wfn.org | Faith groups ask Congress for safe chemical policy

["Philip Jenks" <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

Leading Religious Groups Call on Congress to Pass Safe, Healthy Chemical 
Policy Reform

June 29, 2010 -- Faith-based organizations at the national and state  level are 
calling on Congress to establish a comprehensive chemical  policy to protect 
both people and the environment. 

The National Council of Churches, GreenFaith, the Union for Reform  Judaism, 
and faith-based organizations in ten states today released  their new 
"Interfaith Statement for Chemical Policy Reform."

The statement, which draws on values and teachings from Judaism,  Christianity, 
Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, calls for federal chemical  policy that protects 
people and all life on Earth, with particular  attention to vulnerable 
populations such as children, chemical industry  workers, and low-income 
communities and communities of color which are  disproportionately exposed to 
toxic chemicals. 
 
The Interfaith Statement is being released as Congress prepares to  consider 
legislation to reform the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act  (TSCA) that 
regulates the over 80,000 industrial chemicals in commerce.  Religious leaders 
and lay leaders are encouraged to indicate their  support for the Statement by 
visiting  http://nccecojustice.org/health/interfaith_statement_eh.php.
 
"Since 2007, faith communities across the country have expressed a  growing 
concern for the failures of current chemical policy. People of  faith are 
speaking up and helping to pass protective policies in the  states. Now it is 
time for federal reform," said Chloe Schwabe,  Environmental Health Program 
Director at the National Council of  Churches. 

"Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Jews, and Christians share a commitment to  
justice to the most vulnerable and to all God's creatures. We need  chemical 
policy reform that makes this vision real," said the Reverend  Fletcher Harper, 
Executive Director of GreenFaith, a national interfaith  environmental 
organization. 

"Jewish tradition teaches us to take precautions to prevent harm to  ourselves 
and to others. We need to take this precautionary approach  when putting new 
chemicals on the market and in considering chemicals  already in use," said 
Barbara Weinstein, Legislative Director at the  Religious Action Center of 
Reform Judaism. "Our communities want to know  that the products they use 
everyday won't harm their children or their  neighbors in those communities 
disproportionately impacted by toxic  chemicals."

In addition to listing teachings from the five religious traditions  listed 
above, the Statement also affirms three vital features of  effective chemical 
policy.  The Statement calls on Congress to pass  legislation that: 

- Protects people and ecosystems by removing the most toxic chemicals  from use

- Protects vulnerable communities and people by creating stronger  regulation 
and safeguards

- Promotes a sustainable and healthy economy, with increased investment  in 
'green' chemistry and green job creation

The document released today reflects many principles found in the 2007  
"Christian Principles for a Healthy Body and Spirit."

Over 30 faith-based organizations and 1000 religious leaders and lay  leaders 
in churches across the United States have signed the Christian  principles. At 
present, state-based signatories to both the Christian  Principles and the 
Interfaith Statement include Minnesota Council of  Churches, Maine Council of 
Churches, Massachusetts Council of Churches,  Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon 
Interfaith Network for Earth Concerns,  Pennsylvania Council of Churches, 
Center for the Celebration of Creation  (PA), Texas Impact, Voices for Earth 
Justice (MI), Interreligious  Eco-Justice Network (CT), and Earth Ministry 
(WA).  
Both organizational and individual signatories will be collected.

The Interfaith Statement for Chemical Policy Reform can be found and  endorsed 
at:  http://nccecojustice.org/health/interfaith_statement_eh.php. ;

The Union for Reform Judaism provides vision, direction and leadership  to 
Reform Jews and congregations on spiritual, ethical, social justice  and 
management issues, offering programming support to Reform Jewish  congregations 
and strengthening individual Jewish identity and  growth. 

GreenFaith is an interfaith coalition for the environment. Founded in  1992, 
GreenFaith inspires, educates and mobilizes people of diverse  religious 
backgrounds for environmental leadership.  For more  information, see 
www.greenfaith.org. 

Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of the Churches of  Christ in 
the USA has been the leading force for ecumenical cooperation  among Christians 
in the United States. The NCC's 36 member faith groups  - from a wide spectrum 
of Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical,  historic African American and 
Living Peace churches - include 45 million  persons in more than 100,000 local 
congregations in communities across  the nation.

For more information contact Chloe Schwabe,  201-481-6932                      
    

NCC News contact:  Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228 (office),  646-853-4212 
(cell), pjenks@ncccusa.org