HR0886 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0886 LRB098 20443 MGM 56296 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Children and pregnant women are uniquely vulnerable to the health threats of toxic chemicals, and early life chemical exposures have been linked to chronic disease later in life; and

WHEREAS, A growing body of peer-reviewed scientific evidence links exposure to toxic chemicals to many diseases and health conditions that are rising in incidence, including childhood cancers, prostate cancer, breast cancer, learning and developmental disabilities, infertility, and obesity; and

WHEREAS, The President's Cancer Panel report released in May 2010, states, "The true burden of environmentally-induced cancers has been grossly underestimated," and the panel advised President Barack Obama "to use the power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water, and air that needlessly increase health care cost, cripple our nation's productivity, and devastate American lives"; and

WHEREAS, Workers in a range of industries are exposed to toxic chemicals which pose threats to their health, increasing worker absenteeism, workers' compensation claims, and health care costs that burden the economy; and

WHEREAS, A recent national poll found that 78% of American voters were seriously concerned about the threat to children's health from exposure to toxic chemicals in day-to-day life; and

WHEREAS, States bear an undue burden from toxic chemicals, including health care costs and environmental damages, disadvantaging businesses that lack information on chemicals in their supply chain, and increasing demands for state regulation; and

WHEREAS, The federal Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (15 U.S.C Sec. 2601, et seq.), the primary governing federal statute, was intended to authorize the United States Environmental Protection Agency to protect public health and the environment from toxic chemicals; and

WHEREAS, The federal Toxic Substances Control Act has been recognized as having challenges that prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from taking quick and effective regulatory action to protect the public against chemical threats; and

WHEREAS, In January 2009, the United States General Accountability Office added the Environmental Protection Agency's regulatory program for assessing and controlling toxic chemicals to its list of "high risk" government programs that may have some deficiencies; and

WHEREAS, The National Conference of State Legislatures unanimously adopted a resolution in July 2009, that articulated principles for the reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 and called on the United States Congress to update the law; and

WHEREAS, In August 2010, the Environmental Council of the States, the national association of state environmental agency directors, unanimously adopted a resolution entitled "Reforming the Toxic Substance Control Act", which endorsed specific policy reforms including making certain the Environmental Protection Agency has adequate authority to ensure existing new chemicals are safe; and

WHEREAS, Ten states have come together to launch the Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse to coordinate state chemical information management programs, and a coalition of 13 states issued guiding principles for the reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976; and

WHEREAS, Seventy-one state laws on chemical safety have been enacted and signed into law in 18 states with broad bi-partisan support over the last 8 years; and

WHEREAS, The State of California's policy leadership regarding chemical management is outstanding and warrants close examination by Illinois and other states; and

WHEREAS, The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 Modernization effort presents a rare opportunity to bolster sustainable innovation within the chemical sciences industry to create jobs and eliminate the toxicity of older, more harmful substances; and

WHEREAS, Legislation to substantially reform the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 was introduced during the 109th Congress in 2005, the 110th Congress in 2008, and again in the 111th Congress in 2010; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we support the efforts of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators in their efforts to modernize the Federal Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 by strengthening chemical management through policy reforms; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the Governor and the General Assembly to strengthen the State's chemical management statutes.