[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12]
[EXTENSI]
[Page 16523]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     THE RESEARCH AGENDA FOR NIEHS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 28, 2006

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I sent the attached letter along with my 
colleagues to the Director of the National Institutes of Environmental 
Health Sciences regarding environmental health research on July 11, 
2006.


                                Congress of the United States,

                                    Washington, DC, July 11, 2006.
     Dr. David A. Schwartz,
     Director, National Institute of Environmental Health 
         Sciences,
     Research Triangle Park, NC.
       Dear Dr. Schwartz: We are writing to encourage you to 
     ensure the continued focus of the National Institute for 
     Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) on preventable health 
     risks associated with environmental sources and exposures, as 
     you develop a program of greater relevance to human disease. 
     An emphasis on discovering the role of environmental 
     exposures in human health, disease, and disabilities will 
     increase the importance of your proposed ``roadmap'' for 
     NIEHS. We look forward to the future support and growth of 
     the following established initiatives:


              research on community health and environment

       Environmental exposures, and often diseases, occur with 
     disproportionate impact on the health and well-being of local 
     communities, particularly those already impacted by other 
     risk factors for health disparities. Thus, continuing the 
     focus of NIEHS support for community-based research will 
     serve the health needs of the American public. It will also 
     contribute to increased knowledge of acquired factors in 
     complex situations involving other preventable risks that too 
     often track with economic and political inequalities. The 
     men, women, and children of unfairly impacted communities 
     often must work, live, play, and attend school in 
     environments that are contaminated at levels that exceed 
     national averages, and sometimes even exceed legal limits, 
     but often lack the resources to initiate scientific 
     investigations. NIEHS research and outreach provides critical 
     data that supports strategies to prevent or treat disease and 
     disabilities among these communities, as well as regulatory 
     action to identify contamination sources for targeted clean 
     up.


             research on children's health and environment

       Chronic diseases that show up later in life are frequently 
     the result of preventable environmental exposures to 
     pesticides, air pollution, and many other exposures that 
     occur early in life. For this reason, continued support for 
     research programs focused on children's health and 
     environmental contaminants is a priority for our constituents 
     and for the future of America's health. Examples of this kind 
     of research currently supported by NIEHS include: pesticide 
     impacts on cancer and brain development among children of 
     agriculture communities; air pollution impacts on asthma and 
     allergies among inner city children; and, industrial 
     pollution impacts on learning and behavior among school 
     children.


               timely and complete report on carcinogens

       In order to efficiently manage environmental health risks 
     like chemicals, we must have accurate information on their 
     toxicity. The Report on Carcinogens (RoC) is a biannual, 
     congressionally mandated report that scientifically evaluates 
     the scientific evidence to compile a list of all substances 
     known or suspected to cause human cancers and to which 
     Americans are exposed. The RoC is a reference standard for 
     the private sector, for certain legislation, and is even used 
     overseas as an authoritative text on carcinogens. The timely 
     release of this critical Report is a priority for state and 
     federal regulators, for international regulatory bodies, for 
     communities, and for Members of Congress.
       Sustaining these strategic initiatives in connection with 
     your new initiatives will contribute to the success of new 
     research directions at NlEHS, and ensure that research 
     findings on environmental factors are fully translated into 
     protecting public health. We look forward to working with you 
     to properly fund and support these programs.
       Sincerely,
     Dennis. J. Kucinich.
     Louis Capps.
     Rush Holt.
     Bart Gordon.
     Barbara Lee.
     James E. Clyburn.

                          ____________________