Palin'sToxic Paradise

As governor of a state with a birth-defect rate that's twice the national average, and which has the gloomy status as repository of toxic chemicals from around the world, Palin has pursued environmental policies that seem perfectly crafted to swell the ranks of special-needs kids.
It's true that Alaska's top leaders have placed industry wishes over environmental protection for years. but, instead of correcting this problem, she's compounded it.
Peer into her environmental record, and Palin ends up looking a lot like George W. Bush.

In the past 20 years, research has shown that exposure to some metals and to chemicals such as pesticides, flame retardants, and polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) can cause birth defects and permanent developmental disorders both prenatally and in the first years of childhood.
And Alaska is vulnerable to some of the worst environmental pollutants out there.
In a state whose wealth depends on the exploitation of its natural resources, the toxic byproducts of mining and energy development, such as arsenic, mercury, and lead, are particular problems.

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