| Washington, D.C. - Today, the American Nurses Association (ANA) endorsed H.R. 4800, legislation introduced by Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis to implement the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Unlike legislation introduced by Rep. Gillmor (H.R. 4591), H.R. 4800 effectively, efficiently implements the Stockholm Convention, protects public health and ensures states can protect the health of their citizens. It is expected that the full Energy and Commerce Committee will mark up legislation to implement the treaty in the next two weeks.
ANA represents nearly 3 million nurses in the United States. Below is the text of the letter:
June 7, 2006
The Honorable Joe Barton
Chairman, House Committee on Energy and Commerce
2109 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable John D. Dingell
Ranking Member, House Committee on Energy and Commerce
2328 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Re: H.R. 4800 ¨C The POPs, LRTAP POPs, and PIC Implementation Act of 2006
Dear Chairman Barton and Mr. Dingell:
We are writing on behalf of the American Nurses Association (ANA) to express our support for H.R. 4800, a bill to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to implement to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. The ANA represents the professional interests of 2.9 million nurses in the United States. As part of this role the ANA is highly committed to advocate not only for nurses but also for the health of the U.S. population we serve.
The ANA¡¯s policy on environmental pollutants and human health is consistent with our adoption of the precautionary principle. When an ¡°activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment¡± the ANA recommends a precautionary approach that most ensures disease prevention.
Recently, it has come to our attention that the U.S. Congress is considering legislation to implement an important international environmental treaty to eliminate or significantly reduce the global production, use and release of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). These ubiquitous pollutants represent the worst type of contaminants, chemicals that are slow to break down in the environment and bioaccumulate providing a continuous body burden in exposed humans. These pollutants can cause irreversible damage that has been linked through toxicological studies to cancer, decreased cognitive development, reproductive disorders and low birth weight. These adverse health effects impact our patients across lifespan and therefore are important to nurses in all practice arenas.
In the interest of protecting human health, the ANA strongly supports the enactment of legislation which adopts the Stockholm Convention Treaty.
ANA is specifically supporting H.R. 4800 because:
¡ñ It adopts POPs already identified in the Stockholm Convention as the twelve worst persistent contaminants that need to be eliminated;
¡ñ It provides specific legislation that requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take prompt action once the United States agrees to eliminate other POPs added to the Stockholm Convention list;
¡ñ It embodies the spirit of the Stockholm Convention by applying the treaty¡¯s health-based standard under U.S. law; and
¡ñ It respects the right of states, local government, and tribes to regulate POPs more strictly that the federal government.
The salient elements are the basis for ANA¡¯s strong support on the adoption of the HR 4800 because we believe it is the best approach to reduce exposure to persistent organic pollutants and their deleterious effects on the health of all Americans.
Sincerely,
Rose Gonzalez, MPS, RN Nancy Hughes, MS, RN
Director, Government Affairs Director, Occupational & Environmental Health
CC:
The Honorable James M. Inhofe, The Honorable James F. Jeffords (U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee)
The Honorable Richard G. Lugar, The Honorable Joseph R. Biden (U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee).
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