Physician Group Accuses EPA of Endangering Children's Health
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) says the Environmental Protection Agency is "mounting a massive delay strategy" instead of taking steps to reduce levels of known hazardous chemicals to which children are exposed.
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WASHINGTON, Jun 29 (Reuters Health) - The Physicians
Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) says the Environmental Protection
Agency is "mounting a massive delay strategy" instead of taking
steps to reduce levels of known hazardous chemicals to which children are
exposed.
"Rather than inform parents about the possible
sources of dangerous chemicals or take aggressive steps to get rid of them,
the EPA is proposing to conduct an endless series of animal tests to estimate
what levels of toxins our kids should be expected to tolerate," charged
PCRM president Dr. Neal D. Barnard at a press conference here Wednesday.
Top carcinogens on PCRM's hit list are high environmental
lead concentrations, mercury, and DDT. The physician's group also says that
tetrachloroethylene, a chemical used for dry cleaning; toluene, produced
during the process of making gasoline; and tribromomethane, used for mineral
ore separation, are all materials that have been established as "probable
human carcinogens by the FDA.
PCRM objects to the EPA's "Voluntary Children's
Chemical Evaluation Program", saying it is "a waste of taxpayers
money." The program is intended to identify toxins that
disproportionately affect children, but PCRM says that it will be lengthy,
involve the killing of 100,000 animals, and meanwhile leave children exposed.
Dr. Barnard said that the EPA's role should be to warn
parents about the known dangers of chemicals. "EPA's announcement that
Diaxone is present in dairy products was a good start," Dr. Barnard said,
"because it at least lets the consumer know where the chemicals are, so
they can decide if it is worth the risk."
PCRM also released a letter, attributed to actor Edward
Asner, calling on EPA Administrator Carol Browner to "demand that
manufacturers keep chemicals away from our children."
Reuters Health was unable to reach Carol Browner at EPA.
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