Montana Mom Joins DC "Stroller Brigade"
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
HELENA, Mont., and WASHINGTON - A Montana mother of a new baby pushed her daughter along in a "stroller brigade" in the nation's capital Tuesday, along with thousands of others who are calling for updates to the Chemical Safety Improvement Act.
We're all exposed to thousands of chemicals each day, said Rachel Carroll Rivas of Helena, and safety testing isn't always assured.
"From furniture to our children's toys to our body-care products," she said, "and right now, I think that we're really exposed to a lot of things that are harmful to our bodies and we don't know."
The Toxic Substances Control Act provides regulations for chemicals, but thousands aren't covered by the law since they came on the market in the decades since the law first passed. The Chemical Safety Improvement Act currently working its way through the Senate would update the law, but Carroll Rivas said it needs to be stronger.
Carroll Rivas, a Montana Conservation Voters Board member, said consumers need safety guarantees and labeling to make smart choices - something they can't do unless the chemical safety laws are updated.
"We can't shop our way around it," she said. "We can't be overly concerned about everything that comes in our homes. We should trust what we buy on the grocery store shelves."
Three other Montanans also participated in the event, visiting the offices of Montana's senators to thank them for their support in ensuring safety and discussing amendments to the Chemical Safety Improvement Act.
Text of S. 1009 is online at beta.congress.gov.
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