NYT article on study of extreme weather, toxins quotes Miner

The New York Times quoted Kimberly Miner, a research assistant professor at the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute, in an article about new research linking extreme weather events to the release and spread of toxic chemicals. Extreme weather and fires, which are often intensified by climate change, can dislodge chemicals from soil, homes, industrial waste sites and other sources, and spread them into the air, water and ground, the article states. These events seem to be exposing people to a variety of physical ailments, including respiratory disease and cancer, according to new research led by Naresh Kumar at the University of Miami. Many contaminants persist in the environment or people’s bodies after a disaster, and accumulate with each new storm or fire, the article states. Miner, who studies climate change and contaminants, said governments need to do more to contain toxic chemicals during disasters. “When I was growing up, they were still saying the solution to pollution is dilution. We now know that’s absolutely not true,” she said.