NADD - An association for persons with developmental disabilities and mental health needs

From the NADD Bulletin Volume XII Number 2

NADD Participates in Environmental Health Policy Training

Edward Seliger, M.A., NADD Environmental Health Project Coordinator

NADD had a significant institutional presence at the Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative Policy Training held in Baltimore on January 13-14, 2009. The training concluded on January 14th with attendees practicing their newly developed skills by visiting members of Congress in Washington, DC to discuss the reform of federal toxic chemical control policy.

The Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative (LDDI) is a working group of the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE). LDDI, with over 375 organizational and individual members, works to foster collaboration among learning and developmental disability organizations, researchers, health professionals, and environmental health justice groups to address concerns about the impact environmental pollutants may have on healthy brain development. For the past year, NADD has been part of the core leadership group of LDDI, participating in monthly meetings with staff from the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), the Learning Disabilities Association (LDA), and the Autism Society of America (ASA).

The Policy Training was organized by the Institute for Children's Environmental Health and was sponsored by The John Merck Fund. It began with presentations on the medical and moral underpinnings of the environmental health movement, the current policy landscape, and strategic initiatives. Ben Goldfarb, Director of Training Programs for Wellstone Action then led participants through a number of exercises geared to developing and communicating an effective message and to educating elected officials and their staff.

The focus of the training and of the Congressional visits was the Kid Safe Chemical Act (KSCA) which was introduced last year to overhaul the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The purpose of KSCA was to protect our most vulnerable populations from harmful chemicals and to improve EPA's ability to safeguard public health and the environment. It is expected that this bill will be re-introduced later this year.

When TSCA was passed by the United States Congress in 1976, in order to regulate the introduction of new or existing chemicals, there were approximately 62,000 chemicals in use. There are now more than 80,000 synthetic chemicals registered for use in the United States. The EPA was charged with managing chemical policy through TSCA, but over the past 30 years it has removed or required a full safety assessment of very few chemicals. Even where there is information that suggests a chemical is harmful, the EPA faces formidable legal and administrative barriers before taking action to protect public health and the environment. KSDA addresses this by putting the burden of proof on chemical manufacturers to demonstrate that their chemicals are safe for the most vulnerable subpopulations - usually children. Chemicals that cannot meet this standard are banned, although individuals uses may be permitted if they can be shown to meet the safety standard.

Another problem that KSCA seeks to address is the fact that there is no publicly available health and safety information for the vast majority of chemicals. It specifies the minimum health and safety information that must be generated for all chemicals and requires that information be turned over to the government. It also provides for more information to be made available to businesses, scientists, and the general public.

KSCA also includes provisions for determining which chemicals Americans are exposed to and in what concentrations. It also establishes a procedure for prioritizing chemicals that children are exposed to prenatally.

Around thirty people representing various learning and developmental disabilities organizations from across the country attended the LDDI Policy Training. Attendees from NADD were: Robert Fletcher, DSW, ACSW, Founder and CEO; Edward Seliger, MA, Environmental Health Project Coordinator; Donna McNellis, PhD, President; Diane Cox-Lindenbaum, ACSW, Member of the Board of Directors; Susan Havercamp, PhD, Member; Barbara Devaney, MA, LMFT, Member; and Christine Gadbois, BSN, RNBC, RIDDNA, RISNA, Member of the Environmental Health Committee.

Attendees met with the staff of approximately ten Senators and members of the House of Representatives to discuss the possibility of supporting the Kid Safe Chemicals Act once it is re-introduced and to explore ways in which the learning and developmental disabilities community can help support and promote the reform of policies concerning the control of toxic chemicals. The training attendees were well received, and the Congressional staff were generally interested in what they had to say about chemical policy reform.

Participation in this training represents a new step for NADD. While we will continue to educate our members and others about the impact of environmental toxins upon neurodevelopment, we will be taking a greater part in attempting to influence policies concerning the regulation of toxic chemicals.

For additional information, contact Mr. Seliger at eseliger@thenadd.org.

The NADD Environmental Health Project, funded by the John Merck Fund, provides professionals, families, and the general public with relevant information concerning toxic agents and their affects on neuro-development. For further information visit www.thenadd.org and click on "Environmental Health Project," or contact Ed Seliger, Project Coordinator, at eseliger@thenadd.org.