Sens. Call on Appropriators to Reject Administration’s Proposal to Eliminate NCER
Washington, D.C. – A number of organizations and programs are in place at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure safety against pollution and environmentally toxic substances. Those like the National Center for Environmental Research (NCER) do a great deal to protect the most vulnerable in particular, especially our children. Unfortunately, the Administration’s recently released budget proposes the elimination of NCER. To call out this reckless proposal and highlight the importance of the EPA’s role as a safety and research body, U.S. Senator Bob Casey, alongside his colleagues U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Gary Peters (D-MI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) penned a letter to relevant committee leadership.
“Environmental pollution and health hazards are risks to all people, but children’s health is especially vulnerable to environmental risks. As the EPA’s own website acknowledges, ‘Children are often more vulnerable to pollutants than adults due to differences in behavior and biology, that can lead to greater exposure and/or unique windows of susceptibility during development,’” wrote the Senators. “Accordingly, we write to express our opposition to the Administration’s plan to eliminate The National Center for Environmental Research (NCER) at the Environmental Protection Agency as part of a significant agency reorganization.”
A full copy of the letter can be found here.
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