CONTENTS Hearing held in Oakland, CA, September 6, 1990....... Bearer, Cynthia F., M.D., Ph.D., director, Division of Pediatric Environ- mental Health at Children's Hospital in Oakland Research Institute, Boxer, Hon. Barbara, a Representative in Congress from the State of Cuellar, Ciro, member of Earlimart Cancer Task Force, Earlimart, CA Hill, Thomas, director, Tri-County (Migrant) Head Start of Fresno, Mon- terey, and San Bonito Counties, Fresno, CA.... Hughes, Dana, M.P.H., M.S., consultant, Children Now, Oakland, CA....... Israel, Kathleen, parent and co-chairperson, Concerned Residents of Jackson, Richard J., M.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.P., chief of the hazard identifi- Jukes, Thomas, Ph.D., Department of Biophysics, University of Califor- 103 Ramirez, Gonzolo, farmworkers, Earlimart, CA, accompanied by Ciro 39 Stark, Hon. Pete, a Representative in Congress from the State of Califor- Steyer, James J.D., president of Children Now, Oakland, CA. Ames, Bruce N., director, N.I.E.H.S., Environmental Health Sciences Cuellar, Ciro, member of Earlimart Cancer Task Force, Earlimart, CA, Goldman, Lynn R., M.D., M.P.H., chief of the environmental epidemiolo- Hardy, Gwen, member, People United for a Better Oakland, Oakland, (III) ONMENTAL TOXINS AND CHILDREN: URSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1990 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, ig. Washington, DC. pursuant to notice, at 9:40 a.m., in the d Auditorium, Oakland, California, resentatives Miller, Boxer, and Stark. Tabelle Pizzigati, staff director; Felicia Kornistant; and Dennis G. Smith, minority staff direc MILLER. The Select Committee on Children, Youth, lies will come to order. e purpose of this meeting this morning is to conduct a hearing environmental toxins and children, exploring the risks. This is the first in a series of hearings that the select committee will be conducting on this subject, both in the field as we are here today in Oakland, and next week in Washington, D.C. And then in the early part of next year, additional hearings will be scheduled. As we have obviously witnessed, the 1990s mark the coming of age and the second renewal of the environmental movement in the United States. From every quarter of our society, and every section of the country, come demands to protect our wildlife, our water, our air, our soil, and our crops. No one wants to live beside a toxic dump, and no one wants to work in fields that have been sprayed with carcinogenic pesticides. While we fear for our own health and safety, we also fear for our children. And despite grave concerns that surround the discussions of children and environmental toxins, with few exceptions, we have only begun to turn that concern into action. This hearing is the beginning of an effort by the Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families to move forward on these vital questions. Science tells us that children's rapid growth and development may make them especially vulnerable to environmental toxins. And recent studies suggest that their vulnerability is being tested every day. Last year's alarm over the distinct risk to children from pesticides on apples, new evidence about the dangers of lead poisoning, the continuing concerns about asbestos in schools are just some of the threats that our children face. Everywhere that children live, Prepared statements, letters, supplemental materials, et cetera-Continued Hughes, Dana, M.P.H., M.S., policy consultant, Children Now, and James Prepared statement of.. "What's Gotten Into Our Children", article entitled... Israel, Kathleen, a parent and co-chairperson, Concerned Residents of Letter to Congressman George Miller, dated Sept. 9, 1990. Supplemental statement of... "The Alar Scare, 1989" article entitled.. Jackson, Richard J., M.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.P., chief of the hazard identifi- Keating, Barbara, Edh., president, Consumer Alert, Modesto, CA, com- Miller, Hon. George, a Representative in Congress from the State of California, and chairman, Select Committee on Children, Youth, and "Environmental Toxins and Children: Exploring the Risks" (a fact Opening statement of.. Mott, Lawrie, M.S., senior scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sandoval, Salvador, M.D., general practitioner at the Childs Avenue 43 10 ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS AND CHILDREN: EXPLORING THE RISKS, PART I THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1990 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SELECT COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES, Washington, DC. The select committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:40 a.m., in the Children's Hospital Oakland Auditorium, Oakland, California, Hon. George Miller presiding. Members present: Representatives Miller, Boxer, and Stark. Staff present: Karabelle Pizzigati, staff director; Felicia Kornbluh, research assistant; and Dennis G. Smith, minority staff director. Chairman MILLER. The Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families will come to order. The purpose of this meeting this morning is to conduct a hearing on environmental toxins and children, exploring the risks. This is the first in a series of hearings that the select committee will be conducting on this subject, both in the field as we are here today in Oakland, and next week in Washington, D.C. And then in the early part of next year, additional hearings will be scheduled. As we have obviously witnessed, the 1990s mark the coming of age and the second renewal of the environmental movement in the United States. From every quarter of our society, and every section of the country, come demands to protect our wildlife, our water, our air, our soil, and our crops. No one wants to live beside a toxic dump, and no one wants to work in fields that have been sprayed with carcinogenic pesticides. While we fear for our own health and safety, we also fear for our children. And despite grave concerns that surround the discussions of children and environmental toxins, with few exceptions, we have only begun to turn that concern into action. This hearing is the beginning of an effort by the Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families to move forward on these vital questions. Science tells us that children's rapid growth and development may make them especially vulnerable to environmental toxins. And recent studies suggest that their vulnerability is being tested every day. Last year's alarm over the distinct risk to children from pesticides on apples, new evidence about the dangers of lead poisoning, the continuing concerns about asbestos in schools are just some of the threats that our children face. Everywhere that children live, |