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MAY 16, 2001

The Environmental Protection Agency's Science Advisory Board on Tuesday approved releasing a report that links dioxins to cancer in animals and possibly in humans.

The EPA has been studying the issue for more than a decade. Last year, the board was conflicted on whether dioxins are human carcinogens, a classification industry groups oppose.

Dioxins are a group of chemical compounds which are created by a number of human activities. Indigenous people who live a subsistence lifestyle face increased risk from dioxins, as they tend to gather in animal fat and then in humans.

Get the Story:
EPA panel agrees dioxin poses cancer risk (AP 5/15)

Relevant Links:
Science Advisory Board, EPA - http://www.epa.gov/sab
How POPs threaten the Natural Environment and the Future of Indigenous Peoples - http://www.ienearth.org/pops_threat-p1.html
The Indigenous Environmental Network - http://www.ienearth.org
Contaminants in Alaska - http://www.state.ak.us/dec/deh/contaminants.htm
Persistent Organic Pollutants, the United Nations - http://irptc.unep.ch/pops

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