Re: AMA passes chemicals policy resolution

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Subject: AMA passes chemicals policy resolutionTo: EOHarm Date: Monday, June 23, 2008, 6:04 PM

AMA passes chemicals policy resolutionRESOLUTION 404 - MODERN CHEMICALS POLICIESRESOLUTION 413 - MODERN CHEMICALS POLICYRESOLUTION 418 - A MODERN CHEMICALS POLICYRESOLUTION 427 - ENCOURAGING SAFER CHEMICALS POLICIES AND REGULATORYREFORM OF INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS TO PROTECT AND IMPROVE HUMAN HEALTHRECOMMENDATION:Mr. Speaker, your Reference Committee recommends that SubstituteResolution 404 be adopted in lieu of Resolutions 404, 413, 418, and 427to read as follows:RESOLVED, That our American Medical Association call upon the UnitedStates government to implement a national modern, comprehensivechemicals policy that is in line with current scientific knowledge onhuman and environmental health, and that requires a full evaluation ofthe health impacts of both newly developed and industrial chemicals nowin use. (Directive to Take Action); and be it furtherRESOLVED, That

our American Medical Association support therestructuring of the Toxic Substances Control Act to serve as a vehicleto help federal and state agencies to assess efficiently the human andenvironmental health hazards of industrial chemicals and reduce the useof those of greatest concern. (Directive to Take Action); and be itfurtherRESOLVED, That our AMA support the Strategic Approach to InternationalChemicals (SAICM) process leading to the sound management of chemicalsthroughout their life-cycle so that, by 2020, chemicals are used andproduced in ways that minimize adverse effects on human health and theenvironment. (Directive to Take Action); and be it furtherRESOLVED, That our American Medical Association encourage the trainingof medical students, physicians, and other health professionals aboutthe human health effects of toxic chemical exposures. (New HOD Policy)HOD ACTION:

Substitute Resolution 404 adopted in lieu of Resolutions404, 413, 418, and 427.Resolution 404 asks our American Medical Association to: (1) encouragethe training of medical students about the health effects of toxicexposures on patients; (2) call upon Congress to craft and implement amodern, comprehensive chemicals policy, to (a) close the Data Gap byimproving the efficiency of the chemicals market by implementingmeasures that improve the flow of information regarding toxicity fromchemical producers to businesses, consumers, workers, and governmentagencies; ( close the Safety Gap by reducing the commercialcirculation of the most hazardous chemicals by identifying those ofgreatest concern and implementing measures that motivate businesses toreduce their usage and improve the safety of their usage of thesesubstances through toxics use reduction and other relevant strategies;and © close the

Technology Gap by introducing a range of otherincentives to encourage businesses to invest in green chemistryinnovation, and by supporting "green" chemistry research and education;and (3) carry this resolution to the World Medical Association urginginvolvement in the Strategic Approach to International ChemicalsManagement (SAICM) process leading to the sound management of chemicalsthroughout their life-cycle so that, by 2020, chemicals are used andproduced in ways that minimize adverse effects on human health and theenvironment.Resolution 413 asks our American Medical Association to call upon theUnited States government to implement a national modern, comprehensivechemicals policy in line with current scientific knowledge on humanhealth, which requires a full evaluation of the health impacts of bothnewly developed and existing industrial chemicals now in use.Resolution 418 asks our

American Medical Association to gather allstakeholders to craft and develop a modern, comprehensive nationalchemicals policy.Resolution 427 asks our American Medical Association to supportrestructuring of the Toxic Substances Control Act to: (1) requirechemical producers to provide comprehensive chemical hazard informationin forms that are appropriate for use by the public, workers, industry,and government; (2) serve as a vehicle to help federal and stateagencies to efficiently assess the human and environmental hazards ofchemicals in commercial use and reduce the use of those of greatestconcern; and (3) introduce complementary federal mechanisms to motivateinvestment, education, and research in safer (`green') chemicaltechnology.Testimony was unanimous in support of the intent of these fourresolutions. While all are somewhat different, the resolves in theresolutions

generally call for the support of a restructuring of U.S.chemicals policies. Testimony noted that several independent analysesof the current U.S. chemical regulatory program (the Toxic SubstanceControl Act, commonly known as TSCA) have been completed and concludedthere are several deficiencies in the program. TSCA is federallegislation that is administered by the Environmental Protection Agencyand is meant to characterize and evaluate the risks posed by certainchemicals to both humans and the environment. TSCA does not provideoversight of pesticides, food additives or cosmetics, which are underthe purview of other regulatory acts. It is not appropriate (nor in therealm of our expertise) for our AMA to gather stakeholders to craft anew national chemical policy as called for in Resolution 418. It isalso more likely that efforts will be made to improve TSCA rather thancreate new legislation or in

a new "comprehensive chemical policy" ascalled for in Resolutions 404 and 413. The fourth resolve was expandedto encourage physicians and other health professionals on the healthimplications of toxic chemical exposures. Your Reference Committeeagrees with all expressed sentiment and deems that the substituteresolution adequately captures the scope and intent of the varioussponsors.See here:(http://www.ama- assn.org/ ama/pub/category /18589.html) And click on the resolution numbers listed at the top of this post.Jackie