Minnesota Currents | Spring Update 2010www.cleanwateraction.org/mn

Clean Water Action is working at the Capitol to preserve our precious water resources and the health of all Minne-sotans. With your support, we celebrat-ed many victories in 2009. When the legislative session began on February 4, our staff set out to work on a number of issues, including continuing to keep toxins out of our environment and maintaining our clean energy future by defending the statewide nuclear moratorium. We will continue to build on this success in 2010 by advocating for policies that safeguard Minnesota’s families and our environment now and for future generations.

Maintain the moratorium on con-struction of new nuclear reactors in Minnesota. Nuclear reactors are ex-tremely expensive to build and require

enormous amounts of water to operate. In fact, Prairie Island and Monticello nuclear plants are allowed to withdraw almost 390 billion gallons of surface and groundwater each year. That is more than the drinking water allotted to Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Duluth combined.

The problems associated with nuclear waste storage still exist—we have no safe, long-term storage solutions for our existing radioactive waste.

A bill to overturn the moratorium was heard in Senate committees at the end of February. Clean Water Action will continue to fi ght to keep the morato-rium in place and work to keep Min-nesota on course as a national leader in clean and safe renewable energy.

Limit toxins in our environment by supporting safer products and safer production methods through green chemistry. Minnesota can become a leader in green chemistry by incentiv-izing business development and new jobs. Green chemistry practices reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous sub-stances in the manufacturing process of consumer goods.

Bills in the House and Senate have been moving through their respec-tive committees and will soon be on the House and Senate fl oors. We are anticipating a favorable vote in both chambers and hope to have the Gover-nor’s support when the bill reaches his desk. continued on page 6

Spring Update 2010 Minnesota currents

working for another year of progressclean water at the capitol 2010

Photos courtesy: Andy Rudorfer, Jeremy Brooks, Okko Pyykkö and Michelle Tribe.

2 Minnesota Currents | Spring Update 2010 www.cleanwateraction.org/mn

SPRING UPDATE 2010

Clean Water Action Alliance of Minnesota is a state chapter of Clean Water Action, a national citizens’ organization working

for clean, safe and affordable water, prevention of health-threatening pollution, creation of environmentally-safe jobs and

businesses, and empowerment of people to make democracy work.

Clean Water Action organizes strong grassroots groups, coalitions and

campaigns to protect our environment, health, economic well-being and community

quality of life.

EDITORSDeanna White

Melissa Caldwell

Online Communications ManagerAnne Dougherty

DesignAndre a Kiepe

State DirectorDeanna White

Reproduction in whole or part is permitted with proper credit. © Copyright 2010 All

rights reserved.

M I N N E S O TAC U R R E N T S

Volunteer with Clean Water Action There are many ways to get involved and help protect our lakes, rivers and streams! Clean Water Action off ers a variety of volunteer opportunities that help strengthen our campaigns and bring us closer to achieving our environmental goals. Would you be willing to write a letter to the editor or call your members of Congress? How about attending an event or hosting a fundraising party?

Contact Melissa Caldwell at 612-627-1533 or mcaldwell@cleanwater.org to learn more about volunteering.

clean water fund monitors toys for toxinsDo you know if the toys your kids are playing with are safe? There are many toxins and heavy metals such as Arsenic, Bromine, Cadmium, Lead and Mercury found in children’s toys and these toxins are linked to numerous health problems.

Recent news reports warn consumers to avoid jewelry that contains Cadmium as this metal has been linked to health problems such as high blood pressure, bone loss and lung and prostate cancer. Other serious health issues like brain damage and hyperactivity are connected to lead exposures. Unfortunately, many surface paints common in the toy industry contain high levels of this dangerous metal.

These chemicals have no place in our children’s toys and our environment. Unfor-tunately, our Federal laws like the Toxic Substances Control Act are severely out of date and fail to eff ectively regulate the over 80,000 chemicals that are used in the production of our daily products. When toys and other products are discarded the toxins and metals contaminate our waterways and drinking water sources.

Clean Water Action will continue to fi ght to demand that these dangerous substances are eliminated from our products. Our work with the Healthy Legacy Coalition produced groundbreaking results in 2009 by passing the fi rst ever BPA Free Baby Bill. We will build off of this success and work to protect the health of all Minnesotans. Watch our events calendar for additional toy monitoring dates and locations near you.

Minnesota Currents | Spring Update 2010 3www.cleanwateraction.org/mn

Excel Dairy Shocks SenatorsClean Water Action helped organize a hearing in the Senate Health, Hous-ing and Family Security Committee in January for the neighbors suff ering from toxic air emissions from Excel Dairy; a 1,500 head dairy operation in Thief River Falls. Two years ago, the Minnesota Department of Health declared this operation a public health hazard because of toxic Hydrogen Sul-fi de air emissions. Hydrogen Sulfi de is a toxic gas that can cause serious health problems, even at low levels. Health symptoms reported by neighbors of factory farms include headaches, nausea, diarrhea, respiratory distress, eye irritation, short term memory loss and dizziness.

The Senate committee heard heartfelt and emotional testimony as neighbors explained how the toxic air has dam-aged their health and quality of life. Senators were outraged the citizens have endured these living condi-tions for so long. A six year old girl described how she plugged her baby brother’s nose while driving through the horrible smells surrounding the dairy farm. She also told the senators that it makes her cry when she cannot go outside to play and ride her bike. There were fi ve families that testifi ed in person and many others that sub-mitted written testimony.

The day before the hearing, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) made a preliminary decision to not re-permit Excel Dairy. Clean Water Action submitted comments for the MPCA to review. Clean Water Ac-

tion will continue to stand strong with the neighbors and community of Excel Dairy and demand that this dangerous facility be denied a permit to continue with their toxic operations.

Great Lakes: Asian Carp ThreatClean Water Action continues with our fi ght to protect the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth—the beauti-ful Great Lakes. An immediate con-cern on the health of the Great Lakes is Asian Carp, an aggressive invasive species with a big appetite.

Asian Carp traveled up the Mississippi through the Illinois River and are on the brink of entering the Great Lakes through the Chicago canal system. Tests in late 2009 found Asian Carp DNA in the canal system beyond an electric fence installed as a last ditch eff ort to stop their movement. The State of Michigan, joined by Minnesota and other Great Lakes states, fi led a lawsuit to force the locks to be closed to seal the fi sh off from Lake Michigan. The lawsuit is still pending at the Supreme Court.

Great Lakes groups are taking a two-pronged approach. In the short term,

issue updates: rogue feedlot, asian carp invasion and clean water act restoration

we are pushing for the agencies to take every action possible to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. In the long-term, we are seeking a permanent ecological separation between the Mississippi River Basin and the Great Lakes. Call your Senator and Repre-sentative today and urge them to take a strong stance to protect the Great Lakes from Asian Carp and other invasive species.

Restoring the Clean Water ActThe Clean Water Act is severely broken in a way that leaves protection uncertain and tenuous for many of Minnesota’s waters. Passed in 1972, the Clean Water Act was put in place as our nation’s frontline water protection law. Over the past decade, polluting interests have dramatically weakened the Clean Water Act and left countless of our nation’s waterways in jeopardy.

The Clean Water Restoration Act will restore the original intent of the Clean Water Act to protect ALL of our waters, but has stalled in the US Congress. The Restoration Act passed the Environment and Public Works Committee in the US Senate last year with the help of Sen. Klobuchar (MN). Unfortunately, it has yet to be intro-duced in the US House of Representa-tives.

Contact Rep. Oberstar (MN) and ask him to introduce the Restoration Act as soon as possible to restore important Clean Water Act protections to all our waters. Stay tuned to www.cleanwaterac-

tion.org for more information on the Clean Water Restoration Act.

George Bott

4 Minnesota Currents | Spring Update 2010 www.cleanwateraction.org/mn

We’ve all heard the news stories about toy recalls due to lead. The most recent included thousands of Disney Princess Necklaces with high levels of cadmium and the Target Valentine Bears con-taining lead.

Unfortunately, it isn’t just lead and cad-mium we need to be concerned about. Many of the products we use in our homes every day — from shampoos to shower curtain liners — contain harm-ful chemicals that threaten our health and environment.

The Toxic Substances Control Act is severely out of date and as a result, we are fi nding harmful chemicals in our products. TSCA was passed in 1976 and since then, only 200 of the over

reform the toxic substances control actpeople and products should be free of toxic chemicals

82,000 chemicals in production have been safety tested. The vast majority of chemicals found in our computers, furniture and other products have not been tested for their human health ef-fects. Under current law, the American public does not have the right to know which chemicals are found in their products because they are considered trade secrets by industry.

As a result, Americans are being exposed to chemicals that are known or suspected carcinogens, neurotoxins and hormone disruptors . This ex-posure comes at a cost to public and environmental health. Nationwide, diseases and disorders are on the rise. In Minnesota alone, $1.5 billion is spent annually treating childhood

diseases attributable to environmental factors. The same chemicals that harm human health are also harming our environment, resulting in intersex fi sh and hermaphroditic frogs in Minne-sota’s waters.

While we can try to avoid certain products and make better purchasing decisions, we cannot buy our way out of this problem; not when there are 2,000 to 3,000 new chemicals devel-oped each year.

The United States will not remain competitive in the global economy when we continue to make chemicals and products banned in other coun-tries. For example, the European Union, the world’s largest economy,

The European Union, banned over 2,000 chemicals in cosmetics. These chemicals are allowed and used in the US.

Steven Depolo

Minnesota Currents | Spring Update 2010 5www.cleanwateraction.org/mn

This year, our eff ort to protect public health and the environment from toxic chemicals has moved to the federal level. After a successful 2009 legislative session of passing ground breaking state policy, such as the fi rst Bisphenol (BPA) ban in the nation, Clean Water Action’s work with the Healthy Legacy Coalition is now focused on reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

TSCA is an outdated and ineff ective federal law that regulates chemicals in consumer products. The Healthy Legacy Coalition recently held an event at Senator Klobuchar’s offi ce asking her to champion the nationwide eff ort to reform TSCA. Over 5,500 postcards from Minnesotans across the state were delivered to Senator Klobuchar asking her to continue her leadership on toxins by co-sponsoring a bill reforming TSCA.

Visit cleanwateraction.org/mn to send your message to Senator Klobuchar. Go to “Online Actions,” on the side bar and help make a difference for our health and our water.

campaign update: healthy legacy wins, leg. bans bpa

banned over 2,000 chemicals in cos-metics. These chemicals are allowed and used in the United States.

To protect human and environmental health and to stay competitive in the global market, the U.S. must enter the 21st Century by reforming TSCA. This reform needs to meet the prin-ciples outlined by the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families Coalition:

Take immediate action on the most dangerous chemicals.Current laws are not protecting us from chemicals that are building up in our bodies and threatening our health. Our exposure to other toxic chemicals that we know can cause serious health problems should be reduced. Green chemistry research should be expanded, and safer chemicals favored over those with known health hazards.

Hold industry responsible for the safety of their chemicals and products. Companies that make and use chemicals should be required to provide full information on the impact of all their chemicals on health and the environment. The public, workers, and businesses should have access to information about the safety of chemicals.

Use the best science to protect all people and vulnerable groups. Chemicals should meet a standard of safety for all people, including children, pregnant women, and workers. The extra burden of toxic chemical exposure on people of color, low-income, and indigenous communities must be reduced and more studies must be done to detect which chemicals are present in our bodies.

Hormone disrupting chemicals are linked to deformities in aquatic species, like this frog with extra legs.

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Minnesota Currents | Spring Update 2010 6www.cleanwateraction.org/mn

The environmental community and labor teamed up in support of SEIU’s Local 26 janitors and their fi ght to renegotiate a fair contract with green cleaning as a centerpiece of their de-mands. In addition to aff ordable health care, the metro area janitors won support for the use of environmentally friendly cleaning products. Green cleaning is needed in all buildings to protect workers and the public from toxic chemical exposures.

Local 26 also won a voice at the table when buildings switch to day-shift cleaning. Cleaning buildings during

the day reduces energy costs up to 8% and cuts Global Warming pollution. Unfortunately, when buildings switch to daytime cleaning, it is often done in a way that is not good for workers. Now, Twin Cities janitors will be able to make sure their jobs are protected as we work to make the cleaning industry part of a green economy.

This victory is proof that we can have Good Jobs and a Green Future. Sara Rummel, SEIU MN State Council Legislative Director and former Clean Water Action Political Coordinator stated, “The support of the environ-

seiu local 26 victory green cleaning, healthy workplaces

mental community has been tremen-dous.” Clean Water Action was proud to stand with many other environmen-tal groups in solidarity with SEIU.

Clean Water Action is expanding this fi ght with our work at the Capitol this year by supporting the Green Cleaning bill. This bill would require Minnesota to adopt green cleaning in all public buildings in order to protect workers and public health and reduce contami-nation. Join us in our fi ght by contacting your representatives and telling them you support green cleaning practices in all public buildings.

Clean Water Action at the Capitol (continued from cover)

Keep pharmaceuticals out of our drinking water through responsible disposal methods. We must address the ever increasing emergence of pharmaceuticals in our water. We can start limiting this contamination by urging health care facilities to properly dispose of expired and unused medica-tions. Currently, Minnesota law requires these facilities to fl ush their medica-tions, which is worst thing they can do with this waste. This bill will prohibit these actions and require facilities

to dispose of their medications in a responsible manner to keep pharma-ceuticals out of the wastewater stream. The bill has received several hearings in House committees and will soon be heard in the Senate.

Phase in green cleaning practices in schools and public buildings. Children and janitorial staff should not have to be exposed to toxic chemicals to keep our schools clean. Our bill will ensure these healthier cleaning products are used in all K-12 public schools in

Minnesota. This will be a positive step in reducing asthma in children and chemical exposures to workers and will be done in a cost eff ective manner. We expect this bill to receive its fi rst hear-ings in the House and Senate soon.

We’ll be keeping a vigilant eye out for other issues that arise during the session. Thank you for supporting Clean Water Action, your continued support allows us to protect our water and our health. Please contact Dan Endreson with questions at 612.627.1528 or dendreson@cleanwater.org.

SEIU Local 26

Protecting her family from Toxics “It’s interesting how toxic chemicals aff ect all of us. I once heard somebody say that if you put a frog in hot water, the frog will immediately jump out to save itself. But if you place a frog in cool water, then slowly turn up the heat, the frog doesn’t realize what’s happening and it ends up getting cooked. That’s how I feel about toxic chemicals. So many of us have no clue how they are eff ecting us, our family members or even our pets.” Lisa Benson, a Minnesota mother of two, fi rst became concerned about chemicals when her daughter started exhibiting signs of early physical development and was later diagnosed with precocious puberty. “When my daughter was a toddler, I noticed a lump when I picked her up. Of course, I took her to a doctor who said to watch for hair under her arms and other signs of development. My thoughts were, “WHAT? She’s just a toddler.” Preco-cious puberty is a condition where pubertal changes occur at an age earlier than expected. In girls, these changes gener-ally include the appearance of breast tissue, pubic hair and menstruation. Only in a small percentage of cases is there an underlying medical condition such as a pituitary tumor. The majority of the cases have no known cause. At the same time, the entire family was feeling ill. “I was using harmful cleaning products, plug-ins, bleach, etc. You could defi nitely say that I was a clean freak.” Upon learning that chemicals commonly used in cleaning products were linked to asthma and other health issues, Lisa switched to all natural products. “We started buying eco-friendly products and safer cleaners. We got rid of the toxic products and cleaners in our home. I wanted to see if this was really going to work for us, so there was no cheating. It really was amazing. We started feeling better and healthier shortly after we got it all out of our home.” Lisa’s daughter agrees making the switch to natural products helped the family’s health. “I can’t even walk down the aisle at the grocery store where they sell detergent and other stuff to clean. The smell really bothers me and I feel sick.” Lisa’s husband agrees “I was skeptical at fi rst but when our health improved, including mine, I had to agree making the switch really made a diff erence.” Lisa’s daughter wasn’t the only child in the community dealing with precocious puberty. “I know I felt very alone when we found out about the condition our oldest had. I mean, who talks about that kind of stuff ? I started to share my experi-ence openly with people and it’s interesting how many other parents are out there quietly wondering if this is Mother Nature or if there’s something wrong.” Worldwide, the age at which puberty begins has lowered, with a larger number of girls developing earlier and earlier. In Puerto Rico, the majority of girls with reported precious puberty are less than two years old. This early development is harmful to children’s health and socially stressful. “They took an x-ray of my daughter’s hand and sent it off to Children’s Hospital. The test came back showing that her bone age was about 1 year and 9 months older than her chronological age.” In addition, children going through early puberty will not grow to their full height. “Because we wanted her to reach her potential height, she was given a drug that is given to men with prostrate cancer. We really don’t know what will happen with her in the future. As parents, we always try hard to make the best decisions for our children.” Since her family’s experience, Lisa has been motivated to share her knowledge and learn more about the chemicals in products. “There are so many chemicals out there. They’re used in things we use every day—our soaps, detergents, deodorants, toothpastes, cleaning supplies, lotions, foods, etc. We had absolutely no idea that these things were harmful.” Lisa also felt an obligation to educate her friends, family and community so she hosted several Healthy Home presenta-tions in her home. “Now, I want to share so much information with so many people—especially when I see young moms with little children. I would love to stop every one of them and tell them, ’No, there are some healthier, safer choices out there!’ They really don’t have to buy these harmful chemicals.”

Member Profile: Lisa Benson