Published : January 25, 2010
KEF joins toxic law reform

By Ronica Shannon
Register News Writer

The Kentucky Environmental Foundation (KEF) co-released a report Thursday with the national “Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families” coalition about the cost savings associated with overhauling federal chemical policies.

Elizabeth Crowe, executive director of the Berea-based KEF, said the new analysis, titled “The Health Case for Reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act,” documents the enormous health care costs of treating diseases linked to chemical exposure.

The report, using peer-reviewed research, details the increase of chronic diseases, such as certain types of cancer, autism, leukemia, Parkinson’s and asthma. The authors explain how updating federal chemical policy can reduce chemical exposure and prevent these diseases.

During the last 30 years, tens of thousands of peer reviewed studies have built a large body of evidence demonstrating that chemical exposure can cause and contribute to some of our nation's most serious health problems from childhood cancer to infertility, Crowe said.

Those statistics are especially important to Berea resident Ashley Cochrane. She and her mother are both cancer survivors, and Ashley is concerned for the future health of Sylvia, her 5-month-old daughter, Crowe said.

“I am acutely aware that each day, simply by living, all of us are exposed to chemicals that may be harming our health,” Cochrane said. “We should not have to worry that products we buy in the grocery or pharmacy or hardware store, to eat or use on our bodies or in our homes, are making us sick, causing diseases, or leading to birth defects in future generations. It is my strong hope that someday all of our children will know that the chemicals around them have been tested and proven to be safe for their health.”

The primary federal law governing chemical safety is the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which has never been significantly amended since its adoption in 1976, Crowe said.

“Lisa Jackson, Environmental Protection Agency administrator, has identified comprehensive reform of the toxics law as a key Obama Administration priority, stating that the law fails to provide EPA with the authority it needs to ensure chemicals are safe,” Crowe said. “Of the 80,000 chemicals used in the U.S., EPA has been able to require safety testing on only 200. And 60,000 chemicals - including bisphenol A - were grandfathered in for use without any testing for health safety. New legislation to bring the toxics law into the 21st century will be introduced by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) in early 2010.”

Conservative estimates shows that reducing these diseases by 0.1 percent could save $5 billion in health care costs, Crowe said.

A new bill that would update the toxic chemical law is expected to be introduced by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) in early 2010.

Visit www.saferchemicals.org to view a the entire “Health Case” report.



Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 624-6608.