75 million pounds of toxic pollution every year in California? We can do better.

Illness On The Rise

Despite the miracles of modern medicine, certain chronic illnesses are on the rise. From record breast cancer rates in Marin County to an alarming asthma epidemic statewide, more Californians are concerned about chronic diseases—and about the toxic pollution that may be behind them.

Today, over 600,000 children in California suffer from asthma—twice as many as 20 years ago. In L.A. County, infants are exposed to more cancer-causing toxic pollution than most Americans face in a lifetime.

Despite these threats, industries continue to discharge over 75 million pounds of toxic pollution into California's environment every year. And that doesn't include the toxics that end up in everyday products from computers to shower curtains to light bulbs.

Alternatives to toxics are available—but industries need to be convinced to make the change.

An Ounce Of Prevention

There is more that government could do to protect our families and communities against these toxic threats.

The public understands the link between environmental factors and disease. But we continue to play catch-up—cleaning up after industry's toxic messes rather than preventing pollution in the first place.

A Healthier, Safer California would:

• Phase out toxic substances that are the most hazardous to health and the environment, with comprehensive safety testing of all chemicals.

• Reduce the use and release of all toxic chemicals and clean up past pollution.

• Honor the public's right to know about toxic threats to our health and environment.

• Hold the polluter accountable for the costs and consequences of toxic practices.

• Promote cleaner and safer alternatives.

Concrete Policy Solutions

Environment California is working with decision-makers to:

• Phase out the worst toxic chemicals first, targeting those that directly impact our most vulnerable populations.

This legislative session, Environment California is targeting some of the worst toxic chemicals that may affect our children's health and development. Assembly Bill 1108 (Ma) would ban phthalates from children's toys and feeding products. This toxic chemical has been linked to a wide range of health problems, including early onset puberty, liver and thryoid damage, and reproductive problems.

• Track chronic diseases and birth defects so officials can investigate disease clusters and potential environmental causes.

In 2001, Environment California sponsored Senate Bill 702 (Escutia), which takes the first steps to develop an Environmental Health Tracking Network in California to track and evaluate a variety of chronic diseases across the state, with an emphasis on those diseases linked to environmental causes, such as asthma and developmental disorders. Environment California serves on the Planning Consortium to work on issues of planning, implementation, and evaluation of the state’s health tracking system. Additionally, Environment California is working in Congress to establish a Nationwide Health Tracking Network to further coordinate efforts to identify the incidence of chronic disease and protect public health from environmental contaminants.

• Hold polluters accountable for their contamination of our drinking water supply with toxic chemicals.

Environment California is calling on the state to create tough new limits on three of the worst pollutants found in our drinking water supply: Chromium 6, perchlorate (rocket fuel), and arsenic. Once these limits are set, polluters will have to clean up their discharge of dangerous chemicals into our drinking water. More information.

• Reduce at the source our use of toxic chemicals.

The high-volume use of toxic chemicals at manufacturing and chemical plants nationwide poses a significant health risk to surrounding neighborhoods in the event of an accidental or criminal toxic chemical release. Environment California is working at the state and federal level to reduce the stockpiling of hazardous chemicals and implement inherently safer practices to reduce the security risk at manufacturing and chemical facilities.

• Harness government purchasing power to promote safer alternatives to toxic products.

In 2002, Environment California helped to pass Assembly Bill 498 (Chan) which will improve the efficiency, productivity, and cost effectiveness of efforts to consider environmental impacts of products or services procured by the state.