New Mexico Environment and Health Coalition  [Printer-friendly version]
October 12, 2006

NEW MEXICO PRECAUTION TASKFORCE PUBLISHES ITS REPORT

[Rachel's introduction: The Report of the New Mexico (NM)
Precautionary Principle Task Force, "Incorporating the Precautionary
Principle into State Government," is now available online.]

By Earl James, Coalition Convenor

The Report of the New Mexico (NM) Precautionary Principle Task Force
"Incorporating the Precautionary Principle into State Government,"
published October 12th, is now available online.

The New Mexico Precautionary Principle Task Force was established by
the NM Departments of Environment and Health after the passage of
legislation put forward by the New Mexico Environment and Health
Coalition and sponsored by NM Representative Antonio Lujan. The
University of New Mexico's Office of the Vice President for Research
and Economic Development provided a Task Force Coordinator.

The New Mexico Environment and Health Coalition provided a
precautionary principle staffer to the Task Force in the person of Ann
McCampbell, MD. Ann conducted extensive research and brought the
perspective and knowledge of an environmenal health physician to the
table.

Participants in the Task Force brought many other perspectives, from
that of the two lead agencies (NM Departments of Environment and
Health) to the NM State Police Office of Public Safety, the NM Organic
Commodities Commission, the Association of Commerce and Industry, the
City of Santa Fe, and many others.

The Report makes 34 specific recommendations in four categories:

* Integrated Pest Management

* Good Health Strategies

* Construction and Renovation

* Indoor Air Quality/Tobacco

Specific State Offices or Agencies are identified as responsible for
implementation.

The NM Environment and Health Coalition will assist with the
development of a strategic implementation plan for the
recommendations, and will initiate a program to bring these
recommendations to local governments around the State.

For more information on the Report or the Task Force, contact Ann
McCampbell, MD at drannmcc@aol.com, or Matt Baca, Task Force
Coordinator, at baca@unm.edu.

Funding from the McCune Charitable Foundation and the Collaborative on
Health and Environment have sustained the Coalition's work and made
its ongoing Precautionary Principle project possible.