2010 CPEO Brownfields List Archive

From: Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 2010 17:57:07 -0800 (PST)
Reply: cpeo-brownfields
Subject: [CPEO-BIF] Communities' letter to EPA about trichloroethylene review
 
Below is a letter, signed by representatives of communities across the country that are impacted by TCE pollution, asking EPA not to refer the question of TCE toxicity to the National Academies of Science and thus delay action in the setting of this important standard:


January 22, 2010

Hon. Lisa Jackson
USEPA Headquarters
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W.
Mail Code: 1101A
Washington, DC 20460

Dear Administrator Jackson:

We are people from communities impacted by trichloroethylene (TCE) pollution, or we represent such people. We are pleased that EPA has once again put forward a Toxicological Review, in support of the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), for this compound. We urge you to continue to resist pressure to defer action by sending the question of TCE toxicity to the National Academies of Science (NAS) for yet another review.

As you know, the NAS published its last report on TCE in July 2006. After a more than 18-month effort the NAS found, "The evidence on cancer and other health risks from TCE exposure has strengthened since 2001." Furthermore, it recommended, "enough information exists for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to complete a credible human health risk assessment now." That's exactly what EPA should do.

We recognize there is a need for additional research on the health effects of TCE exposure, but as the Government Accountability Office has repeatedly pointed out, delays "can result in substantial harm to human health, safety, and the environment." That is, we don't want our families and our communities to be "guinea pigs" in a permanent research experiment. Innumerable people are being exposed to TCE levels, in the air we breathe and water we drink, that meets current, outdated standards but which would be found unacceptable under EPA's draft Review.

Moreover, in May 2009 your office issued a new "Process for Development of Integrated Risk Information System Health Assessments," streamlining what had become a cumbersome, unproductive process. The TCE Review is one of the first tests of this process. Failure to complete the TCE Review in a timely fashion would undermine the entire IRIS system, setting a precedent for the continuing delay in the development and improvement of science-based exposure standards.

Thus, we urge EPA to consider carefully the comments it receives on the draft TCE Review and to act quickly to finalize new IRIS values for TCE based upon today's best science.

cc: Cass Sunstein, Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

John G. Andrade
Old Bedford Village Development, Inc.
New Bedford, Massachusetts

Sarah Anker
Community Health and Environment Coalition
Mt. Sinai, New York

Christine Borello
Concerned Citizens of Lake Twp./Uniontown IEL Superfund Site
Uniontown, Ohio

Dave Chalton
Barron Park Association Foundation
Palo Alto, California

Elizabeth Crowe
Kentucky Environmental Foundation
Berea, Kentucky

Joan Davidson
Sierra Club South Bay Open Space Task Force
Palos Verdes, California

Ken and Regina Deschere
Ithaca South Hill Industrial Pollution
Ithaca, New York

Barry Durand
Mills Gap Road Groundwater Contamination Site CAG
Skyland, North Carolina

Amanda Evans
Victims of TCE Exposure
Hillsboro, Oregon

Neil Fischbein
TCE Blog
Cheshire, Connecticut

Jon Goodman
People for clean Air and Water
Collegeville, Pennsylvania

Debra Hall
Hopewell Junction Citizens for Clean Water
Hopewell Junction, New York

Congressman John Hall
New York District #19

Scott Hallowell
CTS Citizen's Monitoring Council
Arden, North Carolina

Michael Heimbinder
HabitatMap
Brooklyn, New York

Katie Hicks
Clean Water for North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina

Dona Hippert
Oregon Toxics Alliance
Portland, Oregon

Gina and Glen E. Horecky
Mills Gap Road Groundwater Contamination Site CAG
Skyland, North Carolina

Jane Horton
Moffett-MEW TAG Community Advisory Board
Mountain View, California

Francine D. Ishmael
Citizens Against Toxic Exposure,
Pensacola, Florida

Marilyn Koenitzer
Corvallis, Oregon

Stephen Linsley
Richmond Southeast Shoreline Area Community Advisory Group
Richmond, California

Peter C. Little
Department of Anthropology
Oregon State University

Peter T. MacQueen
Mills Gap Road Groundwater Contamination Site CAG
Asheville, North Carolina

Pamela K. Miller
Alaska Community Action on Toxics
Anchorage, Alaska

Mary Moore
Lindon Park Neighborhood Association
Phoenix, Arizona

Bob Moss
Barron Park Association Foundation
Palo Alto, California

Dave Ness, Jr.
Bayport, Minnesota

Chris Nidel, PLLC
Nidel Law
Washington, DC

Dave Ogren
CTS Citizen's Monitoring Council
Skyland, North Carolina

Bruce Oldfield
New York Vapor Intrusion Alliance and Hillcrest Environmental Action Team
Binghamton, New York

Edwin Rivera
Hands Across The River Coalition
New Bedford, Massachusetts

Luis Rodrigues
The Latino Coalition
New Bedford, Massachusetts

Sarah Schwemin
WildLaw
St. Petersburg, Florida

Bob and Judy Selz
Mills Gap Road Groundwater Contamination Site CAG
Skyland, North Carolina

Gail Shephard
Representing Injured Workers at the Former NASA Industrial Plant
Downey, California

Lenny Siegel
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
Mountain View, California

Margaret Smith
Concerned Citizens Collegeville
Collegeville, Pennsylvania

Sam Sparck
Barron Park Association Foundation
Palo Alto, California

Robert Spiegel
Edison Wetlands Association
Edison, New Jersey

Peter Strauss
PM Strauss & Associates
San Francisco, California

Hope Taylor
Clean Water for North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina

John Uldrich
Team El Toro

Christina Walsh
Aerospace Cancer Museum of Education
Chatsworth, California

Beth Willis
Frederick Citizens for Bio-lab Safety
Frederick, Maryland

NOTE: Some of the affiliations are for identification purposes only.


--


Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org



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