Environmental Protection for Children Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-4010
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2006-09-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Agriculture and Food
Bioaccumulation
Block grants
Business records
Cadmium
Carcinogens
Chemical industries
Child health
Child safety
Chromium
Chronically ill
Citizen lawsuits
Civil actions and liability
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Consumer education
Consumer protection
Data banks
Day care
Dioxins
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Educational facilities
Elementary and secondary education
Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental estrogens
Environmental health
Environmental law enforcement
Environmental research
Families
Fetus
Fines (Penalties)
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Government trust funds
Health
Heavy metals
Imports
Independent regulatory commissions
Indian children
Indian medical care
Integrated pest management
Law
Lead
Legal fees
Liability for environmental damages
Manufacturing industries
Medical research
Mercury
Minorities
Neurology
Parties to actions
Pesticides
Potable water
Pregnant women
Preschool education
Risk
School buildings
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Standards
Toxicology
Toys
Water Resources Development
Women
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: 
Environmental Protection for Children Act of 2006 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) ensure that environmental and public health standards for environmental pollutants protect children and vulnerable subpopulations from exposure; and (2) create lists of pollutants posing health risks to children as well as safer-for-children substances and products.
 
Requires the EPA Administrator, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support research into the health effects and toxicity of pesticides and pollutants on children.
 
Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) to require the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (Agency) and the EPA Administrator to jointly: (1) develop a hazardous substance list; and (2) revise guidelines for the preparation of toxicological profiles of substances. Requires the Agency to prepare and revise such profiles every five years.
 
Directs the Agency develop an environmental health education program focusing on the hazardous substance exposure of fetuses and children.
 
Requires the Agency, in cooperation with states, to establish a registry of children exposed to significant levels of hazardous substances released at facilities on CERCLA's National Priorities List.
 

 
Children's Environmental Protection and Right to Know Act - Amends the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986 to require EPA to establish toxic chemical release form reporting thresholds for toxic chemicals that may present a significant risk to children's health or the environment.
 
Amends the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) to require EPA, acting jointly with the Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), to publish a list of substances toxic to children because of their carcinogenic, neurotoxic, or reproductive toxic effects. 
 
Requires EPA to implement strategies for chemical testing and risk assessment.
 
Requires manufacturers and importers of such substances to report to the CPSC on such substances.
 
Authorizes private citizens to bring a civil action in the U.S. district court for specified violations of FHSA or this Act. Establishes a penalty fund.
 
Requires EPA, in collaboration with HHS, to establish a block grant program for state testing and removal of pollutants from schools and day care centers.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Introduced in Senate