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Photo courtesy John Winters Thanks to The Boren Foundation, and Jack and Karen Kay Leonard for making this website possible. |
Right-to-Know Philosophy
Our environmental protection efforts have made several forays into right-to-know approaches. Their success has been significant and, in some cases, stunning. However, a traditional command and control approach still dominates. The diagram above identifies four critical areas where the environmental threats are poorly addressed by our current system. A right-to know approach can address these shortcomings. IKE believes that we need to move beyond these limited right-to-know forays. We must make it clear that the public, especially parents and families, have the right-to-know about the environmental threats to children. And the goal should be to have those generating the threat communicate the information directly to those that may be threatened. Government should not be in the middle or serving as a conduit for the communications. It should monitor quality and provide context for citizens. Traditional regulatory programs still must set the minimum standards for performance. But we need to complement it with a broad, right-to-know system. Let’s look to see how a right-to-know system could deal with situations poorly addressed by our traditional regulatory programs. Uncertain Hazards: A new manufacturing facility comes into town. You read the permit and hear the imposing names of the chemicals released. The state agency labels one of the chemicals as a hazardous air pollutant. You quickly learn that the agency only has the authority to impose the best control technologies to reduce the hazard. There are no standards to evaluate whether the exposure is too much. While you recognize the limits in the system, you want to better understand the health effects so that you can more closely monitor your children and talk with your doctor. You may also want to question the merits of providing extensive economic development support for the facility. You spend your time researching the chemical on federal databases. You find that it is one of the thousands that were "grandfathered" 20 years ago. As a result, the set of six screening tests that provide a basic assessment of the potential hazards was not completed for the chemical. In addition, you find that no studies have been done on the health effects on children. A right-to-know approach would require the company to provide you with basic information about the chemical including what is not known about the hazards. You would have critical information you need to act. Delayed Solutions:
As a result, whenever it rains hard, the sewer overflows into the neighborhood creek that your kids’ play in or at the fishing hole they use. Beyond the raw sewage, you find that the overflow contains condoms, tampons, and other items designated as "floatables." You learn that the bacteria hazard may be at its worst several days after the event and continue for several weeks. No one is sure.
Under a right-to-know approach, you could request to be notified by the city if an overflow occurred. And the city would take special efforts to prevent fishing at the fishing hole.
Non-Point Sources: Your child has asthma. Through years of experience, you know that she reacts to some pesticides and/or their carrying solvents. She can be affected up to a day after the pesticides are applied.
She has come home sick for several days during the past few weeks. Once she had an asthma attack. After talking with her teacher, you find out that they have been spraying pesticides to deal with a serious ant infestation.
With a right-to-know approach, you would request that the school notify you several days in advance that pesticides were being applied. You would have the option of keeping your daughter out of school on problem days and talking with a pest professional at the school.
Sensitive Populations: We live in a diverse society. Some people are uniquely sensitive to some environmental threats. Your child is one. You have developed a good sense of what causes problems and how to avoid them.
By exercising your right-to-know, you would have a better ability to talk to the printer across the street, review their material safety data sheets to see if that are any problem chemicals, and take steps to isolate your child from the chemical.