WVTK Local & State News April 30, 2014

Earlier today, the Vermont House gave final approval to a bill to protect children from the exposure to toxic chemicals. The House voted 120 to 22 to advance a bill that would give the commissioner of health the power to require products containing certain chemicals to be labeled, or to ban the chemicals. The bill starts with a list of chemicals of concern that is borrowed from Washington State, which has a similar law. Representative David Deen, says states are getting involved because the federal government hasn't done enough to protect people from exposure to toxic chemicals.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced $100 million in capital improvements for International Paper. The funding is part of ReChargeNY, a program that supports business growth by providing low-cost power. A press release says the funding will help support 600 existing jobs at the facility and assist International Paper's ongoing investment in substantial energy reduction projects in the North Country.

Healthcare officials at Fletcher Allen Healthcare are concerned that there may be a dangerous batch of Heroin circulating in the Burlington area. Yesterday, the emergency room at FAHC saw 9 patients with Heroin Overdoses. Usually the hospital sees that many cases over a number of months. So far all of the patients have been treated and are OK.

Residents in the Rutland County now have a new option for getting rid of old or unwanted prescription drugs. The Rutland County Sheriff’s Department has installed a drop box in the lobby at 88 Grove Street.

A spokesman for the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant says it experienced a small leak of radioactive steam last week, but that the leak was contained and the public was not in danger. Yankee spokesman Rob Williams said the leak was discovered by a worker doing maintenance on a pipe. He said the problem was corrected immediately and that air sampling monitoring confirmed extremely low radioactivity, well within the limits set in the plant's operating license.