The 33 year-old law that is supposed to protect Americans from exposure to toxic chemicals is so outdated that China legally exports toxic materials into the U.S. that are not only banned in Japan and Europe, but can't even be used domestically in China.
Astoundingly, of the 82,000 chemicals available for use in the U.S., only about 200 have been required to be tested for safety.
It's so bad that every American alive today, including newborn babies, has hundreds of chemicals flowing through their blood. Some of these are linked to increases in prostate and breast cancers, diabetes, heart disease, lowered sperm counts, early puberty and other diseases and disorders.
Yet the burden placed on the Environmental Protection Agency under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is so onerous that they have only succeeded in banning one group of chemicals, PCBs, from the marketplace.
It's time to reform and strengthen TSCA -- take action to support legislation to protect families from dangerous toxic chemicals.
I am shocked and deeply disturbed that the law that is supposed to protect Americans from exposure to toxic chemicals is so outdated that China is allowed to export toxic materials into the United States that are not only banned in Japan and Europe, but can't even be used domestically in China.
Every American alive today, including newborn babies, has hundreds of chemicals flowing through their blood. Many of these chemicals are linked to prostate and breast cancers, diabetes, heart disease, lowered sperm counts, early puberty and other diseases and disorders.
Yet, of the 82,000 chemicals available for use in the U.S., only about 200 have been required to be tested for safety. And the EPA has succeeded in banning only one group of chemicals, PCBs, from the marketplace.
It's time to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). I urge you to support legislation that will:
1. Take immediate action to stop the use of the most dangerous toxic chemicals;
2. Give the EPA the power to assess the safety of all chemicals so that the health of all people and the environment, especially the most vulnerable subpopulations, including children, workers, and pregnant women will be protected;
3. Improve the right to know about toxic chemicals by allowing the public, workers, and the marketplace to have full access to information about the health hazards from chemicals and the way in which government safety decisions are made.
[Your comments]
Legislation to modernize and update TSCA will be introduced soon. I urge you to support this effort to lead us into a new era of safer chemicals and healthy families.
Thank you for your leadership.
