‘Dangerous’ Heat Wave Roasting Southwest Raises Health Concerns

The Washington Post: 'Extreme' Heat To Bake Texas, Southwest With Highs Topping 110 Degrees 
Temperatures are set to soar in Texas and the Desert Southwest this week, with readings topping 110 degrees and an escalating danger of heat-related illnesses. The National Weather Service is calling the heat “dangerous,” “extreme” and “excessive,” warning vulnerable populations to take steps to ensure access to cooling resources. (Cappucci, 6/7)

CNN: Heat Like This Only Happens A Few Times A Year, One National Weather Office Says 
"It's going to be hotter than what we've seen any time this year so far," [National Weather Service meteorologist Chris] Kuhlman told CNN Weather. "We're tacking on another probably 10 degrees, so it's definitely going to be hot. "Heat waves are the deadliest type of weather disaster in the US. They account for nearly 150 fatalities per year, more than hurricanes and tornadoes combined. "This heat will impact everyone, not just those sensitive to heat risk," the National Weather Service in Sacramento emphasized in a tweet. (Jones, 6/6)

KEYE: Austin, Travis Co. Designate Dozens Of Cooling Centers During Heat Wave 
Austin and Travis County are warning residents to be vigilant about the heat. The extreme temperatures facing Central Texas this week are not only uncomfortable but life-threatening. To help people keep cool, several cooling centers are open for those seeking relief. “Even for Central Texans we're not used to having multiple days in the triple digits-- especially all in a row,” says Christa Stedman with Austin Travis County EMS. Medics are urging people to be mindful of when they’ll be outside and remember to eat and pre-hydrate, use sunscreen, wear light clothing, and listen to their bodies. (Torre, 6/7)

KENS5.com: How To Protect Yourself, Your Pets, And Your Family As Extreme Heat Arrives In Texas
If you can't keep your house cool, go somewhere cooler like the many cooling centers across Bexar County. Pace yourself and cut down on outdoor exercise. Wear sunscreen and re-apply often with at least SPF 15. Stay hydrated. If you notice you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. And check on those most vulnerable like seniors, young children, those who are overweight, and people who are sick. (Baker, 6/6)  

In related news —

Axios: Heat Waves Could Soon Have Names
There's a growing effort to name and categorize heat waves the way we do hurricanes — to call attention to their significance, alert people to dangerous temperatures and prod public officials into action. Heat waves are the deadliest type of weather emergency in the U.S. They're bigger killers than floods, tornadoes or hurricanes — and they're growing in frequency and intensity due to global warming. (Kingson, 6/8)

In other environmental health news —

AP: AG Settles With Housing Provider Over Child With Asthma
The owner of an affordable housing property in Boston and the property manager have agreed to pay $35,000 to settle allegations that they failed to adequately address secondhand smoke and a rodent infestation that negatively affected the health of a young tenant with asthma, the attorney general said Tuesday. According to the settlement, JPNDC Pitts MM LLC and Peabody Properties Inc. violated the state’s antidiscrimination and consumer protection laws by failing to make a reasonable accommodation for the child, despite repeated requests from the child’s parent and medical professionals, the office said in a statement. (6/7)

Dallas Morning News: Garland ISD Will Clean Up Soil With High Levels Of Arsenic At Middle School Campus
Garland ISD has plans to remove soil near Sam Houston Middle School after a third-party contractor report found some areas with high levels of arsenic. On Friday, Garland ISD’s executive director of facilities and maintenance, Paul Gonzales, sent out a letter to families attending the school announcing that there would be a cleanup process this summer. The report, which The Dallas Morning News obtained via an open records request, comes almost a year after the EPA alerted Garland ISD about its findings of lead contaminated soil at Park Crest Elementary, which is directly across the street from Sam Houston. The EPA began a cleanup process to remove the lead contaminated soil on district property and in the surrounding neighborhood last August. (D'Annunzio, 6/7)

KHN: Some People In This Montana Mining Town Worry About The Dust Next Door 
Steve McGrath stood in an empty lot a block from his home watching for dust. In this southwestern Montana city nicknamed “The Richest Hill on Earth,” more than a century of mining left polluted soil and water that has taken decades to clean. But at that moment, looking across the road toward Butte’s last operating open-pit mine, McGrath was worried about the air. “Here comes another truck,” McGrath said, pointing to a hillside across the street as a massive dump truck unloaded ore for the mine’s crusher. A brown cloud billowed into the air. “And there’s the dust.” (Houghton, 6/8)

The Washington Post: Coyote Killed By Cop After Biting People In Fairfax Tests Positive For Rabies
A coyote that bit three people before it was fatally shot by a police officer in Fairfax County has tested positive for rabies, and residents who were bitten are urged to get medical treatment. Officials with the county’s health department said a lab test performed Monday confirmed that the coyote had rabies. (Hedgpeth, 6/7)