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2010 Congressional Hearing

Government Accountability Office (GAO) Investigation of EPA's Children's Health Program

On Wednesday, March 17, 2010 the Senate Committee on Environmental and Public works heard testimony on Government Accountability Office (GAO) Investigation of EPA's Children's Health Program. The role of the federal government in investgating children's health issues was investigated by the testimony. Strengthening protections for children was a focus of the hearing. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) provided testimony on the federal government's role in investigating children's health issues and how that can be improved.

There were two panels of witnesses,

Panel 1

Peter Grevatt Ph.D.

Director, Office of Children's Health Protection and Environmental Education USEPA

John Stephenson

Director, Natural Resources and Environment

U.S. GAU

Panel 2

Gina Solomon M.D., M.P.H

Associate Director of the UCSF Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit Center for Occupational & Environmental Health, Univeristy of California at Berkeley

Cynthia F. Bearer M.D., Ph.D.

Board Chair

Children's Environmental Health Network

Ted Schettler M.D.

Science Director

Science and Environmental Health Network

For links to witness testimony and archived webcast, Click here

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in Drinking Water: Risks to Human Health and the Environment

On Thursday, February 25, 2010 the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce heard testimony on "Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in Drinking Water: Risks to Human Health and the Environment". The hearing examined the science and regulation of endocrine disruptees found in the sources of drinking water.

There were four witnesses:

Jim Jones

Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances

USEPA

Linda S.Brinbaum

Director, NIEHS

Gina Solomon

Senior Scientist, NRDC

Christopher J.Borgert

President and Principal Scientist

Applied Pharmacology and Technology, Inc.

For links to witness testimony and archived webcast,  Click here

On Thursday, February 4th, 2010, the Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health of the Senate Committee on Environmental and Public works held a hearing on "Current Science on Public Exposures to Toxic Chemicals". The hearing assembled good testimony on the limitations and needed reforms to the Toxic Substances Control Act. The hearing in particular showed the impact of advances in biomonitoring on toxic chemical reform debates, but also its limitations.

There were four government witnesses:

Steve Owens, US EPA 

Henry Falk, CDC

John Stephenson, US GAO

Linda Birnbaum, NIEHS

Followed by four non-governmental witnesses, including one industry toxicologist:

Molly Jones Gray, Biomonitoring Study Participant

Ken Cook, Environmental Working Group

Charles McKay, Hartford Hospital

Tracey J. Woodruff, University of California

For links to witness testimony and an archived webcast of the hearing, Click Here (link to url below)

(http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=8a722315-802a-23ad-4e9a-b8477139e63f)

In addition to the Hearing, on February 4th, 2010, members of the Learning and Developmental Disability community released a new biomonitoring report, Mind, Disrupted: How Toxic Chemicals May Affect How We Think and Who We Are in Washington, DC. Several questions prompted the undertaking of this project: What role might environmental toxics play in undermining healthy development of the brain and nervous system? How might certain environmental pollutants exacerbate the health conditions of those who already have a learning, developmental or behavioral disorder? The report intends to spotlight these pressing questions and inspire prompt actions to reduce exposures that may impair how we think -- and, in the most basic ways, who we are. Twelve leaders and self-advocates from the learning and developmental disabilities community stepped forward to try and answer these questions by having their bodies tested for the presence of a set of know or suspected neurotoxic or endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

Visit the new Mind, Disrupted website www.minddisrupted.org 

Read more about LDDI and learning and developmental disabilities partners (www.disabilityandenvironment.org)

2010 Congressional Briefings

Briefing on Learning and Developmental Disabilities Biomonitoring Project

On February 19, 2010 AAIDD participated in a noon-time briefing for Congressional members and staff in the Cannon House Building (3rd Floor). The informational briefing on LDDI and AAIDD's biomonitoring report focussed on toxic chemical pollution in people from the learning and developmental and disability community, and on the need for chemicals management reform. The report examines 61 toxic chemicals present in project participants in the context of rising rates of autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other learning and developmental disabilities.

Speakers included:

Dr.Tom Zoeller, Professor of Biology

University of Massachussets, Amherst

Maureen Swanson

Healthy Children Project Coordinator

Learning Disabilities Association of America

Jeff Sell

Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy

Autism Society of America

To download report, visit www.minddisrupted.org