Safer Chemicals, Please!

Beware: you may be shocked to learn that toxic chemicals aren't sitting around passively - they are wreaking havoc with our health and designing a PR campaign for survival! View the funny video Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families created to galvanize public support for Congressional action and have fun with a pretty serious issue. The characters you will meet in the video are cartoons, but the plot is ripped straight from the headlines. Enjoy and please share it with your friends, co-workers and family!

The statistics are startling. Of the 80,000+ chemicals used in commerce, about 62,000 were "grandfathered in" - assumed to be safe for ongoing use - when the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) was passed in 1976. Of those chemicals, only 200 have ever been fully tested for their impacts on our health and the environment. Only five chemicals have ever been banned - and none since 1990.

We now have a once in a generation opportunity to change that law.  The Toxic Chemical Safety Act of 2010 was introduced in Congress. It aims to protect our families from harmful chemicals by overhauling our outdated chemical laws.

The House of Representatives is poised to act on toxic chemical legislation so your representative needs to hear from you!

We are organizing a call-in week July 19-23, to make sure our Representatives know that we want passage of a strong Toxic Chemical Safety Act. Please take a few minutes to make a call and encourage your friends, neighbors, co-workers and family members to do so as well.

This is our time to make toxic chemicals history! Let's tell Congress to vote for strong chemical policy reform. Please call your Representative during our call-in week - just follow this link for details.

Child Safe Products Act Gets Bipartisan Support in Senate

After a round of last minute debate, the NYS Child Safe Products Act (S. 7070/A. 10089) passed through the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee yesterday. The bill has nine co-sponsors in the Senate and 51 co-sponsors in the Assembly. It would reduce the use of toxic chemicals in children’s products where safer alternatives are available, and provides a comprehensive framework for addressing the issue of toxic chemicals in children's products. 27 environmental health and justice groups have submitted memos supporting the legislation.

Sarah Beatty, founder and President of NY City business Green Depot, gave compelling testimony before the committee. Dr. David Carpenter, SUNY Albany, and Stephen Boese, Executive Director of the Learning Disabilities Association of NYS submitted testimony, read by Cecil Corbin-Mark, WE ACT, and Kathy Curtis, Clean New York. The Toy Industry Association, the American Chemistry Council and the Grocery Manufacturers Association also spoke in opposition, and there were a good number of opposition lobbyists in the room.

During the debate, bill sponsor Senator Perkins proved to be a committed champion for the issue. He held his position despite repeated requests from Senator Marcellino to hold the bill in committee to make corrections and strengthen the bill. Holding his ground, Senator Perkins thanked Senator Marcellino for his support of the bill's purpose and offer to help improve it, but stated he saw no reason to hold the bill. After a few tense moments, a vote was called and S7070 passed 11-3. Our substantial efforts to build bipartisan support for protecting children’s health paid off; three Republican Senators were among those in voting in support of the bill.

The bill was referred to the Codes Committee, where it is expected to be on the agenda for the June 1st meeting. Moving forward, Clean New York and our partners will continue to work to build and broaden support for protecting our families from toxic chemicals.

It's No Silver Lining - BPA in Can Linings Leaches into Common Foods

Eating common canned foods is exposing consumers to levels of bisphenol A (BPA) equal to levels shown to cause health problems in laboratory animals, according to a new study released today by The National Work Group for Safe Markets, a coalition of public health and environmental health groups. The study, No Silver Lining, tested food from 50 cans from 19 US states and one Canadian province for BPA contamination. Over 90% of the cans tested had detectable levels of BPA, some at higher levels than have been detected in previous studies.

The canned foods tested were brand name fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, soups, tomato products, sodas, and milks, which together represent “real-life” meal options for a wide range of North American consumers. The cans were purchased from retail stores and were chosen from report participants’ pantry shelves, and sent to an independent laboratory for testing. One can of DelMonte green beans had the highest levels of BPA ever found in canned food, at 1,140 parts per billion.

“Meals involving one or more canned goods can expose an individual to levels of BPA that have been shown to cause adverse health effects in laboratory animal studies,” says Bobbi Chase Wilding of Clean New York, and a report co-author for The National Workgroup for Safe Markets. “I was pregnant with my second child at the time of this study, and I hate to think I exposed her to BPA through the canned foods I ate, especially when there is evidence that even small amounts of this chemical can cross the placenta and impact prenatal development.”

BPA is in the inside lining of most canned foods in North America, and in other polycarbonate containers, like water bottles and baby bottles. BPA has been found in the urine of over 90% of Americans by the Center for Disease Control, and in the cord blood of newborn babies. Exposure to low doses of BPA have been linked to illnesses that are on the rise in the US, including breast and prostate cancer, abnormal behavior, diabetes and heart disease, infertility, developmental and reproductive harm, and obesity, which raises the risk of early puberty, a known risk factor for breast cancer.

“BPA is a bad actor chemical that should not be in contact with food we eat,” says Laura Vandenberg, PhD, of Tufts University, a leading BPA researcher. “Hundreds of independent peer-reviewed scientific studies have found harm from low doses of BPA. The levels found in this study are definitely concerning, and indicate that the time has come to remove this chemical from food cans.”

No Silver Lining test results show there is no consistency in the amount of BPA in specific food brands or in types of food, which prevents consumers from being able to avoid BPA canned foods just by looking at a label. For example, two different cans of the same brand of peas with two separate “lot numbers” were drastically different: one had six parts per billion of BPA, while the other had over 300 parts per billion of BPA.

"Americans should be outraged that food companies are routinely dosing us with the synthetic hormone BPA, which is linked to learning disabilities, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and reproductive problems--in short some of the most prevalent and confounding health problems facing Americans.  Federal regulators, food manufacturers and retailers are failing us by allowing tainted foods to fill our store shelves.  The New York Legislature must fill this gap by passing a comprehensive BPA ban.  Until that day, parents and other consumers should contact food manufacturers and retailers and demand that they get the BPA out of our food," said Russ Haven, Legislative Counsel for the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG).

"Decades of studies have shown that BPA, even at very low doses, is hazardous especially to pregnant women and their developing babies and young men. Mounting evidence of lab research has shown that BPA interferes with mammary gland development during puberty in ways consistent with breast cancer formation, and causes serious problems with male reproductive systems as well. We need safe alternatives for can linings, and legislation is needed to make that happen as soon as possible,” said Margaret Roberts, Program Coordinator for Capital Region Action Against Breast Cancer.

“The findings in this report make it clearer than ever that low income communities across the state of New York that rely heavily on canned goods for their food are at risk of toxic exposure at breakfast, lunch and dinner,” said Cecil Corbin-Mark, Deputy Director for WEACT for Environmental Justice. “This further demonstrates the need for laws and policies that protect not only those who can afford and have access to fresh, organically grown produce but all of us. This is yet another way that low income people are disproportionately harmed by toxic chemicals.”

Click here for the full report.

Women's Health & the Environment Symposium for Nurses, April 26th 2010

Together with the New York State Nurses Association, Clean New York hosted our second Women's Health and the Environment Symposium on April 26th 2010 at NYSNA Headquarters. The event was intended for nurses from a diverse range of specialties and students and professionals from the Capital District enjoyed the day. Presenters discussed connections between women’s health & chemicals found in our daily environments, actions individuals can take in their own lives, recommend to patients, change within institutions, and advocate for in the policy arena and marketplace to reduce or eliminate toxic hazards.

Presentations given by our speakers are now available. Please click on the speaker's name to download the presentation (all as pdfs): Brenda Afzal, University of Maryland School of Nursing; Tom Lowe, NYSNA Occupational Health and Safety Representative; Dr. Cathey Falvo, New York Medical College; Karen Ballard, NYSNA President; Kathy Curtis, Clean New York.

This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the New York State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Thanks to all who attended and helped make this event a success!

Clean New York hosts first Women's Health & the Environment Symposium

Clean New York was proud to host the first of two events dedicated to examining the relationship between women's health and the environment. On March 22, 2010, Women's Health and the Environment: Science and Solutions brought together legislators, advocates, medical progessionals, teachers, students and others to learn about the growing scientific evidence linking women's health and the environment, and current policy and market trends towards sustainable chemicals and safer materials. The event was cosponsored by Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, Capital Region Action Against Breast Cancer, Learning Disabilities Association of New York State, New York State Nurses Association, and New York State United Teachers and moderated by Barbara Bartoletti, Legislative Director for League of Women Voters of NYS.

Our science panelists Dr. David Carpenter (U Albany) and Dr. Maricel Maffini (Tufts University) provided a compelling look at the connection between women's health and the environment.

Dr. Carpenter's presentation, Chronic Disease in Women and Environmental Exposures, is available here (pdf).

The presentations given by Dr. Maffini are available here (Women's Health and the Environment, Dr. Janet Gray, Vassar College) and here (The Case for Bisphenol A, Dr. Maffini) as pdfs.

Peggy Shepard, Executive Director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, gave the keynote address at the event. As the co-founder of WE ACT, Shepard has decades of experience in the environmental justice movement. Her passionate speech encompassed the issues of food justice, women's health, community action and environmental equality.

In the afternoon policy panel, event co-sponsor Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal discussed her commitment to protecting women's health and the environment, focusing on legislation that would regulate chemicals in nail polish and protect nail salon workers and customers from exposures (A. 7447). Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes talked about the need for integrating chemical policy reform with environmental justice. Peoples-Stokes is the lead sponsor of a bill (A. 1985) that would establish governmental procedures to safeguard residents' health and welfare, and achieve environmental justice. Citing the variety of exposure routes and multitude of chemicals of concern, Senator Bill Perkins drove home the need for comprehensive legislation to address these issues. Perkins is sponsor of New York's Child-Safe Products Act (S.7070), which would regulate some toxic chemicals, require more information be available for other chemicals of concern, and substitute safer alternatives for chemicals no longer being used. Sen. Perkins' bill is the same as a bill introduced by Assemblymember Sweeney (A.10089)

Panelists Kathy Curtis (Clean New York), Cecil Corbin-Mark (WE ACT), and Margaret Roberts (CRAAB!) closed the event with a comprehensive look at the advocacy scene in New York and nationally, and discussed opportunities for action on the New York Child-Safe Products act and reform of the federal Toxic Substances Control Act.

In all, the event was a great success and will provide support and motivation for our ongoing efforts to protect women's health here in NY and nationally. With your help, Clean New York and our partners will continue to advocate for safer products and stronger laws. Thanks to those who attended!

The second event, specifically for nurses, will be held April 26th at the NYSNA offices in Latham, NY. To register or for more information, please email clean.ny.info@gmail.com.

Got Toxic Chemicals?

EPA Phases Out Prevalent Toxic Chemical decaBDE

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement of a voluntary phase out of the toxic flame retardant deca (BDE) by the only two U.S. deca manufacturers and the largest U.S. importer is a huge victory for children's health and the environment. Under the agreement, the manufacturers will stop the production, importation, and sales of deca for most uses in the United States over a three-year period. The agreement can be found at: www.epa.gov/oppt/pbde/.

New York State can be especially proud today because its leadership helped provide momentum for the phase out. Under the leadership of Assemblyman Robert Sweeney, the NYS Assembly has passed near-unanimous deca bans in recent years, with broad bipartisan support. “This agreement is an example of how local grassroots efforts and state government can cause change in national policy”, said Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Robert K. Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst).

Senator Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn), who introduced a similar measure in the NYS Senate, states “I am gratified the EPA has reached agreement with the ‘bromine industry’ to phase out completely the brominated flame retardant decabromodiphenyl ether (deca). When I introduced S. 177, I sought to amend our state environmental conservation law to restrict the use of deca in certain products. I was attempting to protect the environment and public health by prohibiting the manufacture, processing and distribution of a dangerous chemical which may cause neurological and developmental damage. This agreement, complete and nationwide, is a triumph. A chemical found to persist in the environment and in our homes, that accumulates in dust, in food, and inside our bodies and has been found in blood and breast milk, has been eliminated.”

Kathy Curtis, Policy Director for Clean New York, added, “The long-awaited phaseout of deca has been in the crosshairs of a coalition of states, scientists, and public health professionals for a decade. It is an enormous victory for environmental health and justice advocates, but the agreement exempts recycled content, thereby ensuring that decaBDE continues to enter our homes, and our bodies, for years if not decades to come. State and federal government should take further action to ensure that deca and other toxic chemicals be eliminated from the products we use every day.”

Deca has been linked to variety of health impacts, including developmental and reproductive problems and compromised immune systems. Deca is one of three commercial mixtures in the family of PBDEs. Penta and octa, the two other commercial mixtures, were voluntarily phased out by the chemical industry in 2004, and subsequently banned in New York State. PBDEs have been found as a contaminant in breast milk, people, orca whales, peregrine falcon eggs, and other wildlife.

“As more and more chemicals have proliferated in everyday consumer products, the incidence of learning disabilities, autism and other developmental disabilities have climbed at an alarming rate,” said Stephen Boese, Executive Director of the Learning Disabilities Association of NYS. “It’s heartening to see how state leadership on this issue served as the springboard for federal action. We thank the dedicated policymakers and fellow advocates whose hard work and perseverance brought us this success,” Boese added.

“This agreement between the State and Industry to the voluntary phase-out of the toxic flame retardant deca is exactly the type of collaboration we need to see between government and industry to protect the health and welfare of children,” said Christine Brouwer Executive Director of Mira’s Movement, a pediatric cancer advocacy organization. “With the causes of so many childhood diseases still unknown, to rid children’s products of known toxins is the logical place to start.”

“Our primary goal is to protect the health and safety of firefighters in New York State. This agreement is a long overdue victory for human health, the environment and firefighters’ health and safety. Our hope is that a safer, non-halogenated substitute will be produced as a fire retardant by the chemical industry.” said Dennis Sweeney, Health & Safety Coordinator for the New York State Professional Fire Fighters Association.

The problems with deca illustrate the critical need for reforming the nation's outdated toxic chemical law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). States have taken the lead to fill the gaps in the federal law that have allowed the indiscriminate use of toxic chemicals in consumer products that are in our homes, schools, and offices. It's time for Congress to modernize this antiquated system and adopt a commonsense law that protects the health of people and the environment, while restoring the public's confidence in the safety of consumer products.

"The EPA's decision to protect Americans from this toxic chemical brings us one step closer to a toxic-free, healthier future for our kids. Now we need to move beyond addressing one chemical at a time and protect people from chronic diseases like asthma and cancer by overhauling the regulatory system that allowed this toxic chemical to be legal in the first place,” said Andy Igrejas, Campaign Director for the 100+ member coalition Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families.

Million Baby Crawl To Action!

As a Steering Committee member of the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families campaign, Clean New York is proud to be participating in the Million Baby Crawl. We've joined with thousands of concerned families and Seventh Generation to demand stronger federal protections from toxic chemicals. We shouldn't have to wonder whether the products on store shelves are safe for our bodies. Help send our message to Washington!

Show your support for protecting families from toxic chemicals in products- click here to make your own crawler.

You can find more information at www.millionbabycrawl.com.

Hazardous Chemicals in Health Care Professionals

Physicians for Social Responsibility, along with JustGreen Partner Clean New York, SAFER States partners in nine other states, Health Care Without Harm, American Nurses Association and the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families campaign, released a new biomonitoring report, Hazardous Chemicals in Health Care: A Snapshot of Chemicals in Doctors and Nurses.  

20 doctors and nurses from ten states donated blood and urine samples which were tested for six categories of chemicals (62 individual chemicals in all) and the results were disturbing - though sadly, not surprising.  Each of the 20 participants had at least five of the chemical categories, and at least 24 individual chemicals.  All participants had the same four categories and the same 18 individual chemicals in their bodies.

New York participants weighed in with their thoughts on their results and the project:

Cathey Falvo, MD, of New York City, said: “Despite knowing the extent of chemical contamination, it is unnerving knowing I am as contaminated as the tests showed.”

Barbara Crane, CCRN, of Smithtown, said: “Since my results were documented I have come to realize that just being a citizen of a developed country exposes me to unimagined chemical intruders. I guess I always believed that our health would be protected by government or environmental policy and practice.  I have since come to realize that nothing is further from the truth.”

The report calls for reform of the federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the primary law that governs the use of chemicals in the U.S.  Only five chemicals have been removed from commerce under TSCA since its enactment in the late 1970s, and no chemicals have been banned since EPA was unable to ban asbestos in 1989.

Read the details about PSR's report here.

Visit the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families campaign to learn more about efforts to reform TSCA. 

Declare your Independence from Toxic Chemicals!

This summer, declare your independence from toxic chemicals and then become part of the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families campaign!

The Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families campaign is a national effort to create the strongest, most comprehensive solution to fix the law that is failing to protect our families from toxic chemicals that harm our health and the environment.

If you believe you have the right to be healthy, the right to work in a safe environment, and the right to know what chemicals are in your body, this is the national campaign you’ve been waiting for!

Visit the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families Web site at www.saferchemicals.org to declare your independence from toxic chemicals. Tell Congress it’s time to take action to ensure safer chemicals and healthy families.

The partner organizations of the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families campaign are an incredibly impressive and effective group, which represent more than one million people across America.

The campaign include experts in health care, (Health Care Without Harm, the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, Reproductive Health Technologies Project, and the American Nurses Association), learning and developmental disability champions (Learning Disabilities Association and Autism Society of America), breast cancer survivors from the Breast Cancer Fund and powerful moms from MomsRising. National and state environmental health and justice organizations are key partners. Organizations include: Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, Clean Water Action, US PIRG, Center for Environmental Health, West Harlem Environmental Action, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, the Just Transition Alliance, Clean New York, and the Washington Toxics Coalition.

Be sure to check out the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families Facebook page for a full listing of organizations supporting this campaign. Become a fan of the campaign and urge your friends to become fans, too.

Together we will declare our independence from toxic chemicals and work to achieve our goal of safer chemicals and healthy families.

Albany and Schenectady Counties Give BPA a 1-2 Punch

This week the Albany and Schenectady County Legislatures each voted to ban the sale of baby bottles and sippy cups made with the toxic chemical bisphenol A.

Both bills passed unanimously and had tremendous support from legislators. In Albany County the ban was co-sponsored by 28 out of 39 legislators. In Schenectady County 12 of the 15 legislators co-sponsored the ban.

Albany County Executive Michael Breslin is expected to sign the bill soon, and it will go into effect on January 1, 2010.

In Schenectady County, the law will go into effect 90 days after Sue Savage, Chair of the County Legislature, files it with the Secretary of State, which is standard for all County bills.

Albany and Schenectady counties will then join Suffolk County as locations where only BPA-free baby bottle and sippy cups are sold. Additional New York counties are considering similar measures, including Dutchess, Nassau, Tompkins and Westchester counties.

“I’m proud to be sponsoring a bill that will take an important first step to protect our families from toxic BPA,” said Bryan Clenahan, Albany County Legislator and sponsor of Local Law “C” of 2009. “This is an important issue, and one that needs a broader action. New York State should make sure all families are protected from BPA in the products we’re banning and beyond.”

Advocates from Clean New York, Capital Region Action Against Breast Cancer (CRAAB), LDA of NYS and New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) were all instrumental in moving the bills forward with support from Consumers Union, NYS Nurses Association, New York City Environmental Justice Alliance (NYCEJA), Breast Cancer Fund, Center for Health and Environmental Justice (CHEJ) and Physicians for Social Responsibility.

Russ Haven, Legislative Counsel for NYPIRG, noted “Albany and Schenectady Counties are on the leading edge of preventive action to protect public health and safety, particularly for young children, by banning BPA.”

"I hope our representatives in the state and federal government follow our lead and take broader action on this important issue," said Dr. Brian Gordon, Chairman of the Schenectady County Legislature’s Committee on Health and a co-sponsor of the measure.

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