NGOs plan day of action in Washington during Congressional hearing on chemicals law reform

A coalition of NGOs is planning a day of campaigning today in order to persuade lawmakers in the US Congress to adopt stringent rules on the control of chemical risks. The actions are aimed at a House of Representatives Sub-Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing on reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act at which several NGO representatives will testify.

Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families and Earth Justice have placed emotive advertisements in two newspapers read by politicians and their staff - Politico and Roll Call - depicting a child that is subject to an experiment without consent. Other NGOs plan a "race for the cause", running backwards to symbolise the need to find and act on chemicals as the causes of diseases. Groups will then gather for a rally on the Mall.

Meanwhile, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has submitted evidence to the hearing saying that the US needs legislative mandates to use existing non-animal methods - borrowing from regulatory provisions in Europe.

• Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families ad
• PETA tesimony to Congressional Committee