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December 12, 2008
Scientists, Physicians, Health and Environmental Justice Advocates to New Obama EPA Director: “We Look Forward to Toxic Chemical Regulatory Reform”
Dozens of health advocacy groups concerned about growing rates of asthma, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, reproductive and developmental problems, thyroid disease and other diseases of environmental origin, said today that they look forward to supporting President Elect-Obama’s new EPA Director with expertise and information for solutions to the urgent threat of toxic chemical contamination.
“Too many children, workers and communities all over the nation are suffering from asthma, cancer, learning disabilities and other illnesses at alarming rates. We hope the new EPA Director will be able to act swiftly to protect people from further harm, according to Cecil Corbin Mark of WE ACT for Environmental Justice in New York. “With so many different chemicals in our environment, such as bisphenol A, brominated flame retardants, polyvinyl chloride, perchlorate, melamine and others, the situation requires immediate action to stem the illnesses linked to chemical exposure, and protect future generations.”
“We are hopeful that the new administration will take action to reduce our exposure to toxic chemicals linked to breast cancer and other diseases. A good place to start is to support legislation that would ban bisphenol A from products like food can liners and plastic baby bottles,” said Janet Nudelman, policy director at the Breast Cancer Fund. “The fact that this unstable toxic chemical is in food containers we use every day is a prime example of why we need to overhaul how chemicals are regulated in this country.”
“Toxic chemicals can drift thousands of miles North from where they are produced and applied,” says Pam Miller, biologist and director of Alaska Community Action on Toxics, “Arctic Indigenous peoples are among the most highly exposed people in the world, contaminated from chemicals elsewhere. The food they depend upon is grossly contaminated. They have been working with the international community of toxic chemical protection advocates, and both groups welcome the Obama administration’s new EPA director and foreign policy staff to prioritize urgent, common sense solutions to these issues.”
Kathy Curtis, from Clean New York says, “Restoration of scientific integrity in state and federal agencies is critical in protecting the public from harm from toxic chemical exposures. We ask that the new EPA administrator ensure preservation of integrity of scientists and other staff dedicated to safeguarding the public from toxic chemicals. Toxic chemical regulation needs to be conducted without industry influence, and we urge the new EPA chief to re-consider outsourcing important scientific studies to consulting firms that might be swayed by influence of corporations prioritizing profits over public health. ”
Judith Robinson, Director of Programs for Environmental Health Fund adds, “This is an exciting time for change in the U.S. We are looking forward to supporting President-Elect Obama and the new EPA director with information and expertise on chemical exposure, and for solutions that help support our new Green economy with less toxic exposure hazards.”
These and other groups recently submitted Guidelines and Principles for Toxic Chemical Regulatory Reform in the U.S. to the Obama transition team. The full document can be obtained at: http://www.louisvillecharter.org/whatsnew.obama.shtml and
http://www.isitinus.org/whatwecando.obama.php
Available for Interviews
Jose T. Bravo
Director, Just Transition Alliance / Alianza de Transicion Justa
Chula Vista, CA. Jose works with communities contaminated with chemicals, which occurs mostly where low income people of color are living, although everyone is at risk.
Cell: 619.838-6694, jtawest@yahoo.com
Cecil Corbin-Mark
Director of programs for WE ACT for Environmental Justice (WE ACT).
212.961.1000 ext. 303, Cecil@weact.org
Kathleen A. Curtis
Policy Director, Clean New York, a project of Women's Voices for the Earth.
Cell: 518.669.8282, Office: 518.355.6202, www.clean-ny.org, clean.kathy@gmail.com
Elise Miller, MEd
Executive Director, Institute for Children’s Environmental Health
National Coordinator, CHE’s Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative.
360.331.7904, www.iceh.org, www.partnersforchildren.org, www.chenw.org, emiller@iceh.org
Pam Miller
Founder and Executive Director of Alaska Community Action on Toxics. 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 and can also address the several hundred toxic waste dump sites, now leaking chemicals due to global warming, and contaminating water, soil and air near communities.
907.222.7714
Janet Nudelman
Director of Program and Policy, Breast Cancer Fund. Janet has been extensively involved in working toward restrictions on harmful chemicals such as bisphenol A and phthalates. To arrange an interview contact Shannon Coughlin.
415.336.2246, scoughlin@breastcancerfund.org
Judith Robinson
Young mother of two. Director of Programs, Environmental Health Fund
802-257-4215, jrobinson@environmentalhealthfund.org
Lynn Thorp
National Campaigns Coordinator, Clean Water Action.
Lynn will address the need for chemical policy reform and what is happening with federal policy.
202.895.0420 ext. 109, www.cleanwateraction.org
Resources
Contaminated without Consent
www.contaminatedwithoutconsent.org
Healthy Child, Healthy World
www.healthychild.org
Is It In Us?
www.isitinus.org
The Louisville Charter
www.louisvillecharter.org
MomsRising
www.momsrising.org
Physicians for Social Responsibility
www.psr.org
Principles of Environmental Justice
ej4all.org/environmental.principles.php
Scientific Consensus Statement on Environmental Agents Associated with Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Developed by the Collaborative on Health and the Environment’s Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative
February 20, 2008 (revised July 1, 2008)
www.iceh.org/pdfs/LDDI/LDDIPolicyStatement.pdf
Toxic Playroom
www.toxicplayroom.org