New Mexico Environment and Health Coalition, 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.