"Industry's Secret Chemicals"

[amborin]

"WASHINGTON - January 5 - Americans are denied crucial information about more than 65 percent of new chemicals approved by the U.S. government since the mid 1970's, including the substances' makeup and what health and safety hazards they might pose.

Why? Under the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the chemical industry has been allowed to stamp a "trade secret" claim on the identity of two-thirds of all chemicals introduced to the market in the last 27 years, according to an Environmental Working Group (EWG) analysis of data obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These include chemicals used in numerous consumer and children's products.

The 33-year old law that was supposed to ensure that Americans know what chemicals are in use around them, and what health and safety hazards they might pose, has produced a regulatory black hole, a place where information goes in - but much never comes out.

EWG's analysis also showed that:

•The public has no access to any information about approximately 17,000 of the more than 83,000 chemicals on the master inventory compiled by the EPA.

•Industry has placed "confidential business information" (CBI) claims on the identity of 13,596 newchemicals produced since 1976 - nearly two-thirds of the 20,403 chemicals added to the list in the past 33 years.

•From 1990 to 2005, the number of confidential chemicals more than quadrupled - from 261 to 1,105 -- on the sub-inventory of substances produced or imported in significant amounts (more than 25,000 pounds a year in at least one facility). In July 2009, the EPA released the identity of 530 of these chemicals, lowering the number of moderate- and high-production volume secret chemicals to 575.

•Secrecy claims directly threaten human health. Under section 8(e) of TSCA, companies must turn over all data showing that a chemical presents "a substantial risk of injury to health or the environment." In the first quarter of 2009, industry concealed the identity of more than half the chemicals for which studies were submitted under 8(e).

•At least 10 of the 151 high-volume confidential chemicals produced or imported in amounts greater than 300,000 pounds a year are used in products specifically intended for use by children age 14 or younger.

TSCA's failings have been repeatedly documented by the Government Accountability Office, in Congressional hearings and by independent investigations. But it has generally been assumed that at a minimum, the law required an accurate public inventory of chemicals produced or imported in the United States. As this investigation shows, it does not.

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http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/01/05-12

[HillbillyBob]

1. No transparency it would cut into profits

We are cutting out chemicals, Vinegar cleans very well, yea it smells funny but it won't set off my asthma, we don't use air fresheners, we open a window. We use bio degrade type cleaners every where kitchen, bath soaps, cleaners can be made from gentler sources, lemon juice cuts lime scale as does vinegar for instance. We are phasing out all processed foods, it is turning out to be cheaper in the long run, we grow some veggies and buy local foods from organic sources. Yes it does cost a little more..it is cheaper than treating cancer or severe allergies that in my case require trips to the hospital for epinepherine and then weeks of steroids. Borax and baking soda equal parts is the same thing as oxy clean. Hot water also helps to cut kitchen grease , tho I limit the amount of fats and salts in cooking anyway.
If we all stopped using this shit then there would be no market, which is not to say that they should be allowed to produce them to begin with.

[amborin]

2. good tips! agree!

[Nihil]

3. K & R - both for the warning in the OP and for the tips in #1.

Well done to both for posting!
:toast: