California Progress Report, March 15, 2007

OP-ED: ALLEVIATING YOUR TOXIC BODY BURDEN

The California Legislature Experiments With "Green Chemistry"

[Rachel's introduction: "Under the rubric of 'healthy until proven dangerous,' the chemical industry has been allowed to insert itself into our biological essence, dismantling the basic division between the synthetic and the natural world. As much as it sounds like Philip K. Dick's Blade Runner, the constructed world no longer stops where our skin begins."]

By Gary A. Patton

During your last physical exam, did your doctor check your blood and urine?

If so, you may be surprised by the high number of non-natural substances that were found passing through your body. Doctors recently reported eighty-four distinct hazardous chemicals and metals in the vital fluids of PBS host Bill Moyers.

And highly articulate, well-informed, financially-secure, middle aged white males born in the United States to supportive, nurturing parents aren't the only ones suffering.

Despite numerous studies pointing to the potential health impacts of the toxic materials insinuating themselves into our bodies, we're still not allowed to know basic information about the severity of the threat this morbid melange poses to our health.

Let's take three of the better-known nasties: dioxins, phthalates, and PCBs. These "aspirins of evil" are incorporated into products we use daily including baby toys and teething rings. Chronic exposure may cause birth defects, mental retardation, neurological damage, and chromosomal abnormalities, yet safe exposure levels that protect both consumers and workers have yet to be determined.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. The Federal Toxic Substances Control Act of 1979 allows for synthetic chemicals to be produced and manipulated into products without any testing for potential human health problems. Since 1979, over 70,000 chemicals have been registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Only a small percentage has undergone testing; most of those produced in large quantities are rarely tested at all.

But fear not, dear reader. This year, the California Legislature is considering a package of bills that would prohibit or reduce the use of the most abundant and potentially harmful chemicals. They are also going to vote on legislation that would establish a State toxics inventory program to keep better track of the chemical industry.

We strongly support the Legislature in their efforts to create a regulatory structure that protects human health and nurtures the burgeoning Green Chemistry movement.

Here's a final point to ponder: Under the rubric of "healthy until proven dangerous," the chemical industry has been allowed to insert itself into our biological essence, dismantling the basic division between the synthetic and the natural world. As much as it sounds like Philip K. Dick's Blade Runner, the constructed world no longer stops where our skin begins.

Since these chemicals may not show their deleterious effects for decades to come, and may contribute incrementally to the likelihood of learning disabilities or asthma in our children, doesn't it make sense to adopt a precautionary principle instead?

Promoting Green Chemistry and banning the most potentially dangerous products is a great first step. We'll be working with our help ensure that our children grow up in a healthier, less-toxic world.

If you'd like a list of the bills we're following, contact PCL Legislative Advocate Rene Guerrero at rguerrero@pcl.org.

==============

Gary Patton is the Executive Director of the Planning and Conservation League, a statewide, nonprofit lobbying organization. For more than thirty years, PCL has fought to develop a body of environmental laws in California that is the best in the United States. PCL staff review virtually every environmental bill that comes before the California Legislature each year. It has testifed in support or opposition of thousands of bills to strengthen California's environmental laws and fight off rollbacks of environmental protections.