Author Archives: Marley Zalay

About Marley Zalay

Marley fell in love with Butte County after starting school at Chico State in 2007. She graduated in 2011 with a BS in Health Science and an emphasis in Environmental Health. She is passionate about protecting public health and reducing our impact on the environment. She also loves to spend time outdoors, hiking, surfing, biking and traveling. Marley is an active community member and enjoys volunteering her time for local organizations such as Sustainable Engineering and Environmental Health for Development (SEEHD), the Butte Environmental Council and local schools. An avid reader and a lifelong student, Marley is elated by the opportunity to share community perspectives in Greater Oroville through ouRXperience blogs.

BEC Investigates Dioxin in Oroville Eggs

June 12, 2012, 8:57 am • Posted by Marley Zalay
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In July of 2011, Community Correspondent Rachelle Parker wrote about Butte Environmental Council's (BEC) fascinating study assessing dioxin levels in backyard chicken eggs around Oroville. She outlined the history of the Koppers fire which caused dioxin contamination in surrounding soil and the original study by the former California Department of Health Services (CDHS). Dioxin is known for its toxicity and persistence in the environment. BEC recently held a workshop in Oroville about dioxin to educate community members about this issue.

The intention of BEC's study was to gain a better understanding of the public's exposure to dioxin by eating backyard chicken eggs. Julia Murphy, Education and Outreach Assistant at BEC, explained that dioxin is linked to a myriad of negative health effects, "from hormone disruption and immune system dysfunction, to birth defects and cancer." But because we are exposed to dioxin from a variety of sources, it is difficult to draw a straight cause-and-effect line from the source to adverse health effects.

Filed under: Greater Oroville
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Lunch Time At Palermo School

May 4, 2012, 2:08 pm • Posted by Marley Zalay
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With new healthy food standards going into effect this fall, schools across the nation will be required to offer more wholesome foods and reduce unhealthy ones. Palermo Middle School, however, is already ahead of the game.

The USDA’s new school lunch standards stem from the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act passed in 2010. The new requirements limit sodium and trans fats, include more fruit, vegetable, and whole grain servings and replace whole milk with low-fat and non-fat options. The long term objective of improved school nutrition, advocated heavily by Michelle Obama, is decreased childhood obesity.

Filed under: Greater Oroville
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Butte County Receives an F in Air Quality

March 30, 2012, 3:18 pm • Posted by Marley Zalay
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Butte County received a whopping "F" on the American Lung Association’s State of the Air report card for 2011. This grade is calculated by collecting ozone and particulate matter (PM) data from various sites throughout the county. The air monitoring devices which measure these pollutants are located in Chico, Paradise and Gridley, and are operated by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

Filed under: Greater Oroville
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