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Bill Would Protect Kids Against Chemicals 5-20-08
A new bill in Congress, The Kid Safe Chemical Act, would force chemical
manufacturers to prove their chemicals are safe before they are used in
commerce, in essence setting up a system more akin to European-style
regulations.
The bill was introduced Tuesday by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and
Representatives Hilda Solis and Henry Waxman (both D-CA).
Currently, chemicals are effectively considered safe until proven otherwise. The
worst-case scenario, as in the case of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) or
arguably Bisphenol A (BPA) is that a chemical is used widely for years, until
enough testing takes place to show serious concerns, if not damning evidence
that it causes health problems. Currently, Bisphenol A in plastic is a prime
suspect as a hormone-mimicing agent with wide-ranging effects.
Some testing has shown as many as 455 different man-made chemicals in people.
This bill would make it harder for hazardous chemicals to be used so widely that
they accumulate in people's bodies. Because children's organs are still
developing, and because smaller doses have large effects on small bodies, they
are most at risk from exposure to chemicals in the environment. Thousands of
chemicals are in use today that have never been tested for potential health
effects.
Earthjustice, an environmental group, calls the bill the first effort in more
than there decades to upgrade the nation's regulation of toxic substances.
“For years the chemical industry has worn the pants in its relationship with
EPA. This bill would give the agency the power it needs to keep our bodies free
from dangerous chemicals,” said Earthjustice Associate Legislative Counsel and
environmental health policy analyst Ben Dunham. “Each day we learn more about
the link between the chemicals found in our bodies and conditions like autism,
childhood cancer, and learning deficits. The Kid Safe Chemicals Act requires
companies to test these chemicals and prove them safe.”
Here's how Earth Justice summarizes the legislation:
*Requires basic data on industrial chemicals. Chemical companies must
demonstrate the safety of their products, backed up with credible evidence.
Chemicals that lack minimum data could not be legally manufactured in or
imported into the United States.
*Places the burden on industry to demonstrate safety. EPA must systematically
review whether industry has met this burden of proof for all industrial
chemicals within 15 years of adoption, even sooner for priority chemicals.
*Restrict the use of dangerous chemicals found in newborn babies. Hazardous
chemicals detected in human cord blood would be immediately targeted for
restrictions on their use.
*Use new scientific evidence to protect health. EPA must consider and is
authorized to require additional testing as new science and new testing methods
emerge, including for health effects at low doses or during fetal or infant
development
*Establish national program to assess human exposure. The federal
government’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is to expand
existing analysis of pollutants in people to help identify chemicals that
threaten the health of children, workers, or other vulnerable populations.
*Expand the public right to know on toxic chemicals. New, internet-accessible
public database on chemical hazards and uses will inform companies, communities,
and consumers. EPA is to rein in excessive industry claims of confidentiality.
*Invest in long-term solutions. New funding and incentives are provided for development of safer alternatives and technical assistance in “green chemistry.”