September 21, 2011
Toxic Chemicals Hurt Us, Say Environmental Justice Groups to
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference
(Washington) Members of the Environmental Justice and Health Alliance on Chemical Policy will be attending the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Foundation Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) to ask those attending the conference to make environmental justice and chemical policy reform a top priority in the coming legislative seasons.
“Industry has forced delays in reforming the nation’s Toxic Substance and Control Act,” says Mark Mitchell, MD, MPH, of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice. “Meanwhile, people are sick and even dying while lobbyists and politicians block environmental health protections. We need better and equal protection in environmental health for all communities.”
“Underserved communities of color are the most harmed by chemical exposure,” explains Cecil Corbin-Mark from WeAct for Environmental Justice, New York. The Environmental Protection Agency need more authority, and more funding, to strengthen environmental health protections, not less as is being promoted in Congress now. We need TSCA reform with strong environmental health protections now.”
“As the EPA Chief, Lisa Jackson needs to have more authority to protect our human right to health. Current regulations allow the injustice of toxic industrial pollution that is harming our communities,” says Michele Roberts from Advocates for Environmental Human Rights. “As Lisa Jackson has made environmental justice a priority for the EPA, certain members of Congress falsely claim that her efforts to make environmental regulations more protective will harm the economy. If that were true, then communities with industrial polluters would be the richest in the nation. The Congressional Black Caucus for the first time has a partner at the helm of the EPA who is committed to making communities of color healthy and safe. We need the Caucus to support full funding for the EPA, strengthen environmental laws that protect our health, and continue to be a beacon for environmental justice in America.”
Jannette Robinson Flint Executive Director of Black Women for Wellness, said “When looking at the high rates of infant and maternal deaths, diabetes and obesity, we can no longer ignore the deep links between the toxic chemicals in our air, food, water and personal products and the health of our families. We ask the CBC to stand with us for the health of Black women and girls by passing a meaningful reform of TSCA.”
EPA administrator Lisa Jackson is receiving an award from the CBC Foundation at the ALC awards dinner on Saturday.
Available for Interviews
For media assistance, contact: Karen Stevenson, (678) 422-4800 karen@kyscomm.com
or Stephenie Hendricks, 415 258-9151 stephdh@earthlink.net
The Environmental Justice Health Alliance members at the CBC Foundation Annual Legislative Conference who are available for interviews are:
Michele Roberts, Campaign & Policy Coordinator, Advocates for Environmental Human Rights, 504.450.8568, mroberts@ehumanrights.org. Michele can address TSCA policy issues and the impacts on communities in Mossville, Louisiana and other historic African American communities.
Mark A. Mitchell M.D., MPH, Senior Policy Advisor of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice and Co-chair of the Environmental Health Task Force for the National Medical Association, the oldest and largest association of Physicians of Color. 860.794.9497, mmitchell@enviro-md.com. Mark can talk about health disparities linked to environmental issues, as well as hot spots, legacy chemicals, increased susceptibility and unanticipated exposures in environmental justice communities.
Jannette Robinson Flint, executive director, Black Women for Wellness, 323. 839.0684 , bwwlosangeles@yahoo.com. Jan is be able to address issues at the intersection of reproductive and environmental justice issues, the impacts with African American women & girl.s
Cecil Corbin-Mark, Director of Policy Initiatives and Deputy Director for WE ACT for Environmental Justice (WE ACT) in New York, NY. 212.961.1000 ext. 303, Cecil@weact.org. Cecil can address environmental justice and chemical exposure issues. To interview Cecil at the event, contact Karen Stevenson, (678) 422-4800 karen@kyscomm.com
Other EJHA Members Available for print, radio or Skype interviews on environmental justice and TSCA reform:
Martha Dina Argüello, Executive Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility — Los Angeles, CA. 310.261.0073, marguello@psr-la.org. Martha can address a variety of toxic chemical exposure issues — to communities of color, about educating physicians, and what has happened in California regarding reforming state chemical regulatory policy. She has been involved in the California Green Chemistry Initiative.
Jose T. Bravo, Executive Director, Just Transition Alliance, San Diego, CA. 619.838.6694, jose@just-transition.org. Jose works with communities contaminated with chemicals, which occurs mostly where people of color and low-income residents live.
Monique Harden, Esq, co-Executive Director of Advocates for Environmental Human Rights in New Orleans, LA and Washington, DC. 504.799.3060, mharden@ehumanrights.org. Monique is an attorney with expertise on human rights and environmental legislation and judicial decisions in the U.S. and abroad. Her organization’s litigation on behalf of African American residents of Mossville, LA has led to a precedent by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States, which decided for the first time to take jurisdiction over a case of environmental racism in the United States.
Pam Miller, Founder and Executive Director of Alaska Community Action on Toxics. 907.222.7714, pkmiller@akaction.net. Pam can address the drift of POPs chemicals from lower hemispheres, putting Indigenous peoples in the Arctic at great risk for illness from chemical contaminants. She can also address the several hundred toxic waste dump sites in Alaska, now leaking chemicals due to global warming, and contaminating water, soil and air near communities.
Richard Moore, Los Jardines Institute in Albuquerque, NM, 505.301.0276, ljinewmexico@gmail.com. Richard can talk about environmental justice issues and organizing in the Southwest.
Vi Waghiyi, Environmental Health and Justice Program Director, Alaska Community Action on Toxics. 907.222.7714 or 907.444.9194 (cell). Vi can speak to the shocking chemical test results of the St. Lawrence Island, Alaska traditional foods and human health bio-monitoring results of Alaska native people.
Resources
What Is Environmental Justice?
Principles of Environmental Justice