My name is Ellie Goldberg. I am a long-time advocate for healthy children, healthy schools, clean water, clean air and clean energy, a board member of Clean Water Action and the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, and a member of Newton's Green Decade.
I thank you for this opportunity because the health and economic security of our families depend so heavily on wise policy making by our elected officials.
First, I’d like to quote Love Canal activist Lois Gibbs, director of the Center for Health, Environment and Justice.
"How is a hunting license like a pollution permit? A hunting license limits you to certain times and places, and you are never allowed to kill the babies. In contrast, when a corporation gets a permit to pollute it is a perpetual toxic release and our babies are the first and the worst affected."
In fact, our children are the hit and run victims of thousands of life altering "stealth" substances in our water, air and food and in the products in our homes, schools, and workplaces.
Yet we know that flame retardants, pesticides, phthalates such as BPA and its sister chemicals such as BPS, and hazardous cleaners and dry-cleaning solvents make us sick. They can condemn infants and children to an unhealthy start and an uncertain future. They lead not only to pain and suffering from preventable illness and disability but to high health care and insurance costs -- the budget busters of every family, school district, municipality and business.
We have the right to expect our legislators to make decisions based on an ethic of community and integrity. We cannot afford delay or to wait for the federal government or the marketplace to stop the toxic exposures, fossil fuel pollution, gas pipeline leaks, GMOs, or poor solid waste management.
Clean Water Action and the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow support legislative action for transparency, disclosure, reporting, phasing out, tracking and restricting hazardous chemicals and practices.
Indeed, we have the right to know but even more we have the right to be safe. I urge you to improve and expand your efforts for health protection and pollution prevention and I pledge to work with you.
Thank you.
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