Environmental Health News

Exposure to dangerous toxic pollution from industrial facilities threatens communities in California and across the country, according to a new report released today by Environment California.

The report, Toxic Pollution and Health, uses information from the federal Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) to analyze toxic pollution linked to serious health problems such as cancer, birth defects or neurological damage. Due to a recent EPA action restricting the public’s right-to-know, today’s report may provide one of the last complete pictures of toxic pollution in California.  

In 2004, facilities in Los Angeles County released to the air and water more than 4.3 million pounds of toxic chemicals suspected to cause neurological problems.  The largest source of this pollution came from the ExxonMobil Oil Corp Torrance Refinery, and the Conoco Phillips Wilmington Refinery Plant, which released more than 2.1 million pounds of toxins to the air and water.

“This report confirms that communities across California are routinely put at risk by toxic pollution linked to serious health impacts,” said Environment California Field Organizer Moira Chapin.  “These toxic pollutants are the worst of the worst and pose tangible threats to public health that must be addressed.”

"In Los Angeles County, more than 54,000 pounds of reproductive toxins and 5 million pounds of suspected neurotoxicants were released in 2004. But President Bush has blocked access to information, denying Angelinos information from more than 300 polluting facilities, including many in the San Gabriel Valley," said Rep. Hilda Solis. "Groups of color and low-income communities deserve adequate protection, not a cold shoulder. We must ensure that the health of minority and low-income communities who are most likely to be impacted by these toxic releases and others are protected. I am proud that legislation I have introduced will ensure communities have access to critical information."

The federal Toxic Release Inventory is a public right-to-know program that requires industrial facilities to publicly disclose their toxic releases.  In 2004, EPA reported that the TRI has helped to reduce toxic pollution by 57 percent nationwide since its inception in 1988. Despite this success, the EPA recently weakened the program by authorizing industrial facilities to withhold previously reported pollution information.

“To address the potential health threats from toxic pollution, we need full information about what toxics are being released, where, and in what amounts,” said Chapin.  “Unfortunately, EPA’s attack on the public’s right-to-know means that California’s communities will be left in the dark about toxic pollution.”

U.S. Rep. Hilda Solis (El Monte) and Sens. Barbara Boxer and Lautenberg (NJ) recently challenged EPA’s rollbacks by introducing the Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act (H.R. 1055 and S. 595).  This legislation would reverse the rollbacks to restore the lost data and ensure that communities have full and complete access to toxic pollution information. 

“We call on California’s congresspersons to support the public’s right to know and protect California’s communities by cosponsoring this legislation.”

California state legislators are not waiting for the Bush administration to rollback this program. Several legislators have introduced legislation to reform chemical policy in the state and to ban dangerous chemicals from California, specifically:

• AB 1108 (Ma) Safe Baby Products- Bans phthalates and bisphenol-A from products intended for kids.

• AB 558 (Feuer) Toxic Use Reduction- works to reduce chemicals in California

• SB  456 (Simitian) Protect workers from Bronchiolitis Obliterans. Bans diacetyl

• SB 578 (Simitian) Chemical information. Provides information about High Production Volume Chemicals.

To view a full copy of the report, please visit Environment California’s Web site at www.EnvironmentCalifornia.org