Call in week to congress: Safer chemicals please!
Over the past couple months, we've been letting you know about the
important overhaul of the Toxic
Chemicals Safety Act (TSCA) -- a decades-old law that is so
outdated that it was written before chemicals like Bisphenol-A
(BPA), phthalates,
flame
retardants and cadmium had ever been studied or recognized for the
health concerns to our families.
The Toxic Chemicals Safety Act is now being considered in Congress, which is the law that will help modernize our chemical policies and help get harmful chemicals out of our lives. The current draft of the bill is a good first step, but it's missing some key provisions.
Currently, harmful chemicals are not tested before getting to market. This is how the toxic chemical cadmium is getting into costume jewelry.
Cadmium is a persistent chemical that builds up in the body. It is associated with birth defects and central nervous system damage in animals, and there is concern that children ingest cadmium by putting jewelry in their mouths which could cause health problems including kidney and bone damage.
The good news is that the states are taking up the slack where the federal government is failing. Washington, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Minnesota, Maryland and Vermont have banned BPA, and many have passed laws banning cadmium and harmful flame retardants. Here in Massachusetts, a proposed regulation that would phase BPA out of certain products is undergoing a public comment period.
But we need the backing of the federal government in order to make sure that we are protected. We need to make sure that the worst-of-the-worst chemicals are prioritized and eliminated for our lives as quickly as possible. The reasons to support a stronger Toxic Chemicals Safety Act keep mounting. Chemicals found in products we use everyday have been linked to negative health effects including cancer, early puberty, learning disabilities, and sexual dysfunction.
We're asking you to call your representative today to make sure the Toxic Chemicals Safety Act is as strong as possible.
Call Instructions
We need to seize the opportunity to overhaul our toxic chemicals laws and protect our families.
1. Call Senator Scott Brown at (202) 224-4543
2. Call your U.S. Representative (if you're not sure who that is look it up here)
John Olver - (202) 225-5335
Richard Neal - (202) 225-5601
James McGovern - (202) 225-6101
Barney Frank - (202) 225-5931
Niki Tsongas - (202) 225-3411
John Tierney - (202) 225-8020
Edward Markey - (202) 225-2836
Michael Capuano - (202) 225-5111
Stephen Lynch - (202) 225-8273
William Delahunt - (202) 225-3111
Sample Message:
"Hi my name is ____ , and I live in CITY/TOWN, Massachusetts. I am really concerned about toxic chemicals in consumer products and their impact on my family's health. Please vote to strengthen the Toxic Chemicals Safety Act of 2010 (for Representatives), or Safe Chemicals Act of 2010 (for Senators), by making sure chemicals are safe before they are allowed on the market and getting rid of the worst toxic chemicals, like lead and toxic flame retardants, first."
The reasons to support a stronger Toxic Chemicals Safety Act keep mounting. Chemicals found in products we use everyday have been linked to negative health effects including cancer, early puberty, learning disabilities, and sexual dysfunction.
A few weeks ago, the President's Cancer Panel released a damning report underlining the acute need for stronger toxics laws. The report specifically recommends removing cancer-causing chemicals and other toxins from our food, water, and air that "needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our nation's productivity and devastate American lives."
We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change the way chemicals are regulated. Congress is listening but we’ve got to push for stronger reform. Your representative needs to hear from you today!
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