Human Testing - Exposing Children to...( 'Gag Rule' for EPA Scientists: Highl...),Health

'Gag Rule' for EPA Scientists: Highlights of the Bush Presidency - A Plea

to Candidates Survey Among Health Advocates Reveals Chemical Exposure and Scientific

Integrity Crisis that Impacts Public Health

Presidential candidates asked to make chemical regulatory reform top

priority

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Physicians for Social Responsibility, a union official representing EPA scientists, and many other professionals working in science and health sent letters to the McCain and Obama campaigns today asking that chemical exposure be made an urgent priority when either is elected as the next president. Increasingly, chemical exposures are linked to rising rates of obesity, diabetes, thyroid disease, reproductive problems, neurodevelopmental disabilities, childhood cancers, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and other illness.

The issues are highlighted in a survey identifying the Top 5 Worst Actions by the current administration regarding chemical exposure and scientific integrity issues as they relate to public health.

The Top 5 Worst Actions committed by the current administration

1. Administration "Gag Rule" on its own EPA scientists and staff

2. Approval of a human testing rule to expose human beings, especially

children, with chemicals

3. Allowance of corporations to keep secret activities with toxic

biological, chemical or radiological materials (Patriot Act II. SECTION

202)

4. Elimination of protections for workers from toxic chemicals in the

workplace

5. EPA refusal to allow California and other states to set their own

regulations to mitigate climate change

Runners up:

-- Refusal of U.S. to support the intent of international treaties on

chemicals

-- U.S. impeding Global Warming talks

-- EPA neglect of contaminate
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