Environmental Health

In 2004, direct medical costs of chemical and pollution-related diseases among children and workers totaled over $2.5 billion in California.1

In 2004, an estimated 240,000 cases of preventable childhood diseases in California were attributable to chemical substances in food, water, air, soil, the home and community.2

More than 33 million Californians live in areas with elevated risks for cancer and other preventable illnesses. In the greater Los Angeles area, alone, 1.2 million people live less than two miles from a hazardous waste facility.3

Communities of color and low-income neighborhoods face the worst pollution and environmental health problems. For example, in southern California, persons of color experience excess life-time cancer risks from air pollution and toxins at a nearly 50% higher rate than those of whites.4

What is evident from these startling statistics is the need for new environmental laws that will protect communities from pollution and hazardous chemicals.

 A few examples of how current environmental policy does not sufficiently protect human health or the environment:

• Major loopholes in federal and state laws allow industry to put unlimited amounts of chemicals into consumer products with no required testing for their effects on human health.
• Current local and regional land use laws do not take into consideration existing sources of pollution in a community before allowing new polluting industries to build or expand.
• Present U.S. economic policy continues our reliance on carbon-emitting fossil fuels.

How is PSR-LA working to change current laws in order to protect communities’ health and prevent harm from pollution and hazardous chemicals?

As a physician-based advocacy organization, PSR-LA is connecting health professionals to environmental, environmental justice and public health organizations to advocate for policy change on a local, regional and state-wide level. Creating a movement that will improve public health and prevent future human harm.

PSR-LA focuses its policy advocacy and movement building on these four key environmental health issues:

	Air Pollution and Goods Movement
	Chemical Policy Reform
	Pesticides
	Climate Justice

References:

1. 1Wilson et. al. 2008. Green Chemistry: Cornerstone to a Sustainable California. University of California Berkeley and University of California Los Angeles. www.coeh.berkeley.edu/greenchemistry/briefing.
2. 2Ibid.
3. 3http://www.psrla.org/documents/environmental_health_policy2004.pdf.  
4. 4Morello-Frosch. et al. 2002. Environmental Health Perspectives.

Publications

Environmental Health Policy Recommendations from PSR (pdf) Our suggestions to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for Environmental Health Policy.

»  Generations at Risk: How Environmental Toxicants May Affect Reproductive Health in California (174 pgs) Introduction | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Parts 5-7 | Download all 174 pages (pdf)

» Pesticides and Human Health - A Resource for Health Care Professionals (60 pgs) » In Harm's Way- Toxic Threats to Child Development (149 pgs)

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