URGENT - Sign-on Letter to Carol Browner - demanding the release of the dioxin reassessment

[monica rohde <mrohde@essential.org>]

Greetings Dioxin Activists:

With the current public heath crisis in Europe around dioxin and PCB
contaminated food - a number of us thought this was the perfect time to
send a letter to Carol Browner demanding the immediate release of the
dioxin reassessment.  Not to mention it follows well on the heals of the
Working Assets Action Alert.  If you or your organization would like to
sign on to the following letter - please contact Monica Rohde at
mrohde@essential.org - by Wednesday, June 30th.

Also, feel free to pass this on to other folks in your network.  Again,
have them contact me. We want to gather as many signitures as possible. 

Thanks.  Monica

~~~~~~~
June 22, 1999


The Honorable Carol Browner
Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M St., S.W.
Washington, DC 20460

Dear Administrator Browner:

In the wake of the current public health crisis in Europe, we write to
request that you personally intervene to complete the changes mandated
by the Science Advisory Board to the 1994 draft dioxin reassessment and
release the final version to the public without further delay.  

Food is being taken off the shelves in Europe due to dioxin and PCB
contamination.  All of Europe has been paralyzed by the food scare, and
farmers' and merchants' lives are being destroyed.  In order to ensure
that a similar situation does not occur here in the US, as well as to
prevent incidents in other countries, the US EPA must release the dioxin
reassessment and begin the process of developing protective policies for
the United States. 

As you know, dioxin is an industrial by-product that poses serious
threats to both public health and the environment.  Some of the
identified health effects linked to dioxin exposure include cancer,
infertility, immune-system suppression, hormonal effects, and learning
disabilities.  Some of the sources of dioxin, identified by your agency,
include municipal and medical waste incineration, cement kilns and
manufacturing processes, such as pulp and paper production, pesticide
manufacturing and PVC production.  

In addition to unintentional dioxin emissions to land and water by
industrial processes, sewage sludge and fly ash from industry
smokestacks are both being applied as fertilizer
directly to food crops in our country  -- with the support of the EPA. 
Industrial waste products, such as fly ash are also being used in animal
feed additives.  All of these waste products have shown to contain
dioxin but are not even regulated and probably won't be until the
reassessment is final.

According to the EPA, 90% of dioxin exposure comes from food sources. 
In June, 1998, Consumer Reports' test results found that just one 2.5
ounce jar of meat-based baby food contained 100 times EPA's daily limit
of dioxin. It is not possible to completely avoid eating
dioxin-contaminated food.  Fish, meat and dairy products all contain
amounts of dioxin.  The chemical accumulates in the body building up a
"body burden" which can cause serious health effects over time.  We can
no longer go on contaminating our food and our children while we wait
for the release of this report.  Until the dioxin reassessment is
finalized and we move forward with stricter regulations, industry will
continue to emit dioxin into the air, the water and food.

We have waited far too long for the release of this important document. 
The failure to formally release the final dioxin reassessment allows
industry and state agencies to ignore the evidence provided in the draft
reassessment and to avoid writing protective public policy. Every month
that goes by without the final version of the reassessment prolongs the
exposure of this dangerous chemical to our communities and families.
This ‘de facto" policy of allowing the dioxin exposure to continue is
unacceptable.

The time has come to insist that you, the head of the EPA, and your
agency do everything possible to immediately release the dioxin
reassessment and hold the subsequent policy hearings that were promised
years ago. Thank you in advance for your immediate attention to this
important matter.

Sincerely,

Anne Rabe
Citizens Environmental Coalition
33 Central Ave
Albany, NY  12210

Teresa Mills 
Buckeye Environmental Network
2319 Parkridge Court
Grove City, OH  44106

Laurie Valeriano
Washington Toxics Coalition
4649 Sunnyside Ave N.
suite 540 East
Seattle, WA  98105

Lois M. Gibbs
Center for Health, Environment & Justice

-- 
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Lois Marie Gibbs, leader of the Love Canal effort. CHEJ provides 
organizing and technical assistance to communities fighting against 
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Center for Health Environment & Justice
P.O. Box 6806
Falls Church, VA 22040 
(703)-237-2249