[Sust-mar] EPA Health Report on Dioxin Released after 27 Years of Delay

[David Wimberly]

  Big news! EPA Health Report on Dioxin Released After Twenty Seven
  Years of Delays
  http://chej.org/2012/02/big-news-epa-health-report-on-dioxin-released-after-twenty-seven-years-of-delays/

(Falls Church, VA) Today the US EPA has finally released their major 
report on the non-cancer health effects of dioxin, which for the past 
twenty seven years has been delayed due to interference from the 
chemical industry. Environmental and health groups across the country 
celebrated this important milestone.

“We applaud EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and the Obama Administration 
for finalizing this important health report on dioxin, one of the most 
toxic chemicals on the planet,” *said Lois Marie Gibbs, Executive 
Director of the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ). * 
“After twenty seven years of delays, I quite honestly never thought this 
report would ever see the light of day. Today the American people won a 
major victory against the chemical industry, who has been working behind 
closed doors for decades to hide and distort the truth about the dangers 
of dioxin. The science is clear: dioxin is toxic to our children’s 
health and development. We strongly urge the EPA to now finish the job 
by finishing their review on dioxin and cancer, and to develop a 
comprehensive action plan to further reduce dioxin emissions and 
exposures. To start, the EPA should finalize the EPA’s proposed cleanup 
standards for dioxin at toxic sites, which have been languishing at the 
White House OMB since 2010. We call on the Obama Administration to dust 
off the prestigious National Academy of Sciences report on dioxin in 
food to explore innovative policies to reduce the levels of dioxin in 
the food supply.”

Dioxin is building up in our bodies as a result of the food we eat. 
According to EPA over 90% of human exposure to dioxin occurs through our 
diet. Dioxin is most prevalent in meat, fish, dairy, and other fatty foods.

EPA has been under enormous pressure by environmental health, 
environmental justice, labor, health-impacted, and Vietnam Veterans 
organizations to release the non-cancer health assessment in recent 
weeks and ever since President Obama entered office. In January a letter 
was delivered to EPA Administrator Jackson signed by over 2,000 
organizations and individuals. Over the past month a broad coalition of 
organizations have written to EPA 
<http://chej.org/2012/02/2012/01/lisa-jackson-finalize-the-epa%E2%80%99s-dioxin-study-once-and-for-all/> 
urging the agency to finalize this report. This includes the Breast 
Cancer Fund, Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ), 
Endometriosis Association, Environmental Defense Fund, Greenpeace, 
International Brotherhood of Teamsters, National Medical Association, 
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Sierra Club, Vietnam Veterans 
of America, Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Canadian Environmental 
Law Association, , Clean Water Action, Ecology Center, Edison Wetlands 
Association, Environmental Working Group, Global Alliance for 
Incinerator Alternatives, Healthy Child Healthy World, Institute for 
Agriculture and Trade Policy, International POPS Elimination Network 
(IPEN), Ironbound Community Corporation, Kentucky Environmental 
Foundation, the Lone Tree Council, National Asian Pacific American 
Women’s Forum, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Reproductive Health 
Technologies Project, Science & Environmental Health Network, The 
Endocrine Disruption Exchange, Union of Concerned Scientists, Vietnam 
Agent Orange Relief & Responsibility Campaign, and Women’s Voices for 
the Earth.

In January, Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), Ranking Member of the Natural 
Resources Committee and senior member of the Energy and Commerce 
Committee, sent EPA a letter urging the agency to finalize this dioxin 
assessment. In April, Rep. Markey and 72 members of Congress sent a 
letter to EPA calling on the agency to release the report.

Dioxin is a known human carcinogen. Dioxin also causes a wide range of 
adverse non-cancer effects including reproductive, developmental, 
immunological, and endocrine effects in both animals and humans. Animal 
studies show that dioxin exposure is associated with endometriosis, 
decreased fertility, the inability to carry pregnancies to term, lowered 
testosterone levels, decreased sperm counts, birth defects, and learning 
disabilities. In children, dioxin exposure has been associated with IQ 
deficits, delays in psychomotor and neurodevelopment, and altered 
behavior including hyperactivity. Studies in workers have found lowered 
testosterone levels, decreased testis size, and birth defects in 
offspring of Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange.

Dioxin’s effects on the immune system of the developing organism appear 
to be among the most sensitive endpoints studied. Animal studies show 
decreased immune response and increased susceptibility to infectious 
disease. In human studies, dioxin was associated with immune system 
depression and alterations in immune status leading to increased 
infections. Dioxin can also disrupt the normal function of 
hormones—chemical messengers that the body uses for growth and 
regulation. Dioxin interferes with thyroid levels in infants and adults, 
alters glucose tolerance, and has been linked to diabetes.

*In response to anticipated concerns about dioxin in food, the Center 
for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) has prepared these top six tips 
for reducing exposure to dioxin in food:*

 1. Eat less animal fat — buy lean meats and poultry – and cut off the
    fat before cooking.
 2. Eat fat free dairy products – or as low as you can – for dairy
    products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt.
 3. Fish is a healthy food choice – but fish are also affected, so avoid
    fatty fish (such as salmon) and cut the fat off before cooking and
    eating.
 4. Purchase food products that have been grain or grass fed. Farm
    animals fed food with animal products that includes other animal’s
    fat increases the amount of dioxin ingested by livestock and
    increases the amount of dioxin that is in the consumer meat product.
 5. Eat more fruits and vegetables.
 6. Breast feed your babies – breast milk is still the healthiest food
    for your baby.

According to EPA, dioxin releases increased by 18% from 2009-2010 
nationally. Dioxin air releases increased by 10%. Some of the top U.S. 
companies that reported releasing dioxin into the environment in 2010 
were Dow Chemical, Missouri Chemical Works, Gerdau Ameristeel, Lehigh 
Southwest Cement, Formosa Plastics Corporation, Temple-Inland, Cahaba 
Pressure Treated Forest Products, and Clean Harbors Aragonite. Three of 
these facilities make chemicals to produce polyvinyl chloride (PVC) 
plastic. Municipal waste incinerators, medical waste incinerators, 
landfill fires, and backyard burn barrels are some of the other top 
sources of dioxin in America.

*For a copy of EPA’s new dioxin health report, visit* 
http://www.epa.gov/dioxin <http://www.epa.gov/dioxin>

*For a fact-sheet on the hazards of dioxin, visit* 
http://chej.org/wp-content/uploads/Documents/Dioxin%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf 
<http://chej.org/2012/02/wp-content/uploads/Documents/Dioxin%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf>

*For frequently asked questions about dioxin in food, visit* 
http://chej.org/wp-content/uploads/Frequently-Asked-Questions-About-Dioxin-and-Food.pdf 
<http://chej.org/2012/02/wp-content/uploads/Frequently-Asked-Questions-About-Dioxin-and-Food.pdf>

*For a detailed history of dioxin delays, visit:* 
http://chej.org/wp-content/uploads/DioxinTimeframeFebruary2012.pdf