Leading up to this year’s
election, thirty of New Jersey’s
lawmakers pledged to make toxic clean-up and toxics use reduction a focus in
the 2008 legislative session. “We
commend the lawmakers who have signed on to NJPIRG’s Toxic-Free Future pledge,
in recognition of the urgent need for policies that require industry to prioritize
safety,” says Rebekah Scotland, Legislative Associate with NJPIRG.
NJPIRG’s Toxic-Free Future
pledge asked candidates to take action to clean up toxic chemicals that
threaten public health. In signing the
pledge, these legislators acknowledge that New Jersey
families are at risk of being exposed to toxins throughout their daily lives
and commit to moving New Jersey
towards safer alternatives. “It is a good first step towards removing these
toxic threats, knowing that this group of lawmakers is committed to making
safety the standard” said Scotland. The Toxics-Free New Jersey pledge asks
legislators to commit to the following three principles:
Cleaning Up Toxic Sites. Ensuring that places where we will live, work, or
play are cleaned up to protect our children’s health, and that the DEP has the
power to hold polluters responsible for their waste.
Reducing the Use of Toxics. In 2005,
polluters released 398,939 pounds of carcinogens and 432,119 pounds of
developmental toxins into the air. Safe, cost-effective alternatives exist, and
it’s time to require industry to use them.
Eliminating Hidden Hazards at Home and School. Everyday consumer products, ranging from cleansers to baby bottles,
expose users to toxic chemicals during use. These hidden hazards must be eliminated.
“While this is a promising
start, it will take a firm commitment by the entire legislature to cleanup
toxic chemicals here in New Jersey,”
notes Scotland. “Whether it enters our homes in the air
blowing through our windows, the mud on our shoes, or the toys we buy for our
children, everyone is at risk.” NJPIRG
is calling on the entire legislature to take this pledge so that we can all
look forward to a safer, healthier New
Jersey in 2008.
The list of legislators who
have taken the pledge is:
Senator Sweeney (D-3),
Senator Adler (D-6), Senator Palaia (R-11), Senator Inverso (R-14), Senator
Smith (D-17), Senator Buono (D-18), Senator Vitale (D-19), Senator Scutari
(D-22), Senator Lance (R-23), Senator Bucco (R-25), Senator Weinberg (D-37),
Senator Cardinale (R-39)
Asm Whelan (D-2), Asw Lampitt (D-6), Asm
Greenwald (D-6), Asm Holzapfel (R-10), Asm Kean (R-11), Asm Panter (D-12), Asm
Thompson (R-13), Asw Handlin (R-13), Asm Gusciora (D-15), Asm Biondi (R-16),
Asm Chivukula (D-17), Asm Diegnan (D-18), Asm Prieto (D-32), Asm Schaer (D-36),
Asw Vainieri Huttle (D-37), Asm Gordon (D-38), Asm Rooney (R-39), Asw
Vandervalk (R-39)
