Who’s tracking the chemicals?

Re “Common chemicals linked to breast cancer,” May 14

Environmentally induced cancers are the result of human failure. This failure is not only of a misguided war on cancer focusing on the result and not the cause but also the continued addiction by agriculture and other industries to toxic agents. It also reflects a failed regulatory scheme coupled with antiquated and ineffective toxic chemical control laws.

Nationally, our primary standard is the Toxic Substances Control Act, enacted in the 1970s. The act’s main goal was to require comprehensive cancer tests for thousands of industrial chemicals in widespread use -- a goal we have yet to achieve.

Recognizing these national failures, two decades ago in California we enacted Proposition 65, requiring first a list by the governor of chemicals known to cause cancer, and then a warning before exposure where they pose a significant risk. The California agency charged with this task has not used its independent authority to list a carcinogen in more than five years.

AL MEYERHOFF

Studio City

The writer, an attorney, is past director of the Natural Resources Defense Council Public Health Program.

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There are more than 80,000 chemicals on the market in the U.S., the vast majority of which lack even basic information on health effects and toxicity. We do know that at least 1,400 chemicals have known or probable links to cancer, birth defects, reproductive effects and other health problems such as learning disabilities. Although the incidence of these diseases has been increasing for decades, a whole host of other obstacles to healthy development have also been on the rise, including premature birth, low birth weight, early puberty and childhood obesity. Recent science, like the study reported in this article, indicates that these problems very well may be related to chemical exposure. The governor is taking action on global warming, but for our kids’ sake more needs to be done about dangerous chemicals.

DAN JACOBSON

Legislative director

Environment California

Sacramento