Safe Chemicals Act Introduced in Senate
Recently, consumers have become increasingly aware of the potential risks posed by some of the chemicals in the products we use every day, and a few chemicals in particular have gotten a lot of attention. Consumers may be choosing baby bottles made without bisphenol A (BPA), or perhaps looking for cosmetics that are paraben-free, but these are just the chemicals we know about– the ones that are in the news. What about all the others that haven’t made the headlines?
The surprising truth is that under current U.S. law, chemicals are allowed to enter our homes, workplaces, and communities with little or no testing for human toxicity. Consumers and workers are not informed about harmful chemicals in products/equipment they use at home and on the job, and there is no requirement that safer chemicals be substituted for toxic ingredients. Furthermore, it can take years, sometimes even decades, to remove a chemical from the market once it has been identified.
There is growing consensus that the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), enacted by the U.S Congress in 1976, to regulate the use of chemicals based on their risk to human health or the environment is failing to protect Americans from toxic chemicals. 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.
Today, we have a much better understanding of how the chemicals in everyday products impact our health and environment. Studies continue to demonstrate the links between these toxic chemicals and serious illnesses such as cancer, reproductive disorders, developmental disorders and asthma. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 133 million people in the U.S. –almost half of all Americans—are now living with these and other chronic diseases and conditions, which now account for 70% of Deaths and 75% of US health care costs.
ANA’s commitment to expanding advocacy in the area of chemical reform began with the overwhelmingly supported 2006 ANA House of Delegates resolution entitled “Nursing Practice, Chemical Exposure and Right-to-Know.” This landmark resolution directs the ANA to: promote action(s) at the state and national level that will reduce and streamline the elimination of toxic chemicals and require use of safer alternatives when possible; support disclosure about adverse health effects; and demand adequate information on the health effects of chemicals before they enter our workplaces and homes.
Because of the many chemicals nurses and other health care workers are exposed to in the workplace, they are at even higher risk. ANA, along with Health Care Without Harm and Physicians for Social Responsibility released a first-of-its-kind bio-monitoring study of physicians and nurses last October. The inquiry found that all of the 20 participants had toxic chemicals associated with health care in their bodies. Each participant had at least 24 individual chemicals present, four of which are on the recently released Environmental Protection Agency list of priority chemicals for regulation. These chemicals are all associated with chronic illness and physical disorders.
In addition, earlier this year ANA joined its partners in the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families (SCHF) coalition to release a new report: “The Health Case for Reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act.” The report makes the case for chemical policy reform that can improve health and lower our nation’s health care costs.
In response to these very real concerns about TSCA, on April 15, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010 in the Senate, and Representatives Rush (D-IL) and Waxman (D-CA) released a discussion draft of the bill in the House. This long-awaited, landmark legislation would overhaul the way the federal government protects the public from toxic chemicals.
ANA and its partners in the Safer Chemicals Healthy Families Coalition lauded the latest developments as a giant step forward, but also look forward to working to strengthen the bills as they move through the process. The House Energy and Commerce Committee is currently engaging in stakeholder meetings to refine their discussion draft, and has committed to completion of committee action by mid-summer.
The House and Senate versions of the legislation are not identical; however, both include a number of essential reforms that would substantially improve public health protections:
- Requiring chemical companies to develop and make publicly available basic health and safety information for all chemicals.
- Requiring chemicals to meet a safety standard that protects vulnerable sub-populations, including pregnant women and children.
- A new program to identify communities that are “hot spots” for toxic chemicals and to take action to reduce exposures.
- Expediting safety determinations and actions to restrict some of the most notorious chemicals, like formaldehyde, lead, and flame retardants.
While supporting the legislation, ANA and SCHF called for improvements in three critical areas. As currently drafted, the legislation would:
- Allow hundreds of new chemicals to enter the market and be used in products for many years without first requiring them to be shown to be safe.
- Not provide clear authority for EPA to immediately restrict production and use of the most dangerous chemicals, even persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals like asbestos and lead, which already have been extensively studied and are restricted by governments around the world.
- Would not require EPA to adopt the National Academy of Sciences’ recommendations to incorporate the best and latest science when determining the safety of chemicals, although the Senate bill does call on EPA to consider those recommendations.
ANA will fight for swift, meaningful TSCA reform that will reduce our exposure to toxic chemicals, protect nurses and other workers, improve the health of Americans, and decrease cost of health care. As part of this effort, ANA Chief Executive Officer Marla Weston, PhD, RN, joined the CEOs of other Health groups including the Autism Society, the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, and the Breast Cancer Fund, in a meeting with EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson on April 28 to demonstrate our commitment to the issue and urge agency support for strong TSCA Reform.
We hope nurses across the country will join us in the fight. Watch rnaction.org for news on how to get involved, or email us at gova@ana.org.
Michelle Artz
Tags: April 2010, bisphenol A, BPA, CDC, EPA, Health Care Without Harm, Healthy Families (SCHF) coalition, Safe Chemicals Act, Safer Chemicals, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Toxic Substances Control Act, TSCA
