HealthyCar.org — Take Action at the Federal Level!

The federal government doesn't require full testing of chemicals before they are added to products, including cars and child car seats. And once they are on the market, the government almost never restricts their use, even in the face of new scientific evidence suggesting a health threat. The law regulating chemicals in commerce is 30 years old and needs an overhaul. Please send a e-mail or fax to these key committee chairs calling for oversight hearings on this issue.

November 19, 2008

Subject:

Dear Representative Dingell and Senator Boxer,

The recent revelations of toxic chemicals in cars, child car seats and children's toys points to a broader government failure to ensure that the industrial chemicals used in consumer products are safe for children.  As you have both been leaders in previous efforts to protect the public from toxic chemicals, we urge you to hold government oversight hearings on this regulatory failure, and to move forward to update the nation's 30 year old chemical law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

Our nation's chemical law should be overhauled to:

* Require complete health and safety testing on chemicals used in products and industry before they are put on the market, and make the information publicly available in order to protect the public and workers who handle these chemicals.

* Phase out the most dangerous chemicals, especially those that are showing up in newborn babies. The use of chemicals that can cause cancer, hormone disruption, nervous system problems, reproductive problems or other serious hazards should be prohibited. When a safer alternative exists, companies should be required to use it.

* Expand the public right-to-know on toxic chemicals. Consumers and workers should have easy access to information on the chemical content of products.

* Promote innovation for safer alternatives. The federal government should provide resources to businesses and researchers to make products safer.

The law that's supposed to do this, Toxic Substances Control Act, is outdated, according to the non-partisan U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).  Because children can be exposed to chemicals from many sources, and the effects of some chemicals are cumulative, it's important to look at the whole picture concerning chemicals and children's health. In 2005, the GAO found: the U.S. EPA has limited data on existing chemicals including toxicity and exposure information; EPA lacks data to ensure that potential health and environmental risks of new chemicals are identified; Chemical companies are not required to develop and submit toxicity information to EPA unless EPA issues a rule; EPA has used its authority to require testing for fewer than 200 or the 62,000 chemicals in commerce since 1979; For "new" chemicals, "EPA estimates that . . . only about 15 percent include health or safety test data"; Only 5 chemical groups out of 62,000 have been restricted by EPA in 29 years.

We thank you for your leadership on public health and environmental issues and hope you can use your respective Chairmanships of the House Commerce Committee and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to address the regulatory failure that currently leaves children exposed to toxic chemicals.

Thank-you,

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TAKE ACTION AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL!

Ask Representative John Dingell(MI) and Senator Barbara Boxer(CA) to fix the Toxic Substances Control Act!