States Say "No Way" To Worst Chemicals
Persistent, bioaccumulative toxics, commonly known as PBTs, are a group of toxic chemicals that are joined together by some common features. Common PBTs in our lives include mercury, DDT, cadmium, lead, and several groups of chemicals including PCBs, toxic flame retardants (PBDEs) and dioxins. While these chemicals have many different uses in our lives, and different effects on our health, they are joined together by the following facts:
Mercury, lead, cadmium, DDT, PCBs, and toxic flame retardants. Ask most toxicologists about these dubious chemicals and they'll tell you they're a dastardly bunch when it comes to harming our health and the environment. In fact, they belong to a class of chemicals called PBT chemicals that many experts classify as some of the worst chemicals on the planet. And, unfortunately, these types of chemicals are all around us, in our bodies, in our food, in products we have in our homes, and in our environment.
The good news is that while the federal government has been slow to address these "worst of the worst" chemicals, several states, including Washington, have been quietly taking action for years to eliminate them from our lives. But, as our friends at Safer States point out in their latest blog on PBT chemicals, it's clear states can't continue to do it alone.
"We need a fix at the federal level so that we don't have to do this in the states," said Ted Sturdevant, Director of the Washington State Department of Ecology. "States have limited resources and lack the tools of federal agencies to drive a national program. However, until we have a national solution, we will continue to act on chemical safety concerns in our states."
We couldn't agree more, which is why we're closely following the recently introduced Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 and asking Washington's Senators Cantwell and Murray to be co-sponsors. You can join us by calling Senators Murray and Cantwell on the Capitol switch board.
Read Safer States' whole story of the impacts of these worst chemicals, what states have been doing, and why Congress may finally follow the states and do something meaningful to protect our health from these chemicals.
