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Challenges in Regulation and Remediation of Environmental Toxins or Potential Toxins: Is Environmental Justice Adequately Addressed?
Type of Session
Individual Paper Presentation
Abstract
Local, regional, federal, multi-national and global organizations exist to protect the public from negative responses to known or potential environmental toxins. Nevertheless, information about exposure and response may be inadequate. Ways that available information is reviewed, development and appropriate implementation of regulations, and cooperation of groups charged with regulation may differ. While none of these intentionally fail to address environmental justice, omissions of adequate information, analyses that do not consider the multiple, often overlapping, needs of groups, the lack of a robust regulatory enforcement, and inadequate remediation of conditions that contribute to toxicity, taken together, can result in poor protection for substantial populations, often the most underserved groups. To illustrate the complexity of these issues, environmental justice and regulation of two substances will be considered: lead, a known childhood developmental toxin, and glyphosate an herbicide whose potential toxicity for farmworkers is controversial. Although seemingly disparate, they represent different points on a continuum of public health, environmental justice, and, ultimately, adequate regulatory response. Lead has been extensively regulated; little has been done to protect migratory farm workers from potential health effects of glyphosate. Questions about lead will be illustrated at a local level by showing the overlap between elevated blood lead levels in children of underserved communities and identifying environmental conditions contributing to these overlaps. Nationally, limitations in lead remediation will be considered by identifying where information may be missing and how this might affect regulations and funding for remediation. To address glyphosate, information from interviews and other resources regarding the health and safety of migratory farm workers exposed to glyphosate, especially those working in large-scale farming operations will be discussed. .