JAN.

22, 2014

NR # 3354

Bill to protect children from environmental pollutants

Lawmakers have filed a bill protecting children, pregnant women, the elderly, the seriously sick and others who are likely to face health risks from environmental pollutants. Reps. Rufus Rodriguez (2nd District, agayan de !ro ity" and #a$imo Rodriguez, %r. (&arty' list, ()(#*+" filed ,ouse )ill -2./ to address the need to clearly differentiate and identify the risks to children and other vulnerable sectors in the setting of environmental and public health standards. Rodriguez said public health and safety greatly depends on the awareness of citizens and local officials of the to$ic dangers that e$ist in their homes, communities and neighborhoods. 0!ur current standards for environmental pollutants fail to protect or even consider risks to children and other vulnerable subpopulations,1 Rodriguez said. Rodriguez said the bill should institute the necessary mechanisms for ensuring and supplying data that would allow ade2uate 2uantification and evaluation of environmental pollutants specific to these sectors, providing information on the risks to children and the risks to other vulnerable sub' pollutants. 0*n so doing, the citizens will be able to e$ercise their right to know and make informed decisions to protect their families,1 Rodriguez said. 3he bill mandates the Department of 4nvironment and +atural Resources (D4+R", the Department of ,ealth (D!," and the Department of (griculture (D(" to issue appropriate environmental and public health standards with an ade2uate margin of safety, protecting children and other vulnerable subpopulations that are at greater risk from e$posure to environmental pollutants. 3he D4+R shall evaluate the current public health and environmental standards, develop an administrative strategy and process for reviewing standards and consider the environmental health risks to children and other vulnerable subpopulations. 5nder the bill, a safer'for'children product list shall be made available by the D4+R to the general public and relevant government agencies that will advance the public6s right to know and prevent unnecessary and involuntary e$posure to environmental pollutants. +ot later than one year after the safer'for'children product list is created, only listed products or chemicals with minimal potential health risks to children may be used. Likewise, scientific research opportunities should be identified by the D4+R and the D!, to study the short'term and long'term health effects of cumulative, simultaneous and synergistic e$posure of children and other vulnerable subpopulations to environmental pollutants. (-7" jc