Kids Safe Chemicals In Congress

Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Posted by Healthy Child

Eliminating Toxic Chemicals in Children
Bill in Congress aims for “Kid-Safe” chemicals

(Washington) ”Senator Frank Lautenberg (NJ), together with Representatives Hilda Solis (CA) and Henry Waxman (CA) have proposed sweeping legislation that would overhaul the nation’s regulatory system for industrial chemicals - the Kid Safe Chemicals Act of 2008 (KSCA).” Environmental health advocates, scientists, parents, and consumers are paying close attention to this historic legislation that will require companies that make or import chemicals in the United States to demonstrate the safety of their products, backed up with scientific data.

• In spite of the 1976 passage of Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), tens of thousands of industrial chemicals have been allowed to remain in the marketplace today even though they have not been tested or scrutinized for their health and environmental impacts.
• The bill is in response to a growing number of studies demonstrating rising rates of children’s illnesses linked to toxic chemical exposure, including obesity, asthma, autism, thyroid disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and reproductive illness, as well as in utero contamination from bisphenol A, flame retardants, phthalates, and other pervasive chemicals.
• Due to the failure of EPA regulatory policy on chemicals, and concern over chemical industry influence on decisions made by both the FDA and EPA, state legislatures and agencies across the nation have developed aggressive regulatory initiatives, following the examples of Canada and Europe in adopting more precaution-based chemical policies.

Retailers, investors, and entrepreneurs are seeking companies that can meet higher public expectations, helping to spur the growth of safer, greener products.

“After years of apathy and inaction by the U.S. government, Congress is awakening to the pervasive health impacts from dangerous chemicals,“ according to Daryl Ditz, at the nonpartisan Center for International Environmental Law. “The Kid Safe Chemicals Act would help weed out the worst chemicals, reward companies that offer safer products, and help to regain U.S. leadership on this global problem.”

“Chemical reform in the U.S. is long overdue. This is a very important first step in finally putting our public health in front of corporate profits. The recent poll of EPA scientists indicates that many harmful chemicals have been approved for the marketplace without regard to their impact upon children’s health. It’s time to put a stop to this lack of accountability with the chemical manufacturers, and make them responsible for their products,” says Christopher Gavigan from Healthy Child Healthy World.

"You shouldn't need a degree in chemistry to keep your kids safe and healthy," said MomsRising.org Executive Director Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner. ”The Kid Safe Chemicals Act would put the responsibility for ensuring that products are safe where it belongs — with the companies that make products as well as those that market chemicals."

Available for Interviews

David O. Carpenter, M.D. Institute for Health & the Environment University at Albany, SUNY, (518) 525-2660 - Can speak about children’s illnesses linked to toxic exposure.

Kathleen A. Curtis, Policy Director, Clean New York, a project of Women's Voices for the Earth 518 6698282 (cell) 518 355.6202 (home office) http://www.clean-ny.org - Expert on states’ leading nation on toxic chemical reform.

Dr. Richard Denison, Ph.D. Senior Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund, 202 387.3500 - Can discuss details of bill especially data requirements, scientific integrity, public access to information; comparison of US policies to those in other countries.

Dr. Daryl W. Ditz, Ph.D. Senior Policy Advisor, Chemicals Program Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) 202 742.5849 (Direct) http://www.ciel.org - Will explain KCSA bill and legislative process

Christopher Gavigan, CEO & Executive Director - Healthy Child, Healthy World
310 820 .2030 http://www.healthychild.org - The importance of reducing toxic exposure for our children and how parents can practically make their homes safer, how parents can participate in the process of making safer chemical regulations.

Andy Igrejas, Pew Environment Group 202 778.4552 - Will explain legislation and need for chemical regulatory reform.

Dr. Philip J. Landrigan is a pediatrician, epidemiologist, and internationally recognized leader in public health and preventive medicine. Mt. Sinai School of Medicine 212 241.6173

Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director, MomsRising.org. Contact Gretchen Wright, 202 371.1999 , http://www.momsrising.org - Will address growing community of mothers working for tougher toxic chemical reform to protect kids.

Sandra Steingraber, PhD, scientist, mother, cancer survivor, author. Ithaca College. Contact: Margie Kelly, 541 344.2282


Resources

“Contaminated without Consent” video on chemical exposure

Is It in Us? Study of chemicals in our bodies

Not That Innocent: A Comparative Analysis of Canadian, European Union and United States Policies on Industrial Chemicals, identifies structural deficiencies in the Toxic Substances Control Act and “best practices” drawn from policies in place in other countries.

High Hopes, Low Marks: A final report card on the HPV Challenge, a critical analysis of the USEPA’s voluntary High Production Volume Challenge Program

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Posted by John Gardiner  on  06/18  at  12:46 PM

I fully agree and applaud this initiative. Children are simply too precious to take risks with.

It continues to surprise that so many well known brands contain potential chemical irritants

Posted by  on  06/21  at  06:06 PM

Yes, toxic chemicals are everywhere in the U.S., especially in unlabled synthetic fragranced products. They qualify as hazardous waste.

Sincerely,

Connie Pitts
Author
Get a Whiff of This www.AuthorHouse.com or www.amazon.com