Victory for Precautionary Principle, Citizens' Rights in New Jersey

[marmar]

from Reclaim Democracy!:



Victory for Precautionary Principle, Citizens' Rights in New Jersey
Community puts burden of proof on corporations to demonstrate safety, rather than forcing citizens to prove harm


By Peter Montague
Published November 12, 2008



Editor's note: In almost every battle pitting citizen groups against corporations or corporate institutions, the burden of proof is on citizens to wait until harm has occured, and then prove the harm and causation before being able to stop it. This story exemplifies the necessary paradigm shift we advocate.


The town of Lyndhurst, N.J., yesterday adopted a precautionary principle ordinance to guide municipal policy.

Lyndhurst, an old industrial town with 20,000 residents in the Meadowlands of northern N.J., is only the second municipality in the U.S. to adopt the precautionary principle as an overarching guide to municipal policy, and the first on the East Coast.

The City and County of San Francisco adopted (pdf) the precautionary principle in June, 2002.

Ordinance #2674 (Word doc) was introduced Oct. 14 and finalized Nov. 11 by a unanimous vote of the township Commission. The Ordinance reads: "The following Precautionary Principle shall be established as the policy of the Township of Lyndhurst: 'When an activity raises threats of harm to human health, or the environment precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.' (Wingspread Statement, 1998)"

"a. ...The Township of Lyndhurst will utilize the Precautionary Principle to develop laws for a healthier environment. By doing so, the Township will create and maintain a healthy, viable environment for current and future generations, and will become a model of sustainability. The Precautionary Principle is intended as a tool and philosophy to promote environmentally healthy alternatives while removing the negative and often unintended consequences of new technologies."

"b. ...The Township of Lyndhurst will strive to make decisions based on the least environmentally harmful alternatives in order to provide every resident with an equal right to a healthy and safe environment. This requires that our air, water, soil, and food be of a sufficiently high standard that we can live healthy lives. The precautionary approach to decision-making will help Lyndhurst move beyond fixing environmental ills to preventing the ills before they can do harm." ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://reclaimdemocracy.org/food_and_health/precautionary_principle_new_jersey.php

[AngryAmish]

1. The precautionary principle is a terrible idea

Nothing can be proven safe. To claim otherwise is ascientific.

[Joe Chi Minh]

2. No. There may be very plausible, negative indications, and they will be ignored

by the corporations and, at their instance, by the scientists involved. It happened with cell-phones and GM, both at an early stage, and still they push on - because reckless of the customer' life and limb - they invested so heavily. Must get that commercial advantage, you know....