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African-American, African-Caribbean hair products harmful to women and children, linked to reproductive and birth defects, breast cancer, and heart disease
"Safe" by US standards means no ill effects on a grown health heavy weight man. The US government fails to provide standards of chemical and environmental safety for women and children. Chemicals levels and compounds that will not injure a man, can kill a young child. These dangerous products are used in homes and salons on children without any warning or regulation. Children are also exposed when they accompany adults to salons or are near use of these products. Few people bother to read warnings on packaging, which is not enough. If the product cannot be safe for children, they should be removed from the market or users should be subjected to regulation and enforcement. http://sfbayview.com/2012/skin-deep-in-more-ways-than-one/ African-American and
African-Caribbean women surveyed used products that contained chemicals
that are commonly referred to as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs),
which have been linked to various reproductive effects and birth
defects, breast cancer and heart disease. -- “Racial/Ethnic Differences in Hormonally-Active Hair
Product Use: A Plausible Risk Factor for Health Disparities,” Journal of Immigrant Health
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Weed killer hospitalizes and sickens students at Edgewood Middle School (Ohio)
The reaction of the school officials, to "down play the situation" was also the reaction at my school when I was injured and eleven students had to seek immediate medical attention. This scene will play out again and again at schools all over the U. S., as it has over the last thirty years. In one year, I logged over a thousand toxic school incidents in the news. My guess is parents will not be advised that their child may not show symptoms of injury from this product until they are adults. By then, it will be too late to find out why their child had trouble learning in school, why their child could not be accepted into a college program or training school, why their child could not participate in athletic events, and too late ask for accountability. By then, chemical companies know it will be too late and that few will remember the details of the incident. What if no parent asks for more information about the chemicals in the weed killer and no agency continues to investigate. Please comment on this article and tell the readers to go to <http://www.childrensepa.org/> . Parents and the community will find a list of information and actions parents and the community should demand of the school and contractor who applied the weed killer. The health of the entire school population needs to be monitored and all should be examined by an independent pediatric toxicologist. Of course teachers at the school did not notice the smell. To have acknowledge smelling the odor, would cost them their contract for next year. Without anyone to dispute the school officials and emergency personnel, most parents will end up trusting what they were told to believe. But be advised, even though paid by taxpayers, the school attorney represents and protects the school officials against possible claims by the parents and community. No matter what the school officials claim or how much compassion they show, parents and the school are legally on opposite sides of the law. In matters involving legal advice, it is better to seek it now, than to find out later like we did, that the school and contractor lied and withheld information. Nancy Swan, Director of Children's EPA. Join Children's EPA to show by our numbers that we want the children protected from exposure to environmental and chemical hazards. Concerned parents may email me a cepaorg(at)gmail(dot)com |
Courage to Change: How Not to Give Up with Nancy Swan, hosted by Lisa Kratz Thomas and Frank Ferrante
Nancy Swan
10-3-2011: How Not to Give Up with Nancy Swan, Author of Toxic...
archives.zeusradio.com
How Not To Give Up … Guest Nancy Swan was an ordinary school teacher in Mississippi until she and her classroom of two dozen children and teachers became seriously sick after exposure to toxic chemicals from a spray-on roofing system at school.... |
In response to- Environmental Illness In Children Costs $76.6 Billion Annually
Nancy Swan's response to, "Environmental Illness In Children Costs $76.6 Billion Annually" Health Affairs Blog,  May 4th, 2011 by Chris Fleming President Obama's speech in support of his proposed American Jobs Act promised to increase jobs through improving US infrastructures, including schools, without sacrificing worker safety. Obama also promised to fix the Social Security System. Unfortunately, there are two potentially fatal flaws in both proposals that are tied by subject matter to the article referenced above, "“Environmental Illness In Children Costs $76.6 Billion Annually.” U.S. Workers already have safety standards and regulations to insure their safety through OSHA and NIOSH. In stark contrast, United States children have none. It is poor government policy that does not acknowledge the U.S. EPA findings that children, whose organs and brains are still forming, are more vulnerable to harm and injury from environmental and chemical hazards. Everyday, children are exposed to and harmed by nearby renovation, construction, and maintenance from unsafe practices in manufacture, storage, transport, on-site storage of products as well as fumes, off-gassing, and contact with unsafe products and poorly maintained structures. Children spend most of their time in schools where they are injured by poor indoor air environment, mold, outdoor pollution, fumes, off-gassing, over-spray and unsafe practices and products used in renovation and construction. Demolition can release mold spores and asbestos. In 1985, I was seriously and permanently injured while teaching in Long Beach School District in Mississippi. High fuel prices promoted national policies encouraging energy efficiency and a promise to fix our schools. I witnessed the tragedy of many children who also became very sick from the spray on foam roofing insulation and sealant. I became too sick to work, and lost my job. Children and teachers are in more danger now than when I was injured. One-third of the cleaners used in schools contain cancer-causing chemicals. More than one-half of U.S. schools are deemed by the EPA as unsafe for children due to poor indoor air quality, caused by pollution, environmental, and chemical hazards. Few realize that occupants of a building: teachers, children, and other occupants of buildings and schools, are non-workers and therefore as bystanders are not covered by safety standards and regulations. Even fewer realize that "safe" only applies to the effect on a healthy, grown, male, worker. Children and bystanders are not provided protection. Worse, school officials who make decisions that lead to environmental or chemical harm to teachers and children are either protected from accountability or are not made accountable for health costs. The second flaw is in President Obama's promise to fix the Social Security System. The strain on the Social Security system is not just from those drawing benefits at 65. Social Security also provides for those who have been disabled, many of whom became disabled by environmental and chemical exposure and injury as a child. The children of those who are disabled by poor safety and lack of safety standards and regulations also draw on the Social Security Disability System. For the disabled, SSD is barely enough to cover co payments for prescription and medical costs and often leads to medicare or burdens on other social programs. Culpable companies should be paying for the disabilities they cause, not the Social Security program, nor other social programs. Perhaps Social Security can bolstered by an additional tax on insurance companies who insure companies with an unsafe record and fines for businesses and corporations with a record for unsafe practices. Writer Chris Fleming points out that in 2008, the $76.6 billion price tag for "poor childhood health caused by environmental factors, such as air pollution and exposure to toxic chemicals. . .represents a dramatic increase. President Obama's promise of more jobs does not have to mean a creating a poor environment for workers and children, nor does the explosion of new untested chemicals on the market have to sentence many children, particularly the poor and racial minorities, to a life time of pain, sickness, and death and result in doom for the Social Security System. President Obama's proposals flaws do not have to be fatal. The answer to the question posed by President Obama is "yes, 'we can restore some of the fairness and security that has defined this nation since our beginning.'" To help our economy, child safety standards and regulations could be developed, and should be provided to school and business decision makers, contractors, and others. With sufficient funding for education and effective oversight accomplish many of the goals set by Obama's presidency, including improvement of educational performance. Protecting children from environmental and chemical hazards, especially at school, should be a priority and requisite to creating jobs and to an imperative to saving the Social Security System, and the economy. <span class='st_sharethis' displayText='ShareThis'></span> |
Manhattan Children Still Battle 9/11-Related Illnesses, still no protection
Atlantic Monthly " In Manhattan, Children Still Battle 9/11-Related Illnesses Sep 11 2011, 7:14 AM ET The day the Twin Towers crumbled, more than 25,000 kids inhaled toxic substances. Ten years later, many of them are suffering from health problems that still haven't gone away.  The US government has failed to provide safety standards and separate regulations regarding exposure to potentially dangerous or hazardous chemicals. What is considered "safe" by government agencies is based upon a healthy grown male worker, and does not apply to non contracted workers. What is safe for a grown man can kill an infant. President
Obama let his own children play in contaminated Gulf of Mexico water and declared the beaches
of the Gulf of Mexico "clean" and "safe," then encouraged "families," to visit
and play in the sand and in the water. Hours later, the beaches were once again littered with tar balls from the BP Oil Spill. National media showed
children playing alongside BP workers cleaning the beach. Was our federal leader right to encourage families with children to play on beaches and in the water? No. The President had no data to
support safety for children. Yet, the President's own EPA declared that
children are more vulnerable to toxins than adults. A few days ago, President Obama
promised In his
speech to advocate the passage of the American Jobs Act, that if passed, American jobs would increase, that
infrastructure, including school buildings and facilities would be
improved, and that worker safety would not be compromised. |
Twenty-year cover up of Illinois community water tainted with cancer-causing chemicals.
Village leaders secretly used a community well they knew was contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals (contaminated with dry cleaning fluid). "Then they repeatedly lied about it in documents intended to assure the public their drinking water was safe. . . Illinois Environmental Protection Agency had told them in 1986 that it was contaminated with vinyl chloride and dichloroethylene, toxic chemicals related to the dry-cleaning solvent perchloroethylene, or perc."  Read More at Chicago Tribune, Feds Indict 2 over tainted Crestwood well. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-officals-indicted-over-tainted-crestwood-well-20110811,0,5153747.story Children's EPA comments:
Become a member or organization member of Children's EPA by emailing request to Nancy Swan at cepaorg@gmail.com You can also join on LinkedIn by joining the group: Children's Environmental Protection Alliance. Help by sharing this blog on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. |
Kids’ Car Seats Still Contain Dangerous Chemicals
Kids’ Car Seats Still Contain Dangerous Chemicals
Today the nonprofit Ecology Center is releasing its fourth report on toxic chemicals in children’s car seats at www.healthystuff.org. Their research shows that many of these products are made with dangerous chemicals that can lead to serious health risks for children.  Children's EPA comment: Many of us use baby furniture and items purchased or passed down from others. We do not know if the items was recalled or what is in them that may be harmful to children's health or be the cause of cancer. Learn more and join with free membership to support Children's EPA |
Mold and Mycotoxins, Papers from an International Symposium, edited by Dr. Kaye Kilburn
Book Recommendation: Molds and Mycotoxins "Papers from an International Symposium Edited by Kaye H. Kilburn, M.D. 2004 Are illnesses associated with exposures to indoor mold growth real, or the result of a conspiracy fueled by media hype and greedy lawyers? This book is a compilation
of 18 current, scientific, peer reviewed papers presented in 2003 - a veritable mountain of evidence that many mold-exposed people are indeed sick, with significant brain function impairment. For more, see
http://www.neuro-test.com./books/moldsMycotoxins.html I had the honor of being examined by Dr. Kay Kilburn. His manner of communication was precise and compassionate. Until notified through a comment on Linked In, I had not been aware of this publication edited by Dr. Kilburn. |
Safe Cosmetics Act 2011 Informative Story of Cosmetics Video and CHEJ Action Alert
The Story of Cosmetics Excellent short movie packed with life, health saving information to protect you and your children. Source: storyofstuff.org Children's EPA was emailed the following action alert through the e-newsletter from CHEJ (Center for Health and Environmental Justice). CHEJ was founded by Lois Gibbs who was responsible for establishing the Federal Super Fund clean up of toxic wastes as a result of her justice in for victims of Love Canal. The momentum of today's environmental movement can be credited to Lois Gibbs and others who took enormous risks to make the world safer for us and our children. You can help support Safe Cosmetics Act 2011 by sharing Children's EPA blog and by emailing a letter to Congress using the simple link provided at Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. Courtesy of CHEJ newsletter: Safe Cosmetics Act in the House
Because federal safety regulations for cosmetics haven’t been updated since 1938, cosmetic companies can use virtually any ingredient, even toxic chemicals. The average American uses about 10 personal care products a day, including shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, aftershave, etc, and is therefore exposed to more than 100 of these potentially dangerous chemicals every day. The new legislation would:
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On June 24th,
the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011 was introduced in the House of
Representatives. If passed this bill will give the FDA the authority to
ensure that personal care products are free of harmful substances like
lead, 1,4-dioxane and chemicals linked to cancer, reproductive and
developmental issues.TV News Report- Spray on Foam insulation that went horribly wrong
Please copy and paste this link into your Facebook or email and share on Twitter. RT from ToxicJustice on Twitter. This UTube TV news report shares the dangers of this product advertised and recommended by respected building organizations as "green" and a "green solution." My story, Toxic Justice, is not just about the danger of this product and similar brands, but of the dangers of litigating for change. It has been almost thirty years since my injury and the US government has done nothing to stop the atrocity. The following edited email was sent to me with the request that it be forwarded. Spray on Foam Roofing and Coating chemicals are deadly and are being advertised by manufacturers and applicators as well as respected building organizations as a "green" product. They may save energy cost, but is it worth it to save oil to pay for it with our lives and health? Not mentioned is that this product is flammable unless re-coated periodically with a flame resistant coating. Home sellers are not required to tell buyers that it is necessary and expensive to re-coat. It is also chemically dangerous for the inhabitants of the house and nearby homes and businesses. PLEASE
WATCH THIS VERY IMPORTANT TV REPORT REGARDING A NIGHTMARE THAT HAPPENED TO US
AND COULD POTENTIALLY AFFECT ANYONE: We researched this product for over one year and never saw anything negative about it. So we (and others that this has happened to) were totally unprepared for what occurred. We have been in contact with MANY all over the country that have suffered through a similar catastrophic failure of a spray foam insulation installation. What we have learned is:
It costs THOUSANDS to install and TENS OF THOUSANDS to remove, and THAT IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL EVER BE ABLE TO REOCCUPY YOUR HOME AGAIN! The chemicals are SENSITIZING AGENTS that can cause severe breathing problems and even chemical sensitivity. We know of individuals who tried to remove the foam and were sicker than they were before and had to walk away from their home. There is a strong push
today to save energy and many people are considering installing this same type
of spray foam insulation in their attic (there are other manufacturers of a similar product as well.)
Those individuals could be your FRIENDS OR RELATIVES. Also, think about
buildings where groups of people regularly meet (say for example
groups of 75-180 people.) We know of a local meeting place that had
chemical and odor issues (not as bad as ours) and some attendees had
the same health problems that we did. WHAT IF ONE OF THESE BUILDINGS SUFFERED A
CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND WAS RENDERED USELESS? Also, think of buildings where larger groups meet (say up to 2,000 at a time.) WHAT IF ONE OF THESE BUILDINGS SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND WAS RENDERED USELESS? |
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