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EPA Cleans House, Industry Fights Back
Necessary News
Monday, December 12, 2011
by Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, Executive Director/CEO, Healthy Child Healthy World
The Environmental Protection Agency is cleaning house. Last week, Administrator Lisa P. Jackson released hundreds of chemical studies, which were formerly kept secret from the public as confidential business information.
This week, National Public Radio reported that the EPA released information on pollution violations at more than 1,600 power plants, which expose communities to benzene, formaldehyde, mercury and other hazardous chemicals. According to NPR, at least 300 of these—considered “high priority violators” for at least 10 years—were on a secret EPA “watch list” until now.
But the industries that depend on these chemicals are fighting back. Recently, the International Fragrance Association North America challenged a law introduced by Representative Steve Israel of New York that would force them to have ingredient lists on their bottles, claiming that fragrance recipes are “artistic creations that need to be protected,” according to the National Journal.
As the fight heats up, pediatricians, are becoming even more vocal about our need to clearly identify and reduce chemical toxicants that can affect children’s health, according to Family Practice News. At a recent conference sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment, Dr. Jerome Paulson referred to children’s increased vulnerabilities to pesticides such as organophosphates, pyrethrins, Bisphenol A, phthalates, manganese and arsenic, calling them “the canaries in the coal mine.”
Our children’s health needs protecting—not “artistic” chemical creations or the profits of industry.
Please take a moment to send a Holiday e-card to your Senators asking for the gift of the Safe Chemicals Act, the long overdue legislation that will give our children the protection they need from toxic exposures. Simply submit your holiday photo at Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families’ website and your card and request will be quickly created and sent.
The staff at Healthy Child Healthy World works tirelessly to translate the science and bring you the latest, practical information to create a healthier home. Please consider supporting our work with a donation today. For a limited time, everyone who donates $100 or more will receive a Healthy Holiday Gift Box valued at over $200! Donate now!
Photo courtesy suzettesuzette / CC BY 2.0
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Posted by Lisa on 12/19/2011 at 08:50 AM
It would be wonderful to see all of the celebrities that have perfumes and fragrances on the market put their money and muscle behind getting ingredient lists on their products. I wonder how many of them really know exactly what is in their “creations” - or if they care.