Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Samuel Byrne wrote an op-ed titled, "Pollution amnesia: Regulations for clear air must not be forgotten," that was recently published on Northjersey.com, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.
"Over the last several years, there has been a disturbing trend toward chipping away at cornerstone U.S. environmental regulations," writes Byrne. "This includes narrowing the definition of a waterway to remove clean water act protections from some streams and wetlands, allowing coal fired power plants to release more mercury and sulfur, and numerous changes that limit our ability to both understand and combat climate change."
He continues, "Our regulatory agencies have forgotten something important. The relatively clean environment we have now was painstakingly constructed over decades, and it exists only through the continued efforts of scientists, advocates, and policy makers."
Byrne, who is also the co-coordinator of St. Lawrence's public health minor, is trained as an environmental epidemiologist. He has a broad interest how individuals and cultures interact with their environments, and how this relationship influences human health. His research interests include the environmental causes of health disparities, health effects of environmental chemicals, and the social and cultural factors which influence exposure to toxic substances. Byrne's main research focus is the health effects of persistent organic pollutants among Alaska Natives.
Learn more about St. Lawrence's Department of Environmental Studies.
