National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC)
Resolution on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Please help support this Resolution!

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On May 26, 2000, the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) passed a "Resolution on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity".  NEJAC is a federal advisory committee that was established by the U.S. EPA in 1993 to provide independent advice, consultation, and recommendations to the EPA on matters releated to environmental justice.  It is comprised of 25 members representing various stakeholders including academia; environmental organizations; state, local, and tribal governments; non-governmental organizations; and industry.  For further info on NEJAC, see website http://es.epa.gov/oeca/main/ej/

The resolution advised the EPA Administrator to take the following actions:

NEJAC urges EPA to work with other agencies to:

1.      Establish disease registries and make MCS a “reportable condition”. Investigate and report the prevalence and incidence of MCS in minority communities, low income communities and tribes, especially those heavily impacted by environmental pollutants;

2.     Provide funding and programs to support increased understanding, education and research that will aid in identifying causes, diagnosis, treatment, accommodation and the prevention of MCS;

3.     Include MCS as a factor when setting standards and establishing regulations, especially with regard to multiple exposures and cumulative effects from environmental chemicals;

4.      Examine existing environmental laws and revise or add standards as appropriate to assure protection from chemicals that cause initial sensitization and those that trigger existing sensitivities;

5.      Encourage states and other government and non-government entities to take regulatory and voluntary actions, including notices and restrictions as necessary, to protect individuals with MCS in the workplace, office, home and in public places;

6.      Assure that accurate information on minority and low income populations is included in the final version of the Interagency Workgroup report on MCS and other policy documents issued on the matter of MCS;

7.      Establish a fragrance-free policy for meetings and identify and utilize facilities that actively attempt to reduce and minimize use of toxic chemicals, for example, that use non-toxic building materials, cleaning agents and pest control measures. 

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It is paramount that we all take part in getting the EPA to adopt this resolution.  Your voice is essential--please write to Carol Browner asking for her to adopt this resolution.  This is your chance to take part in your own future (and that of others to come).  Please visit the URL below in the text.  We cannot expect others to fight this battle for us--it will be a hard won.

Ms. Browner: browner.carol@epa.gov

Please adopt the "Resolution on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity" passed by the National
Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) May 26, 2000.

Signed,

(your name/address)

Or Letters of support for the NEJAC resolution can be directed to Administrator Carol Browner, USEPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004.

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