The moment has finally come, the Safe Chemicals Act of 2012 (S.847) was voted out of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and now heads to the Senate floor for a vote!
I am proud to say the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) has joined the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families’ coalition in their goals of protecting families from toxic chemicals and reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976. This Act, known as TSCA, is grossly outdated and fails to protect many of our country’s most at-risk residents from harmful and dangerous substances and chemicals, many of which are often able to slip through the cracks in regulation, making their way into our homes, stores, and everyday products. The Safe Chemicals Act of 2012 (S.847), championed by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D – NJ) and 21 other Senate co-sponsors, will impose stricter regulations on toxic chemicals. ADAO has just submitted a letter urging Chairwoman Boxer and Ranking Member Inhofe to continue their strong support for the bill. Their joint efforts on this piece of legislation show there is no place for partisanship in public health.
ADAO stands with hundreds of public health, environmental, and business groups that have come together to join with Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, and I am so excited that we have become part of the coalition working towards reform in the regulation of chemicals and substances used in the United States. One of the most significant omissions from TSCA is asbestos, a known human carcinogen that is not one of the five substances to have been restricted for use by the EPA. The legislative history and the current language in TSCA are such that while regulations have been added, these additions do not ban asbestos, but merely impose stricter requirements for the use of the deadly mineral. And, the irrefutable facts show, there is no safe use of asbestos.
Currently, only 55 countries have banned asbestos, and the United States and Canada are not among them – despite the fact, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), that more than 107,000 people die from asbestos-caused disease every year. The United States continues to import asbestos, and consumer, occupational and environmental exposure continues, although many are under the false impression that asbestos has been banned. Much of America’s asbestos imports come from our neighbor to the north – Canada. As this excellent segment from the Daily Show with John Stewart show. Frankly, you won’t believe what you see and hear in the video “Ored to Death.” Canada continues to mine the lethal fiber and export it around the world. There is nothing funny about asbestos, or the preventable diseases that continue to claim lives, but Jon Stewart’s Daily Show managed to pull the humor from such a ludicrous situation. We encourage you to spend five minutes, watch this video, and share it on your social networks.
| The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Ored to Death | ||||
|
||||
At the present time, the only two ways to eliminate environmental and occupational asbestos-caused diseases are prevention and a cure. The Safe Chemicals Act of 2012 would support prevention by increased regulation of asbestos and other dangerous materials, giving the EPA greater regulatory authority over what chemicals and substances are sold to the public. Additionally, The Safer Chemicals Act of 2012 provides further protection by authorizing other governmental organizations to ban dangerous chemicals and substances, like asbestos.
Click here to sign the petition and tell your Senator how important protecting your family from dangerous chemicals and substances really is in America.
In unity,
Linda
Linda Reinstein Social Networks
ADAO Social Networks