We all want to believe that the government is doing a good job protecting our health. Unfortunately, that just isn’t true. By the federal government’s own assessments, many of the laws on industrial chemical and pesticide use, air and water pollution, hazardous waste disposal and workplace safety are not succeeding. And with more than 700 new chemicals being introduced every year, a new approach to dealing with environmental contaminants is needed.
THE PROBLEM: What’s wrong with current policies on contaminants?
Thousands of synthetic chemicals have never been tested for safety. Of the 62,000 chemicals already on the market when the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) went into effect in 1976, the government has required testing for fewer than 200. There currently are more than 80,000 chemicals registered for use and almost no health data on them is publicly available.
The laws have not kept up with the science. For many years, it was assumed that environmental contaminants were harmful only at high levels of exposure. Recently, however, researchers have discovered that low-level exposures may have very different, but potentially harmful, effects on human health. Also, laws set exposure standards as if people were exposed to one chemical at a time, while in reality we are exposed to multiple contaminants in the air we breathe, the water we drink and the products we use. Policies still reflect the old way of thinking about health risks.
There is no clear definition of “safe” exposure to environmental contaminants. According to TSCA, chemicals used in manufacturing need to pose an “unreasonable risk” before the Environmental Protection Agency can restrict their use, but the law does not define what type of risk is unreasonable. Cosmetics and other personal care products, including baby shampoos, lotions and powders, have no safety standards.
The world isn’t only made of adult men. Even when there is a safety standard, legally acceptable exposure to environmental contaminants is often based on how adult men are affected. But women’s bodies are different—we have different organs, different hormones and the potential to bear children. Current standards also do not account for vulnerable populations, such as children, whose growth and development can be seriously affected by exposure to environmental contaminants that would have much less impact on adult men.
People of color carry the heaviest burden. Racially and ethnically diverse communities are more likely to live near hazardous waste sites or industrial sites, and they are often exposed to pollution from multiple sources in their community. Existing laws do little to successfully reduce this unfair impact. These health risks are often made worse because people living in polluted communities generally have less access to health care.
Health and environmental laws are not well enforced. Existing laws would not successfully protect our health even if they were fully enforced, yet most laws are barely enforced because of lack of funding or political will. For example, only five chemicals or chemical categories have been banned from use in the United States despite significant scientific evidence that many others may be putting our health at risk.
THE SOLUTION:The Louisville Charter In 2004, community and environmental health leaders from across the country gathered in Louisville, Kentucky, and developed the Louisville Charter, which calls for new policy directions.
WHAT YOU CAN DO Talk with Your Elected Officials Every city, town and rural area across this country is represented bymembers of the U.S. House and Senate. Your voices as women, mothers, caregivers and local leaders can offer powerful and influential perspectives to them. Take advantage of your voice and call upon your elected officials when you have concerns and ideas or want to tell them they are doing a good job. You can meet with their staff if you are in Washington DC, or even better, you can often meet them in person when they are home in their district or you can attend their town hall meetings. Remember that these Members are elected to represent you and are looking for compelling issues to champion in the U.S. Congress.
Change Policies There are lots of organizations working to strengthen national laws protecting women’s health and a healthy environment. Join their email lists or get their newsletters to find out what you can do. Below is just a partial list of great organizations:
Change Corporate Practices Often government change comes after grassroots movements have shown the way by working for state policy reforms and/or organizing to hold corporations accountable for their practices. There are also many national corporate campaigns to get involved with, such as these:
Even when there is a safety standard, legally acceptable exposure to environmental contaminants is often based on how adult men are affected. But women’s bodies are different—we have different organs, different hormones and the potential to bear children. Current standards also do not account for vulnerable populations, such as children, whose growth and development can be seriously affected by exposure to environmental contaminants that would have much less impact on adult men.