CITIZENS SPEAK UP—Mary Rosso, a community activist and former state delegate, calls on Maryland’s congressional delegation to reinstate the public’s right to know about releases of toxic pollution in their communities.

Many Marylanders are placed in danger by exposure to toxics—even though safer industrial alternatives exist. A Maryland PIRG report released in May examines the risks faced by communities across the state.

The report, Toxic Pollution and Health, used information from the federal Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) to analyze toxic pollution linked to serious health problems such as cancer, birth defects or neurological damage. Due to a recent EPA action restricting the public’s right to know about toxic emissions in our communities, the report may provide one of the last complete pictures of toxic pollution in Maryland.

In 2004, the Baltimore/Curtis Bay zip code ranked 13th in the country for total air releases of toxic pollutants suspected to impair the human respiratory system. The Brandon Shores/Wagner Complex power plant alone released more than 11.5 million pounds of respiratory toxicants that year.

Pollution and Health
“Neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s are increasing in our population. These diseases may be caused in part by neurotoxins in the air we breathe. That’s why it’s so important that we know what’s out there,” said Dr. Michael Trush, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

In 2004, EPA reported that the TRI helped to reduce toxic pollution by 57 percent nationwide since its inception in 1988. Despite this success, EPA weakened the program in Dec. 2006 by allowing the chemical industry to withhold previously reported pollution information.

“To address the potential health threats from toxic pollution, we need full information about what toxics are being released, where and in what amounts,” said Brenda Afzal, a public health nurse. “Limiting the public’s right to know leaves Maryland families and their health care providers in the dark about toxic pollution.”

Defending Right-To-Know
Rep. Albert R. Wynn (MD-4) recently challenged EPA’s rollbacks by introducing the Toxic Right-To-Know Protection Act (H.R. 1055 and S. 595). This legislation would reverse the rollbacks, restore the lost data and ensure that communities have full and complete access to toxic pollution information.

“We call on the Maryland congressional delegation to support the public’s right to know and protect Maryland’s communities by cosponsoring this legislation,” said Mary Rosso, a community activist and former state delegate.

Maryland PIRG continues to advocate before Congress to restore communities’ right to know.