April 9, 2009
The Honorable Frank R. Lautenberg, Chairman
And
The Honorable Arlen Specter, Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health
Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chairman Lautenberg and Ranking Member Specter:
We are concerned physicians, scientists, and citizens writing to you from a range of communities and organizations regarding the need to improve health protections in the United States and the broader global community. As leaders of the Senate Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works you have oversight responsibilities regarding our nation's efforts to protect our natural environment, and the health of people as it is affected by our environment.
In 2009 there are few people who deny that harm to human health can be caused by environmental contamination of air and water and other poisonous exposures. It is no longer a matter of "environmental enthusiasts" versus the nation's economic engine, but rather an urgent public health matter involving the prevention of thousands of illnesses and deaths each year. Exposure to hazardous chemicals poses an acute public health problem manifest in escalating rates of asthma, childhood cancer, and other serious health problems in the United States.
Your work on the Subcommittee includes oversight of the U.S. EPA, our nation's lead agency on environmental protections affecting human health. Recent Congressional hearings identified numerous ethical problems at the Agency. We are concerned that inappropriate influence by special interests could divert attention and resources from critical needs, such as timely action on hazardous chemicals, energy-related pollution, and equitable enforcement of environmental laws.
Campaign contributions have been made to all subcommittee members by companies engaged in activities that are substantially impacted by the U.S. EPA's actions (please see attached page). While such donations are entirely legal, there are legitimate concerns regarding political influence and access. We are confident that you will serve with honor and dedication in your Congressional service. We request that you regularly meet with those who are working for improved environmental health protections in order to balance special interest arguments against stronger protections. It is in our nation's best and guiding interest that diverse voices be heard on these important issues. We appreciate and applaud the fact that some Subcommittee members have welcomed a diversity of thinking on these critical issues, often taking national and global leadership roles on environmental and public health protections.
Our shared goals include insuring the safety of water, air, soil, and food supplies through careful management and protection of essential resources. We believe that you share these goals, by virtue of your participation on the Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health in the US Senate. We look forward to observing your oversight and efforts to move the country forward on environmental issues of critical importance to us all, and hence to the entire world.
Respectfully submitted by the following individuals and organizations*
Michael Harbut, M.D., MPH.
Co-Director, National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos-Related Cancers,
Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University
Chief, Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Royal Oak, MI
http://www.karmanos.org/app.asp?id=886
Kathleen Burns, Ph.D.
Director
Sciencecorps
Lexington, MA.
James Huff, Ph.D.
Associate Director for Chemical Carcinogenesis,
National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences
Research Triangle Park, NC
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/od/huff.htm
Ronald Melnick, Ph.D.
Toxicologist (Independent).
Retired - National Toxicology Program
National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences
Research Triangle Park, NC
Judy Braiman
Executive Director
Empire State Consumer Project, Rochester, NY
Joel Kupferman, J.D.
Executive Director
New York Environmental Law and Justice Project
New York, NY
__________________________________________________________________________________
* Affiliations are provided for identification and do not imply institutional endorsement.
** Drs. Harbut and Burns are the recommended contacts for this letter.
Mike Harbut: e-mail: m1har [at] aol.com
Kathy Burns: e-mail: info [at] sciencecorps.org
Co-signers*
Judith Anderson
Environmental Action Group of Western New York
Buffalo, NY
Elaine Barron, M.D.
National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee
EPA Clean Air Advisory Committee
El Paso, TX
Ronald Blum M.D.
American Academy of Family Practitioners
American College of Occupational & Environmental Medicine
Patten, ME
Beth Burrows
President and Director
Edmonds Institute
Edmonds, WA
David Carpenter, M.D.
Director, Institute for Health and the Environment
State University of New York at Albany
Rensselear, NY
Theo Colburn, Ph.D.
Director
The Endocrine Exchange
Boulder, CO
Joseph Cosgrove
Manager
Godley Public Water District
Godley, IL
John Cunningham
College Student (Law Enforcement)
Bedford, MA
Mao Da
Visiting Scholar
University of Houston Environmental History Program
(From Beijing Normal University)
Houston, TX
Christopher Gavigan
Chief Executive Officer
Healthy Child Healthy World
Los Angeles, CA
James R. Garb, M.D.
Fellow, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Yarmouth Port, MA
Meleah Geertsma, J.D., M.P.H.
Staff attorney and public health specialist
Environmental Law and Policy Center
Chicago IL,
David F. Goldsmith, MSPH, Ph.D.
Dept of Environmental & Occupational Health
George Washington University
Washington DC
Joseph Hennager
President and Chief Executive Officer
Blue Planet Green Living
Iowa City, IA
Rick Hind
Legislative Director
Greenpeace
Washington, D.C.
J. William Hirzy, Ph.D.
Vice President National Technical Employees Union 280
(Represents U.S. EPA Professional Employees)
Chemist in Residence at American University
Washington, D.C.
Eckardt Johanning, M.D., M.Sc.
Medical Director
Occupational and Environmental Life Science
Albany, NY
Lin Katz Cherry, Ph.D.
Indiana Toxics Action
Gary, IN
Dr. Mahmood A. Khwaja
Head of the Technology Transfer for Sustainable Industrial Development Project
Research Fellow at Sustainable Policy Institute
Islamabad, Pakistan
Pamela LaBrake
Lindane Association
Schenectady, NY
Cecile A. Lawrence J.D. M.A.
Binghamton NY
Robin S. Martinez J.D.
Environmental Justice Committee
National Lawyers Guild
Liberty MO
Emmanuel S. Massawe,
Acting Executive Director,
Lawyers’ Environmental Action Team
Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
Georgia Miller
Nanotechnology Project Coordinator
Friends of the Earth
Australia
Pamela K. Miller
Executive Director
Alaska Community Action on Toxics
Anchorage, AK
Yusto P. Muchuruza
Executive Director
Kagera Development and Credit Revolving Fund M. Suzanne Murphy, Executive Director Worksafe, Inc. Oakland, CA 94607 Ellady Muyambi Secretary General, Uganda Network on Toxic Free Malaria Control Kampala, Uganda Audrey Newcomb Rochesterians
Against the Misuse of Pesticides Rochester, NY Rory O'Neill Journalist Editor, Hazards, UK Trades Union Council London, UK Bill Owens President Glynn Environmental Coalition, Brunswick, GA Daniel Parshley Project Manager Glynn Environmental Coalition, Brunswick, GA Sharyle Patton, Director Commonweal Biomonitoring Resource Center Bolinas, CA. Maria Powell, PhD Research Director Nanotechnology Citizen
Engagement Organization Madison, WI 53704 Matt Prindiville Toxics and Sustainable Production Natural Resources Council of Maine Augusta, ME Linda Reinstein Director Asbestos Disease Advocacy Organization Redondo Beach, CA John Paul Rossie, MA, MS, MBA Littleton, CO Monona Rossol, M.S., M.F.A. Director Arts, Crafts & Theater Safety, Inc., Industrial Hygienist New York City, NY Abel Russ Environmental Justice Committee
National Lawyers Guild South Royalton VT`
Michael A Santoro, M.D., MPH Medical Director, Occupational Medicine and MEND Orthopedics Northwest Hand Specialists Seattle, WA Dr. Paul Saoke Executive Director Physicians for Social
Responsibility of Kenya Nairobi, Kenya Cynthia Sauer Corydon, IN Joseph Sauer, M.D. Obstetrician Corydon, IN Theodore Schettler, M.D. Science Director Science and Environmental Health Network Ames, IA Alice and Philip Shabecoff Journalists Authors of "Poisoned Profits" (Random House) Brookline, MA Christine Shahin Member, Just Green
Coalition Newport, NY Marriam V. Tolman College Student (Nursing) Lansing, MI Barbara Warren Julia Wasson Publisher Blue Planet Green Living,
Iowa City,
IA Jeff Weidenhamer, Ph.D. Professor of Chemistry and Chair, Department of Chemistry, Geology
& Physics Ashland University Laura S Welch M.D. Medical Director The Center for Construction Research and Training Silver Spring MD Steven Wing, Ph.D. University of North Carolina Research Triangle Park, NC * Affiliations are
provided for identification and do not imply institutional endorsement. Membership of the Senate Subcommittee on Superfund,
Toxics and Environmental Health, Committee on Environment and
Public Works Senator Max Baucus of Montana Barbara Boxer of California Christopher Bond of Missouri Mike Crapo of Idaho Kirsten Gillibrand of New York James Inhofe of Oklahoma Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania Numerous companies that produce or use large quantities of hazardous
chemicals, materials, and polluting fuels made campaign contributions to
Subcommittee members during 2008, including PACs for Monsanto, Dow, Eastman
Chemical, Exxon, General Electric Plastics, Occidental Petroleum, Mobil,
Zeneca and many others. Associations established by companies, such as the
American Chemical Council, and firms that conduct legal and public relations
work on behalf of the companies also made donations. In addition,
contributions to political parties are distributed to party candidates. These
actions are legal, and public disclosures of contributions are reported by the
federal government. Sources: Detailed contribution data &
complete PAC titles are available at two federal government websites that were
relied upon in the preparation of this letter: Federal
Election Commission Campaign Finance Reports & Data http://www.fec.gov/disclosure.shtml Senate
Office of Public Records
Bukoba, Tanzania
Executive Director
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association
Executive Director
Citizens' Environmental Coalition
Albany, NY 12210
Ashland, OH 44805
Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island
CC:
Senator Richard Durbin, Illinois, Co-Sponsor with Senator Arlen Specter of the Fair Elections Bill, March 2009
Senator Edward Kennedy, Massachusetts, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Senator Barbara Boxer, California, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.