EPA TAKING ACTIONS TO BENEFIT CHILDREN
FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, JAN. 29, 1999
EPA TAKING ACTIONS TO BENEFIT CHILDREN
The EPA is increasing its efforts in ongoing activities in eight areas in
response to recommendations from the Children's Health Protection Advisory
Committee, a group of outside pediatric and public health experts who were
asked to identify existing standards that may merit reevaluation to
further protect children's health. The Committee made seven
recommendations for regulatory review and one broad recommendation for
review of ambient and indoor air standards. Public comments regarding
existing standards also were considered by the Agency. Indoor and ambient
air quality standards which could affect asthmatic children will undergo a
special review. In addition, the EPA will reevaluate the National
Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants for chloralkali plants, a
mercury air emission standard; the implementation and enforcement of rules
to protect agricultural workers from pesticide risks, weighing, in the
process, the potential impact on involved children; the drinking water
Maximum Contaminant Level and the tolerance for the herbicide atrazine;
and tolerances for three organophosphate insecticides, dimethoate,
chlorpyrifos and methyl parathion. Agency commitments pertaining to
reassessing pesticide tolerances will be met through the tolerance
reassessment process the EPA established in response to requirements of
the 1996 Food Quality Act. Further information is available in the
Federal Register notice published on Feb. 3, 1999, which can be found on
the Internet at: www.epa.gov/fedrgstr. Also at the EPA website,
corollary information can be found under "programs."
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