Is the chemical industry placing our health and the health of our children at risk?
(Published in The Macon Telegraph and News - August 22, 2001)

Is the chemical industry placing our health and the health of our children at risk? According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other reports they are.

Eighty thousand chemicals have been registered with the EPA in the last 60 years. Twenty new chemicals enter the market a week. Few are properly tested. The CDC measured 27 industrial chemicals in most Americans and admits that there is very little data to prove that the majority of the chemicals are safe—especially with children.
Bill Moyers in his recent PBS documentary titled Trade Secrets allowed his blood to be tested for 150 different chemicals. Eighty four were found in his blood. There is a 26% increase in brain cancer in children and testicular cancer in teenage boys has doubled. Infertility in young men, learning disabilities in children and breast cancer in woman is up. Could there be a connection? Are our children the laboratory mice in this vast chemical experiment? Moyers program is based on documents from the chemical industry (see www.ewg.org) making it clear that they knew the dangers of PCB’s, benzene and other highly toxic products years before they told their own workers and the public.
California placed “The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act” (Proposition 65) on the ballet when they had enough signatures in 1986. Proposition 65 also known as “The Right To know” passed unanimously. If a chemical company is in violation of Proposition 65 they are fined $5,000 a day per person per company. No other state has passed “The Right To Know” law since 1986. Why? Do we really not want to be warned if our families are exposed to health hazards? Do we really want to give up our rights for legal action? What happened? The answer may surprise you—it did me.
The chemical industries formed a Political Action Committee (PAC) in 1980 to help lobbyists gain access to members of Congress and to give money to candidates. Their multimillion-dollar donations to congressional election campaigns and their advertising efforts to counter an unfavorable image with the public have paid off. Today chemicals have more rights than people. Only five toxic chemicals have been banned in 25 years. The Government has made it difficult to get toxic chemicals off the market. A chemical is considered innocent until proven guilty, (i.e. people must become ill or die). The government requires the industry to self regulate—a clear conflict of interest. Since the chemical companies provide the funds and tests for toxic chemicals they can ask the scientists to produce the research that gives the results they want.
What can we do about it? Let your congressperson know that you want “The Right To Know” (Proposition 65) law passed throughout the country. Ask that tests for toxic chemicals be done independent of the Chemical Companies and that the EPA, Academia and chemical companies work together to clean up our environment. Request more efficient ways to get toxic chemicals off the market. Continue to test the blood of Americans, especially the children, for toxic chemicals and their effects.