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New Report: Reductions in Toxic Chemical Exposure Would Make Americans Healthier, Wealthier
January 21, 2010According to a new analysis released today, "The Health Case for Reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act," the U.S. has the opportunity to prevent chronic disease and reduce health care costs by overhauling federal chemical policy. Evidence is strong and growing that chemical exposure is contributing to the rise in many chronic diseases, according to this new report. As the U.S. debates the costs of health care and its reform, "The Health Case" documents the enormous health care costs of treating chronic diseases and conditions linked to chemical exposure, according to recent studies. Conservative estimates show that reducing the incidence of these diseases by 0.1 percent could save $5 billion per year in health care costs. The coalition has estimated health care cost savings on a state-by-state basis. The federal chemical safety law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), has not been updated since 1976. The EPA has identified comprehensive reform of the toxics law as a key priority. Of the 80,000 chemicals used in the U.S., EPA has required safety testing on only 200. And 60,000 chemicals -- including bisphenol A -- were grandfathered in for use without testing for health safety. New legislation to update the toxics law will be introduced by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) in early 2010. Full release.