American Nurses Association Joins Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families for Reform of The Toxic Substances Control Act
A recent health report, entitled “The Health Case for Reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act, “ issued by Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, and co-released by the American Nurses Association, provides evidence that the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) has failed to protect the American public from the harmful effects of toxic chemicals.
The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), enacted by the U.S Congress in 1976, was intended to regulate the use of chemicals based on their risk to human health or the environment, though chemicals being produced and used at the time were simply “grandfathered” in. Manufacturers of new chemicals or newly imported chemicals were required to submit data to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), prior to use, for analysis to determine if the new product posed “unreasonable risk to human health or the environment” and either permit or ban its use. Per the report, “In the 34 years since TSCA was enacted, the EPA has been able to require testing on just 200 of the more than 80,000 chemicals produced and used in the U.S., and just five chemicals have been regulated under this law.”
The report states “More than 30 years of environmental health studies have led to a growing consensus that chemicals are playing a role in the incidence and prevalence of many diseases and disorders in our country,” and chronicles five peer-reviewed articles on six chronic diseases that are linked to chemicals and their effect on health care costs. According to the report there has been a rise of chronic diseases including various cancers and asthma. Learning and developmental disabilities such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affect one in six children under 18 years old. The report states nearly half of people in the United States aged 85 years and older may have Alzheimer’s disease. “Reproductive and fertility problems appear to be on the rise:”in women, men and children. All of these and several other health problems have been linked to one or more chemicals produced and used in our society.
According to the report reform of TSCA has the potential to reduce healthcare cost. The report states “if TSCA reform leads to reductions in toxic chemical exposures that translate into just a tenth of one percent reduction in health care costs, the U.S. healthcare system will save at least $5 billion every year.”
Coalitions such as Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families are promoting immediate reform of TSCA that prioritizes the health and safety of the population and the environment. The American Nurses Association (ANA), as a member of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, urges nurses to support swift, meaningful TSCA reform. The result of TSCA reform is expected to reduce our exposure to toxic chemicals, improve the health of Americans and decrease cost of health care. Stay-Tuned. Congress is expected to introduce TSCA reform legislation in the coming months.
The full “The Health Case for Reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act.” report is available online at http://healthreport.saferchemicals.org/.
Kenneth Hancock, MS
Tags: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Healthy Families, January 2010, Safer Chemicals, Toxic Substances Control Act, TSCA
