Pelosi and Slaughter Introduce Legislation to Establish a National Public Health Tracking Network
Press Release
Pelosi and Slaughter Introduce Legislation to Establish a National Public Health Tracking Network
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Rules Committee Chair Louise Slaughter of New York re-introduced the Coordinated Environmental Public Health Network Act this week.
This legislation would establish a national public health tracking network to allow for the detection and identification of possible connections between adverse health effects and environmental hazards. It would also increase funding for biomonitoring work at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which tracks exposure levels to common chemicals.
"Approximately seven out of 10 deaths in the United States are linked to chronic disease. Exposure to air pollution and harmful chemicals has been linked to many of these illnesses, including asthma, cancer and neurological disorders," said Speaker Pelosi. "In California, for example, more than 33 million people live in areas where high levels of air pollution pose health risks, and breast cancer rates in San Francisco are among the highest in the country.
"We do not understand the long-term effects of the vast majority of these chemicals, especially in combination, and therefore do not understand their potential to interfere with human health. While many chemicals do not cause damage, we need to know which ones do," said Pelosi. "This legislation will give public health officials the tools they need to determine the impact of environmental pollutants, and to intervene where appropriate."
Chair Slaughter said: "Exposure to harmful substances is an especially important issue in minority and low-income communities because factories and dumping sites that emit harmful pollutants are often located near communities with less political and economic power. This legislation will help us effectively address environmental justice issues that lead to health hazards."
"Many chronic diseases are on the rise. Asthma, for example, increased 76 percent nationwide between 1984 and 2003," said Slaughter. "Identifying pollutants that cause diseases and reducing harmful exposures will save lives and save our health care system billions of dollars each year. What's more, it is our responsibility to do all we can to provide our children and future generations with the knowledge and tools they need to protect them from these ailments."
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