, fish, and many other living organisms. The systems regulate many biological processes in the body from conception through adulthood and into old age, including the development of the brain and nervous system, the growth and function of the reproductive system, and metabolism and blood sugar levels.

Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that mimic, block, or disrupt the normal function of hormones. Following the 1996 amendment of FFDCA, EPA established EDSP to evaluate how pesticides and other chemicals may affect estrogen, androgen, and thyroid systems. Since then, EPA has encountered several challenges with implementing EDSP. For example, the Agency has historically lacked scientific methods to rapidly and cost-effectively test thousands of chemicals for endocrine-disrupting effects. Further, EPA’s FIFRA decisions rarely explained whether or how they fully obtained all needed endocrine data or complied with FFDCA by protecting humans from potential endocrine effects. EPA staff also received minimal support and direction from leadership in the last Administration to implement EDSP. Because of these and other issues, the Office of Inspector General issued a report in 2021 concluding that the Agency had made limited progress in implementing EDSP and recommending, among other things, that the Agency develop an EDSP strategic plan.

The strategic plan and supporting documents released today advance EDSP in several unprecedented ways.

EPA will use its FIFRA process to obtain endocrine data and make endocrine decisions for human health. Going forward, EPA will use its existing FIFRA data collection authorities to obtain the data it needs to make both FIFRA and EDSP decisions on whether the pesticide impacts the human estrogen, androgen, and thyroid systems, and will require any needed protections. Given the large number of pesticides awaiting these decisions, EPA is prioritizing the approximately 400 conventional pesticide active ingredients that are being registered for the first time or undergoing registration review.

EPA will make endocrine decisions related to human health more expeditiously by using existing data when possible. EPA routinely obtains data under FIFRA that are identical or comparable to data that EPA would have obtained through EDSP. Additionally, other existing studies may also inform EDSP findings. Where these data are sufficient to support EDSP findings under FFDCA, EPA will make those findings without seeking additional data. This minimizes duplicative and expensive animal testing and expedites EPA’s ability to make those findings without waiting for new studies. To support the strategic plan, EPA is releasing a science paper that addresses longstanding questions about which types of existing data can inform endocrine findings under FIFRA and FFDCA.

After evaluating available data for 403 conventional pesticides, EPA has determined it has adequate estrogen and androgen data for 86 of these chemicals. Thus, as part of registration review, after assessing for potential thyroid effects, EPA can make final EDSP decisions on the potential for these chemicals to impact the human estrogen, androgen, and thyroid systems. Similarly, EPA has determined it has sufficient data for 52 pesticide chemicals (50 conventional active ingredients and two inert ingredients) it prioritized in 2009 to assess the potential for these chemicals to impact the human estrogen, androgen, and thyroid systems. Now, as a supplement to the strategic plan, the Agency is communicating its final EDSP decisions relating to impacts on the human estrogen, androgen, and thyroid pathways for these 52 chemicals.

Because the science on the human endocrine system evolves constantly, especially for thyroid, EPA anticipates seeking in 2025 scientific peer review on scientific advancements and on its current approach to thyroid assessments. The Agency will then determine whether to update its approach.

In the near-term, EPA will require additional endocrine data for human health for 30 pesticides. EPA has identified 30 high-priority pesticides that require additional data on potential human estrogen and/or androgen effects. These pesticides are considered high priority because preliminary data indicate the chemicals may cause activity in the endocrine system. EPA is seeking available data or information on these chemicals for 60 days as part of a public comment period. Additionally, to fill any remaining data gaps, the Agency intends to issue FIFRA human health data requests for these chemicals in the spring of 2024. EPA is also seeking available data or other information to evaluate endocrine data needs for a second group of 126 conventional pesticides for which the Agency’s initial analysis has found limited endocrine data. For 161 additional conventional pesticides, the Agency will determine which ones it needs to obtain updated endocrine data for in the coming years as part of registration review.

Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records

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Booked Last 24 Hours-Public – 2023-11-02

Vanderburgh County Crash Report

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CrashReportR1 – 2023-11-02

Vanderburgh County Arrest Warrants

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Courier Warrants – 2023-11-02

Attorney General Todd Rokita cautions Hoosier parents of child identity theft 

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Attorney General Todd Rokita is warning Hoosiers that child identity theft is on the rise. 1.3 million children have their identities stolen every year. This crime occurs when a hacker steals a child’s personal information and uses it to receive services or benefits.  

“Having your identity stolen, as an adult or a child, is devastating financially and mentally,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Our children do not typically have credit reports, which presents a blank slate for criminals to apply for credit and take out loans in their name. This type of theft can go undetected for years until they apply for a car loan or their first credit card.”

Scammers often use children’s Social Security number, name and address, or date of birth to apply for services, like health care coverage or nutrition assistance, open a bank or credit card account, apply for a loan, sign up for a utility service, or even rent a place to live.

“The effects of identity fraud are not only a hinderance or an annoyance – they can also destroy the future of children who are navigating into adulthood,” Attorney General Rokita said. “As they apply for college loans or apply for a credit card, they can be completely denied due to unprotected data and greedy hackers.”

Attorney General Rokita, along with the Federal Trade Commission, offer the following tips to protect your child from identity theft:

  • Ask questions before giving anyone your child’s Social Security number – even if it the child’s school, ask these questions:
  • Why do you need it?
  • How will you protect it?
  • Can you use a different identifier?
  • Can you use just the last four digits of the Social Security number?
  • Protect documents with personal information
  • If you have documents with your child’s personal information, like medical bills or their Social Security card, keep them in a safe place, like a locked file cabinet.
  • When you decide to get rid of those documents, shred them before you throw them away. If you don’t have a shredder, look for a local shred day.
  • Delete personal information before disposing of a computer or cell phone.
  • Your computer and phone might contain personal information about your child. Find out how to delete that information before you get rid of a computer or a cell phone.
  • Security Freeze
  • As a parent or legal guardian, a security freeze is one tool you can use to restrict certain access to your minor dependent’s credit report. Should you request a security freeze be placed on your minor dependent’s credit report, a credit report is created for the minor and then frozen.
  • Once a security freeze is placed on your child’s credit report, it restricts certain access to it, including by fraudsters who may be trying to open a new account using the child’s ID.
  • Security freezes are free but must be placed separately with all 3 national credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). You’ll need to provide copies of documentation that verify your ID; the minor dependent’s ID; and your relationship to them.

 

USI Romain College of Business to host content creator and financial influencer Kyla Scanlon

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The University of Southern Indiana Romain College of Business will present “In This Economy? How Money and Markets Really Work” with Kyla Scanlon, Social Content Creator and Founder of the financial education company, Bread, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 15. The presentation will take place in the Business and Engineering Center Atrium and is open to the public at no charge. This presentation is made possible by the generous support of Berger Wealth Services at Baird Private Wealth Management and the USI Foundation.

Scanlon has garnered a wide following on a variety of social media platforms by sharing financial knowledge in quick video segments aimed at the Gen Z audience. She has over 423,000 combined followers and subscribers on Instagram, X, TikTok and YouTube. In addition to her social media content, she has her own podcast called “Let’s Appreciate,” a newsletter with over 51,000 subscribers on SubStack and a book, In This Economy? How Money and Markets Really Work, that will be released in April of 2024.

She started her career as an Associate at Capital Group conducting macroeconomic analysis and modeling investment strategies. Scanlon earned bachelor’s degrees in economics, finance and data analytics from Western Kentucky University in 2019.

 

Gov. Holcomb announces Canadian Solar building new $800M solar cell manufacturing facility in Southeast Indiana

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Company’s investment will add 1,200 jobs, produce 5GW annually at River Ridge Commerce Center in Jeffersonville, powering solar energy across U.S.

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind.– Governor Eric Holcomb today announced plans for a new solar photovoltaic (PV) cell production facility in Indiana. Canadian Solar’s new plant, which will be the company’s second solar module production facility in the U.S., will create approximately 1,200 new jobs in Jeffersonville over the next several years.

“Indiana’s strong advanced manufacturing sector positions the state to help lead the global energy transition, developing and powering new solutions in batteries, solar, and hydrogen,” said Gov. Holcomb. “Canadian Solar’s new U.S. location in Jeffersonville will put our skilled Hoosier workforce at the center of cultivating solar power, making energy-efficient panels more accessible to consumers across the country.”

Canadian Solar, an integrated provider of solar power products, services and system solutions, will invest a projected $800 million to construct and equip a state-of-the-art PV cell manufacturing plant at the River Ridge Commerce Center in Jeffersonville. The new plant will produce an annual output of 5GW – equivalent to approximately 20,000 high-power solar panels per day – and ship the finished cells to the company’s new module assembly facility in Texas, announced earlier this year. Production is expected to begin by the end of 2025.

“Establishing this factory is a key milestone that will enable us to better serve our U.S. customers with the most advanced technology in the industry,” said Dr. Shawn Qu, founder and CEO of Canadian Solar, emphasizing the importance of this new facility. “This is the second of the anticipated long-term investments we expect to make in the U.S. as we think strategically about a sustainable and resilient clean energy supply chain. We thank the state of Indiana, Clark County, and the city of Jeffersonville for their critical support and we look forward to working with them as we grow.”

Canadian Solar plans to begin hiring for new positions in mid-2024 and will ramp up hiring in early 2025 to fully staff the Jeffersonville plant. This facility joins the global manufacturing facilities in Canada, China, Brazil, Vietnam and Thailand.

“The city of Jeffersonville is pleased that Canadian Solar has chosen River Ridge Commerce Center as home for their newest critical production facility in the United States,” said Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore. “Not only are they making a large financial investment into our community, but they will also become one of the largest single-site employers in the Greater Louisville region. When in full production, their total employment base will include over 150 engineers at this facility. We are thrilled to see a global industry leader join our community and provide a product with enormous potential.”

“This is a historic investment in River Ridge and Southern Indiana,” said Jerry Acy, executive director of the River Ridge Development Authority. “The technologies of the future are being built right here at River Ridge, I want to thank Dr. Shawn Qu and his team at Canadian Solar for their commitment to our region. We look forward to a successful partnership that will launch the next solar power generation.”

Based on the company’s job creation plans, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation committed an investment in Canadian Solar of up to $9.7 million in the form of conditional tax credits and up to $400,000 in conditional training grants. The IEDC also committed an investment of up to $2 million in conditional redevelopment tax credits based on the company’s investment plans and up to $200,000 in Manufacturing Readiness Grants. These incentives are performance-based, meaning the company is eligible to claim state benefits once investments are made and employees are hired and trained. The City of Jeffersonville and the River Ridge Development Authority offered additional incentives.

DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS STATE MEDIA GUIDE FOR 2023

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STATE MEDIA GUIDE FOR 2023

IHDC Media Guide_October 2023

Vincennes University recognized as an Aspen Prize Top 150 U.S. Community College

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VINCENNES, Ind., November 1, 2023 – Vincennes University is honored for the recognition of its unwavering commitment to excellence and equity in student success, and is proud to announce that VU is once again recognized as an Aspen Prize Top 150 U.S. Community College. VU is the only Indiana institution to be included in this year’s award process.

With this distinction, VU has been granted the special opportunity to compete for the prestigious 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and $1 million in shared prize funds. Awarded by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, the $1 million Aspen Prize aims to elevate the community college sector and draw attention to what exemplary colleges can do to promote economic mobility for students and talent development for communities.

Only 15 percent of junior colleges and community colleges are chosen for the opportunity to apply for this significant honor. The selective process underscores VU’s commitment to achieving high and equitable student outcomes.

According to VU President Dr. Chuck Johnson, “We have witnessed remarkable improvements in graduation rates, academic performance, and student satisfaction. This announcement by the Aspen Institute is a testament to the Board of Trustees’ commitment to the University’s ongoing pursuit of excellence in higher education and a recognition of the transformative impact our outstanding faculty and staff have on the lives of our students.”

Through innovative programs, a student-centric approach, and an enduring commitment to improving student success outcomes, VU has continued to see improvements in student success across all populations of students.

This marks the second time since 2019 that VU has been eligible to participate in this biennial award process. The recognition highlights VU’s mission of providing high-quality and affordable education while cultivating a supportive environment for student success.

VU Provost Dr. Laura Treanor said, “Our mission is to offer the highest quality instructional environment possible. Our dedicated faculty and staff have a laser-sharp focus on creating environments that foster student growth, engagement, and achievement, and I am delighted that our work is being acknowledged with this prestigious recognition.”

Arts Commission seeks applications from artists for business training workshop, fellowship

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(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) is now accepting applications for the 2024 On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program. On-Ramp is a program for artists and creative entrepreneurs seeking training and resources around establishing or supporting an arts-based business in Indiana. 

Designed by Elaine Grogan Luttrull of Minerva Financial Arts, On-Ramp focuses on ten key business concepts for a successful creative career including defining value, business structure, identifying and marketing to customers, pricing strategy, marketing strategy, managing expenses and generating revenue, taxes, and planning.

The On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator is comprised of a three-day in-person intensive entrepreneurship and community engagement workshop and the opportunity to apply for up to $2,000 in fellowship funding to put the training into action. The 2024 On-Ramp workshop will be May 8-10, 2024, in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Based upon survey results from previous cohorts, On-Ramp alumni are consistently more confident in their ability to pursue a creative career in Indiana, more knowledgeable about the key business areas of focus, and more likely to take action in their careers following participation in the workshop.

“Indiana’s creative economy is strengthened by entrepreneurs,” said Jordan Adams, IAC Artists Services Manager. “Each year, the On-Ramp cohort demonstrates the power of Hoosier creative entrepreneurs, and we look forward to welcoming the newest cohort into this inspiring network.”

The deadline to apply to participate is January 4, 2024.

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